Conflict of Interest

1. Policy Statement

The Journal of Computer Science Application and Engineering (JOSAPEN) is committed to maintaining transparency, objectivity, integrity, and fairness throughout the scholarly publishing process. A conflict of interest may arise when personal, professional, financial, or other relationships could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the objectivity of authors, editors, reviewers, or other individuals involved in the publication process.

JOSAPEN requires all parties involved in manuscript preparation, evaluation, and publication to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest. Disclosing a conflict does not automatically mean that a manuscript will be rejected or that an individual cannot participate in the publication process. Rather, disclosure enables the journal to assess the situation and take appropriate measures to protect the integrity and credibility of its editorial decisions.

2. Conflicts of Interest for Authors

Authors must disclose all relationships or circumstances that could influence the design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, or reporting of their research. Such conflicts may include, but are not limited to:

  • Financial interests: Employment, consultancy, honoraria, research funding, grants, stock ownership, patents, royalties, or other financial benefits related to the research.

  • Professional or institutional relationships: Employment, collaboration, supervisory relationships, or institutional affiliations that could affect the objectivity of the research or its evaluation.

  • Personal relationships: Family relationships, friendships, personal disputes, or other close relationships that could influence the research or publication process.

  • Academic and intellectual interests: Strong professional commitments, competing research interests, or intellectual positions that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the interpretation of findings.

  • Other competing interests: Any additional circumstances that could affect, or appear to affect, the impartiality of the research.

Authors must disclose relevant conflicts in the manuscript at the time of submission. If no conflicts exist, the manuscript should include the following statement:

“The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.”

If a conflict exists, authors must provide a clear and accurate statement describing its nature. Authors must also disclose the sources of financial support and explain the role of the funding organization, where applicable, in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

3. Conflicts of Interest for Editors

Editors must make editorial decisions based on the manuscript's academic merit, relevance, originality, methodological quality, and compliance with the journal's publication ethics, without inappropriate influence from personal, financial, institutional, or professional interests.

Editors must declare any conflict of interest associated with a submitted manuscript and must not manage or make decisions on manuscripts where their impartiality could reasonably be questioned. Examples include manuscripts authored by close collaborators, colleagues from the same department or institution where a conflict exists, family members, research partners, or individuals with whom the editor has a personal or professional dispute.

When a conflict is identified, the editor must withdraw from the relevant editorial process and refer the manuscript to an independent editor or another authorized member of the editorial team. Editors must also maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and must not use unpublished information for personal or professional advantage.

4. Conflicts of Interest for Reviewers

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and confidentially. They must inform the editorial office if they have any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that could affect their ability to provide an impartial assessment.

Potential conflicts include recent or ongoing collaboration with the authors, direct competition in the same research area, personal relationships, institutional affiliations that may compromise impartiality, financial interests, or personal disagreements.

Reviewers who identify a significant conflict should decline the review invitation or notify the editor promptly so that an appropriate decision can be made. Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained during peer review for their own research, professional advantage, or personal benefit. They must also avoid using the review process to promote personal interests or unfairly disadvantage competing researchers.

5. Disclosure and Declaration Procedure

All authors are responsible for ensuring that relevant competing interests are disclosed accurately and completely during manuscript submission. The corresponding author must confirm that all co-authors have been informed of the disclosure and have agreed to the statement provided.

Conflict-of-interest declarations should be included in the manuscript under a separate heading, such as “Conflict of Interest” or “Competing Interests.” Where applicable, funding information should be reported separately under a “Funding” heading.

Editors and reviewers must disclose conflicts directly to the editorial office as soon as they become aware of them. If a conflict emerges after a manuscript has been submitted, reviewed, accepted, or published, the relevant individual must inform the journal promptly.

6. Assessment and Management of Conflicts

JOSAPEN will assess disclosed conflicts on a case-by-case basis, considering their nature, significance, potential impact on objectivity, and the stage of the publication process. Appropriate measures may include:

  • Requesting additional information or clarification from the relevant individual.

  • Including a disclosure statement in the published article.

  • Assigning an independent editor or reviewer.

  • Replacing a reviewer or editor where impartiality may be compromised.

  • Requesting corrections to an incomplete or inaccurate declaration.

  • Taking further editorial or publication-ethics action when a conflict has been concealed or misrepresented.

A disclosed conflict will not automatically result in manuscript rejection. However, failure to disclose a relevant conflict, deliberate misrepresentation, or evidence that a conflict has compromised research integrity may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or other appropriate action in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.

7. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

If JOSAPEN becomes aware of a potentially undisclosed conflict of interest, the journal may request an explanation and supporting information from the relevant parties. The matter will be assessed fairly and confidentially, allowing the individuals concerned an appropriate opportunity to respond.

Depending on the findings, the journal may require a revised disclosure statement, publish a correction, reconsider an editorial decision, or take other proportionate measures. If the issue affects the reliability or integrity of a published article, the journal may consider a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, as appropriate.

8. Responsibilities of the Parties

Authors are responsible for disclosing relevant competing interests, funding sources, and relationships that could influence their work.

Editors are responsible for identifying and managing conflicts that could compromise editorial independence and impartiality.

Reviewers are responsible for declaring conflicts promptly and declining assignments when they cannot provide an objective assessment.

The Publisher supports the journal in implementing this policy consistently and transparently while respecting confidentiality and due process.

9. Commitment to Publication Ethics

JOSAPEN follows recognized principles of publication ethics and aims to manage conflicts of interest in accordance with applicable guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The journal is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions are based on scholarly quality and ethical standards rather than personal, financial, or institutional influence.

All authors, editors, and reviewers are expected to cooperate with the journal in identifying, disclosing, and appropriately managing conflicts of interest to preserve trust in the scholarly record.