Conflict of Interest Policy

Jurnal Sosial Humaniora dan Pendidikan (EDUCATION) upholds academic freedom, fairness, and public trust in research and scholarly publishing. To preserve these principles, everyone involved in the publication process is expected to recognize, disclose, and appropriately manage interests that may compromise independent academic judgment.

In educational, social, and humanities research, conflicts of interest may arise from institutional affiliations, academic relationships, power imbalances, professional obligations, financial support, or researchers' direct involvement with the communities they investigate.

This policy establishes a framework for transparent disclosure and responsible management of such relationships, ensuring that research findings are assessed according to their evidence, methodological rigor, and scholarly contribution.

1. Fundamental Principles of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when secondary interests may influence, or reasonably be perceived as influencing, an individual's scientific judgment or professional responsibilities.

EDUCATION recognizes that academic, institutional, and social relationships are inherent in many research activities. The existence of such relationships does not necessarily indicate unethical conduct.

However, relationships that may introduce bias or compromise independent judgment must be disclosed to allow fair and informed evaluation.

Conflict of interest management is guided by transparency, academic independence, fairness, respect for research participants, and scholarly accountability.

2. Conflicts of Interest in Educational and Social Research

EDUCATION recognizes that conflicts of interest in education, social sciences, and humanities may involve relationships extending beyond financial considerations.

The following circumstances require particular attention:

A. Academic and Professional Relationships

Relationships between lecturers and students, supervisors and researchers, teachers and pupils, or employers and employees may create pressure, dependency, or bias during research activities and the evaluation of findings.

B. Institutional Interests

Researchers may have direct involvement with educational institutions, social organizations, or community institutions being investigated, particularly when research findings could influence institutional reputation, performance evaluation, policies, or organizational interests.

C. Financial Interests and Research Funding

Research grants, consultancy payments, honoraria, institutional resources, or other forms of support may create competing interests when funding providers have a direct stake in the research outcomes.

D. Personal and Social Relationships

Family connections, close personal relationships, community affiliations, or other social ties may influence data collection, participant interactions, research interpretation, or scholarly judgments.

E. Interests in Educational Program Evaluation

Conflicts may arise when researchers serve as designers, implementers, administrators, or beneficiaries of educational programs that they subsequently evaluate.

F. Interests Affecting Research Findings and Interpretation

Professional commitments, institutional expectations, or other interests may encourage selective interpretation, suppression of unfavorable findings, or inadequate representation of participants' perspectives.

All relevant interests must be disclosed when they may reasonably affect the research or its interpretation.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research is conducted and reported without the improper influence of undisclosed interests.

At the time of manuscript submission, authors must provide information regarding any relationships or circumstances that may compromise, or appear to compromise, the independence of their research.

Required disclosures may include:

• Sources of research funding and institutional support.

• Relationships between researchers and the institutions or communities serving as research sites.

• Authors' involvement in designing, administering, or implementing educational programs being evaluated.

• Professional or personal relationships relevant to the research.

• The involvement of sponsors or institutions in determining research methods, analyzing data, or interpreting findings.

In studies involving students, teachers, parents, or vulnerable populations, authors must consider how power relationships may affect voluntary participation and the accuracy of information provided by research participants.

Where relevant relationships could materially influence the research, authors should explain the measures taken to minimize potential bias.

Authors must update their declarations if relevant circumstances change during manuscript evaluation.

4. Research Independence and Participant Protection

Research conducted within educational institutions and communities often involves direct relationships between researchers and the individuals participating in their studies.

EDUCATION emphasizes that academic, institutional, or professional interests must not be used to influence participants' willingness to participate in research.

Participation by students, educators, parents, and community members must comply with applicable requirements for valid and voluntary consent.

Researchers must not misuse positions of authority to pressure participants, direct their responses, or alter research findings to benefit personal or institutional interests.

When researchers occupy dual roles, such as teachers conducting research with their students or program administrators evaluating their own initiatives, these relationships must be disclosed together with the measures adopted to maintain objectivity and protect participants.

Requirements concerning informed consent, participant rights, and ethical safeguards are further addressed in the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

5. Conflicts of Interest for Peer Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to maintain fairness, independence, and academic integrity throughout the manuscript assessment process.

Before accepting a review invitation, reviewers must determine whether any existing relationship could affect their ability to provide an impartial evaluation.

