Conflict of Interest Statement

The Journal of Technology is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and transparency in the publication of scientific research. To ensure the credibility and impartiality of the research published in our journal, we require all authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of their work.

Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when an individual’s personal, financial, or professional relationships could bias or appear to bias their actions, decisions, or judgments in the context of their research and scholarly activities. Conflicts of interest can arise from various sources, including but not limited to:

  • Financial relationships (e.g., employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, patents, royalties)
  • Personal relationships (e.g., close friendships, family ties)
  • Academic competition and intellectual bias
  • Professional affiliations (e.g., advisory board memberships, funding sources)

Authors

  1. Disclosure: Authors must disclose any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that could be perceived as influencing the results or interpretation of their submitted work. All sources of funding for the research must be disclosed in the manuscript.
  2. Acknowledgment: Any relevant conflict of interest must be acknowledged in the manuscript’s acknowledgments section. This includes financial support, consultancy, institutional support, or any personal relationships that could affect the work.
  3. Transparency: Authors are required to complete a conflict of interest disclosure form at the time of manuscript submission. This information will be kept confidential during the review process but may be published if the manuscript is accepted.

Reviewers

  1. Disclosure: Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that could bias their evaluation of the manuscript. This includes financial ties, personal relationships, academic competition, or professional affiliations with the authors or the institutions involved in the work.
  2. Recusal: Reviewers should recuse themselves from the review process if they have a conflict of interest that could prevent them from providing an unbiased and objective review.

Editors

  1. Disclosure: Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest related to manuscripts under their consideration. This includes any financial, personal, or professional relationships with the authors or the research.
  2. Decision Making: Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts if they have a conflict of interest that could compromise their impartiality. In such cases, an alternative editor will be assigned to handle the manuscript.

Institutional and Editorial Responsibilities

  1. Monitoring: The journal’s editorial team will monitor compliance with the conflict of interest policy and will address any potential conflicts that arise during the publication process.
  2. Ethical Standards: The journal adheres to the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for managing conflicts of interest. Any instances of potential misconduct will be investigated thoroughly, and appropriate actions will be taken to maintain the integrity of the publication process.
  3. Transparency: Information about conflicts of interest will be published alongside the article to ensure transparency and allow readers to assess the potential influence on the research.

By adhering to this conflict of interest policy, the Journal of Technology aims to ensure the integrity, objectivity, and credibility of the research it publishes, thereby upholding the trust of the scientific community and the public.