Publication Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy

International Journal of Educational Administration, Management, and Leadership

IJEAMaL

Ethical Principles

International Journal of Educational Administration, Management, and Leadership (IJEAMaL) is an international peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research articles, review articles, and case studies in educational administration, management, and leadership. The journal is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics, editorial independence, transparency, and academic integrity.

Submitted manuscripts must represent original work, must not have been published elsewhere in substantially the same form, and must not be under consideration by another journal unless an arrangement has been explicitly authorized by the relevant editors.

This policy establishes the ethical responsibilities of authors, editors, and reviewers, including the identification, disclosure, assessment, and management of actual, potential, and perceived conflicts of interest. It is informed by established scholarly publishing ethics principles and applicable guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Duties of Authors

2. Conflict of Interest Policy

IJEAMaL recognizes that conflicts of interest can arise when personal, professional, financial, institutional, or other interests may influence, or reasonably appear to influence, scholarly judgment. A conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct; however, failure to disclose or appropriately manage a relevant conflict may undermine the credibility of editorial decisions and published research.

The journal requires authors, editors, reviewers, and other individuals involved in editorial decisions to disclose relevant conflicts and cooperate with appropriate measures to protect the fairness, confidentiality, and independence of the publication process.

2.1. Definition and Types of Conflicts

A conflict of interest may be actual, potential, or perceived. It may arise from circumstances including, but not limited to:

• Financial interests: Employment, consultancy, honoraria, grants, research funding, shareholdings, patents, royalties, or other financial benefits.
• Professional and institutional relationships: Current or recent employment, shared institutional affiliations, supervisory relationships, collaborations, or other professional dependencies.
• Personal relationships: Family relationships, close friendships, personal disputes, or other circumstances that may affect impartial judgment.
• Academic and intellectual interests: Strong advocacy for a particular theory, method, policy, or position that could affect objective evaluation.
• Competitive interests: Direct competition for funding, recognition, publication priority, intellectual property, or professional advancement.
• Other relevant interests: Political, organizational, or other commitments that could reasonably be perceived as influencing scholarly judgment.

2.2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission. Disclosures should be sufficiently clear to allow editors and readers to understand the nature of the interest and its potential relevance to the research.

• Declare relevant financial and non-financial competing interests.
• Identify all relevant funding sources and explain the funder's role in the research, manuscript preparation, and publication decision, where applicable.
• Update the editorial office if a relevant conflict is identified or arises during the editorial process.
• Provide an explicit declaration of no competing interests when none exist.
• Ensure that disclosures are accurate, complete, and consistent with the manuscript and submission metadata.

2.3. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must maintain editorial independence and avoid participating in decisions where their impartiality may be compromised by a personal, professional, financial, or other competing interest.

• Disclose any relevant conflict to the appropriate editorial authority.
• Withdraw from handling manuscripts where a conflict could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, impartiality.
• Ensure that a suitably qualified and independent editor is assigned to the manuscript.
• Avoid using unpublished information or ideas obtained through editorial responsibilities for personal advantage without appropriate authorization.
• Maintain confidentiality and protect the integrity of editorial deliberations.

Where a submission involves the Editor-in-Chief, an editorial board member, or another person with decision-making authority, the manuscript must be handled by an independent editor who has no relevant conflict of interest.

2.4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must assess manuscripts objectively and disclose any circumstances that could affect their ability to provide an independent and impartial evaluation.

• Decline a review invitation if a significant conflict of interest exists or impartiality cannot reasonably be maintained.
• Inform the editor of relevant personal, financial, professional, institutional, or competitive relationships with the authors or their organizations.
• Notify the editor if they recognize an author in a double-anonymous review process and believe that this creates a relevant conflict.
• Keep manuscript content and privileged information confidential and never use unpublished ideas or data for personal or professional advantage.
• Provide constructive, evidence-based feedback without personal bias or inappropriate influence.

2.5. Disclosure and Management Procedures

Conflict-of-interest declarations must be submitted through the journal's designated submission fields, disclosure statements, or direct communication with the editorial office. The responsible editor will assess the nature and significance of the disclosed interest and determine whether safeguards are necessary.

2.6. Undisclosed Conflicts and Non-Compliance

If an undisclosed or inadequately managed conflict of interest is identified, IJEAMaL may request clarification, additional declarations, or supporting documentation. The journal will assess the circumstances fairly and proportionately.

Depending on the findings and the stage of publication, appropriate actions may include reassignment of editorial responsibility, replacement of a reviewer, correction of a disclosure statement, suspension of editorial processing, rejection of a manuscript, or post-publication corrective action where warranted.

Where a concern affects a published article, the journal may consider a correction, an Expression of Concern, or retraction in accordance with its applicable publication ethics procedures. Decisions will be based on the evidence and the seriousness of the issue, not solely on the existence of a disclosed interest.

2.7. Transparency in Published Articles

Relevant competing-interest and funding declarations will be included in published articles where appropriate. The journal seeks to ensure that readers receive sufficient information to evaluate the context in which research was conducted and reported, while respecting applicable privacy, confidentiality, and legal requirements.

3. Duties of Editors

3.1. Publication Decisions. Editors make publication decisions based on scholarly merit, originality, relevance, methodological quality, and the journal's editorial policies. Decisions must comply with applicable legal requirements and publication ethics standards.

3.2. Peer Review. Editors must ensure that manuscripts are initially assessed for suitability and originality and that appropriate, qualified, independent reviewers are selected. Relevant conflicts of interest must be considered when selecting reviewers.

3.3. Fairness and Editorial Independence. Manuscripts must be assessed on their intellectual content without discrimination based on the authors' personal characteristics, nationality, institutional affiliation, or other irrelevant considerations.

3.4. Confidentiality. Editors must protect confidential information relating to submitted manuscripts, research participants, and editorial deliberations. Manuscript materials must not be disclosed to unauthorized individuals.

3.5. Research Integrity. Editors must respond appropriately to credible concerns regarding errors, plagiarism, data integrity, research ethics, or publication misconduct and take proportionate action to protect the scholarly record.

4. Duties of Reviewers

4.1. Confidentiality. Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared or discussed with unauthorized individuals without the editor's permission.

4.2. Acknowledgment of Sources. Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited and notify the editor of substantial similarities, suspected misconduct, or significant ethical concerns. Concerns must be communicated confidentially through the editorial process.

4.3. Objectivity and Constructive Feedback. Reviews must be objective, clear, and supported by scholarly arguments. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate, and recommendations should help improve the quality of the manuscript.

4.4. Timeliness. Reviewers should accept assignments only when they have the relevant expertise and can reasonably meet the requested deadline. They must inform the editor promptly if they are unable to complete a review on time.

5. Accountability and Ethical Compliance

All participants in the publication process are responsible for upholding the principles outlined in this policy. Suspected breaches will be assessed fairly, confidentially, and consistently, with due consideration of the evidence and the rights of the parties involved.

IJEAMaL is committed to transparency, accountability, impartial editorial decisions, and the preservation of an accurate scholarly record. The journal may revise its procedures when necessary to reflect developments in scholarly publishing ethics and applicable guidance.