Potential conflicts requiring disclosure include:

• Academic supervision relationships involving the authors.

• Close or ongoing research collaborations.

• Significant employment relationships or professional dependencies.

• Family relationships or close personal associations.

• Direct involvement with the educational programs, institutions, or communities under investigation.

• Professional rivalries or other interests that may influence scholarly judgment.

Reviewers with significant conflicts of interest must decline or withdraw from the assignment.

Reviews must focus on methodological rigor, analytical depth, scholarly relevance, and the validity of the conclusions.

Reviewers must not exploit the peer review process to advance personal interests, require irrelevant citations, or subject authors to unfair treatment.

6. Editorial Responsibilities and Independence

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for maintaining a fair, impartial, and accountable manuscript evaluation process.

Editors must avoid participating in editorial decisions when relevant relationships create conflicts of interest.

Potential conflicts may arise when a manuscript:

• Is submitted by colleagues with whom an editor maintains a close professional relationship.

• Involves students or researchers currently supervised by the editor.

• Originates from a research project in which the editor is directly involved.

• Examines programs or institutions with which the editor has significant interests.

• Involves family members or individuals with close personal relationships to the editor.

In such circumstances, editorial responsibility must be transferred to another qualified and independent editor.

Manuscripts submitted by Editorial Board members must undergo the same scholarly assessment standards as other submissions. Editorial members who are authors must not manage or influence decisions concerning their own manuscripts.

Publication decisions must reflect scholarly contribution and scientific quality, rather than academic rank, professional reputation, personal relationships, or institutional affiliation.

7. Role of the Publisher and Supporting Institutions

STIE STEKOM, as the publisher of EDUCATION, supports transparent and independent scholarly publishing.

The publisher, research sponsors, and collaborating institutions must not exert inappropriate influence on peer review outcomes or editorial decisions.

Financial or institutional support provided to researchers must be appropriately disclosed, particularly when the supporting organization has a direct interest in the research findings.

Article Processing Charges (APCs), where applicable, must not provide preferential treatment or guarantee manuscript acceptance.

Editorial independence remains the responsibility of the journal's editorial leadership throughout the publication process.

8. Management and Resolution of Conflicts of Interest

When a potential conflict of interest is identified, EDUCATION will assess its relevance and potential implications for the research or editorial process.

Appropriate measures may include:

1. Requesting additional disclosures or explanations from the relevant parties.

2. Reassigning manuscripts to independent editors or reviewers.

3. Requesting clarification regarding relationships between researchers, institutions, and participants.

4. Considering additional scholarly evaluation to assess the independence and credibility of research findings.

5. Implementing proportionate editorial measures based on the available evidence and the seriousness of the identified concerns.

The disclosure of a conflict of interest does not automatically justify manuscript rejection.

However, failure to disclose relevant interests or conduct that demonstrably compromises research integrity may require further ethical assessment.

When undisclosed conflicts are identified after publication, the journal may request clarification and issue a correction to the competing interests declaration. Additional action may be taken if serious misconduct affecting the reliability of the article is established.

Relevant procedures are addressed in the Allegations of Research Misconduct Policy and Correction and Retraction Policy.

9. Author Conflict of Interest Declaration

Every manuscript submitted to EDUCATION must include a statement declaring whether relevant conflicts of interest exist.

If the authors have no competing interests to disclose, the following statement may be used:

Conflict of Interest Statement

"The authors declare that no financial, institutional, personal, or professional relationships have influenced the research reported in this article."

Where competing interests exist, authors must clearly describe their nature, the individuals or organizations involved, and their relevance to the study.

The statement must accurately reflect the circumstances of the research and be approved by all authors.

10. Commitment to Fairness and Academic Integrity

EDUCATION is committed to fostering a scholarly publishing environment that respects academic freedom, equitable treatment, and social responsibility.

The disclosure and management of competing interests are regarded as essential safeguards for public confidence in research rather than restrictions on legitimate academic cooperation.

Authors, reviewers, editors, and other parties involved in scholarly publishing are expected to demonstrate openness regarding relevant relationships and prioritize research quality, participant welfare, and the public interest.

Through this policy, EDUCATION seeks to ensure that published research maintains academic credibility, respects the rights of research participants, and contributes responsibly to the advancement of education, social sciences, and humanities.