Conflict of Interest

Chalim Journal of Teaching and Learning is committed to maintaining transparency, impartiality, independence, and integrity throughout the scholarly publication process. The journal requires authors, editors, reviewers, and other individuals involved in editorial decisions to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence, or reasonably appear to influence, their professional judgment.

This policy is guided by the principles of publication ethics promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is applied in conjunction with the journal's Publication Ethics, Peer Review Process, and Reviewers Guidelines.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest arises when financial, personal, professional, academic, institutional, or other relationships could influence or be perceived to influence the objectivity, interpretation, evaluation, or publication of scholarly work.

Conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

• Financial interests: research funding, employment, consultancy, honoraria, financial investments, or other financial relationships.
• Personal relationships: family relationships, close friendships, or personal disputes involving authors, editors, or reviewers.
• Professional and institutional relationships: employment at the same institution, supervisory relationships, or professional collaborations.
• Academic interests: direct academic competition, intellectual rivalry, or involvement in closely related research.
• Other competing interests: organizational affiliations, commitments, or circumstances that could reasonably affect independent scholarly judgment.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

All authors must disclose any financial or non-financial interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, interpretation of findings, or preparation of the manuscript.

Authors must identify relevant funding sources and describe the role of funders, where applicable, in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and publication decisions.

The corresponding author is responsible for collecting competing-interest information from all co-authors and ensuring that an accurate declaration is provided during submission and updated whenever relevant circumstances change.

When no competing interests exist, authors must include the following statement:

3. Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and Editorial Board members must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest related to manuscripts under consideration.

Editors must not handle manuscripts when personal, financial, professional, academic, or institutional relationships could compromise their impartiality. In such cases, editorial responsibility must be transferred to another qualified and independent editor.

Manuscripts submitted by Editors, Editorial Board members, or individuals closely associated with the journal must undergo an independent editorial assessment and the journal's established peer review process. Editorial positions must not provide preferential treatment or influence publication decisions.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review invitation. Such conflicts may arise from financial interests, institutional relationships, recent research collaborations, supervisory relationships, academic competition, or personal connections with the authors.

Reviewers who cannot provide an impartial evaluation must decline the invitation or promptly inform the Editor so that an appropriate decision can be made.

All reviewers must maintain manuscript confidentiality and must not use unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal, professional, or academic advantage.

These requirements apply within the journal's double-blind peer review system, including circumstances in which a reviewer becomes aware of an author's identity.

5. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports editorial independence and is committed to ensuring that financial, institutional, administrative, or other external interests do not improperly influence manuscript evaluation, reviewer selection, editorial decisions, or publication outcomes.

Editorial decisions must be based on scholarly merit, relevance to the journal's focus and scope, research integrity, and the results of the peer review process.

6. Disclosure and Management Procedures

Conflicts of interest must be disclosed as early as possible during manuscript submission, reviewer invitation, or editorial assignment. Any newly identified competing interest must be reported promptly to the Editorial Office.

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the conflict, the journal may request clarification or additional disclosure, appoint an independent reviewer or editor, reassign editorial responsibilities, or take other appropriate measures to protect the integrity of the evaluation process.

The existence of a disclosed conflict of interest does not necessarily result in manuscript rejection. The editorial team will determine whether the conflict can be appropriately managed.

7. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

If an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified during review or after publication, the editorial team will assess the circumstances, request clarification from the parties concerned, and determine appropriate corrective measures.

Depending on the evidence and its impact on the integrity of the publication, actions may include additional editorial assessment, publication of a disclosure or correction notice, an expression of concern, or retraction in serious cases where justified.

Suspected ethical violations will be addressed in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and Allegation of Misconduct policies and relevant COPE guidance.

8. Conflict of Interest Statement in Published Articles

Authors are required to provide a Conflict of Interest statement for inclusion in their manuscripts. The statement must accurately reflect any relevant financial or non-financial competing interests.

Example when a conflict exists:

Example when no conflict exists: