Competing Interests

Journal of Education, Psychology and Inclusion (JEPI) is committed to transparency, editorial integrity, and responsible scholarly publishing. The journal requires the disclosure of any competing interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the preparation, review, editorial handling, or publication of a manuscript. This policy applies to authors, reviewers, editors, and journal staff and is informed by recognized publication-ethics guidance, including COPE’s principles of transparency and ICMJE recommendations on disclosure of interests.

A competing interest may be financial or non-financial. It may include, among other things, employment, consultancy, advisory roles, honoraria, grants, funding, paid expert testimony, stock ownership, patents, institutional affiliations, personal relationships, academic rivalry, ideological commitments, or any other relationship or activity that could affect objective judgement or create the appearance of bias. The journal adopts a broad understanding of disclosure in line with ICMJE’s approach, which emphasizes transparency regarding relationships and activities related to the content of the manuscript.

Authors must disclose all relevant competing interests at the time of submission. Where no competing interests exist, authors should state clearly that they have no competing interests to declare. Disclosure does not automatically prevent consideration of a manuscript; rather, it enables the editorial office to assess the submission fairly and transparently. Where necessary, disclosed interests may be published alongside the article in the interest of transparency. ICMJE’s disclosure framework is designed precisely to support this kind of standardized and transparent reporting.

Reviewers are expected to declare any competing interest before agreeing to review a submission. A reviewer should decline an invitation where a personal, professional, institutional, financial, collaborative, or competitive relationship may impair, or reasonably appear to impair, impartial assessment. COPE’s ethical guidance for peer reviewers states that reviewers should declare all potential competing interests and seek advice from the journal if they are uncertain whether a conflict is disqualifying.

Editors and members of the editorial team must also recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a competing interest. Where an editor is an author, has a close personal or institutional relationship with an author, has collaborated recently with an author, or has another relevant conflict, editorial responsibility for that manuscript should be assigned to an independent editor or other appropriate decision-maker. COPE guidance specifically indicates that editors should not be involved in editorial decisions where they or close family members have a conflict of interest.

If a competing interest is suspected but has not been disclosed, the journal may request clarification or additional information from the relevant individual and may take editorial action where necessary. Depending on the seriousness and timing of the case, this may include reassignment of reviewers or editors, additional review, publication of a correction or disclosure notice, expression of concern, or other appropriate measures intended to protect the integrity of the scholarly record. COPE’s guidance on undisclosed conflicts of interest supports corrective action, including after publication, where transparency concerns arise.

The journal encourages full disclosure in the interest of fairness, accountability, and trust in scholarly communication. Disclosure is not in itself evidence of wrongdoing. Rather, it is a necessary part of responsible editorial practice and helps readers, reviewers, and editors assess published work in an informed and transparent manner. Public trust in scholarly publishing depends in part on how openly such interests are handled across submission, peer review, editing, and publication.