Conflict of Interest Policy

The Journal of Learning and Educational Policy (JLEP) is committed to transparency and integrity in all aspects of the editorial process. This policy applies to authors, reviewers, and editors.

Definition

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgement concerning a primary interest (such as the validity, quality, and integrity of research) may be influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain, personal relationships, or professional competition).

For Authors

Authors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest at the time of submission. This includes:

  • Financial relationships: funding sources, grants received, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, expert testimony, patents or patent applications, and other financial interests related to the submitted work
  • Non-financial relationships: personal relationships with editors or reviewers, academic competition, or ideological beliefs that may bias the research

A Conflict of Interest declaration must appear in the submitted manuscript under the heading 'Conflict of Interest Statement'. If no conflict exists, authors must state: 'The authors declare no conflict of interest.'

For Reviewers

Reviewers must decline to review a manuscript if they have:

  • A financial interest in the research or its outcomes
  • A close personal or professional relationship with any of the authors
  • A competitive interest that could bias their assessment
  • Previously collaborated with the authors within the past 3 years

If a conflict of interest is identified during the review process, reviewers must notify the editor immediately and withdraw from the review.

For Editors

Editors must recuse themselves from handling submissions where they have:

  • A financial or personal interest in the work
  • A professional relationship with the submitting author(s) that could compromise objectivity
  • Any other circumstance that could reasonably be perceived as a conflict of interest

In such cases, responsibility for handling the manuscript will be transferred to another editor or editorial board member. The Editor-in-Chief must be notified of all editor recusals.

Handling Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

If an undisclosed conflict of interest is discovered after publication, the journal will investigate and may issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction as appropriate, following COPE guidelines.

Transparency

Funding information and conflict of interest statements are published with each article to enable readers to evaluate the research in full context.