Conflict of Interest

PAUDIA: Jurnal Penelitian dalam Bidang Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini is committed to maintaining transparency, fairness, and integrity throughout the editorial and publication process. All parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, and reviewers, are expected to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence, or appear to influence, their professional judgment.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when personal, financial, professional, institutional, or other relationships may influence or compromise the objectivity of an individual's decisions or responsibilities in the publication process.

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

• Financial interests, funding, employment, consultancies, or other financial relationships relevant to the submitted manuscript.

• Personal relationships or close professional collaborations between individuals involved in the editorial or review process.

• Institutional affiliations or competing academic interests that may affect impartial judgment.

• Other circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the evaluation or publication of a manuscript.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct. However, relevant conflicts must be disclosed and appropriately managed.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest relevant to their submitted manuscripts.

Authors must provide a Conflict of Interest Statement in their manuscripts, even when no conflicts of interest exist. Any relevant financial support, affiliations, or relationships that could influence the research or its interpretation should also be disclosed.

If no conflict of interest exists, authors may use the following statement:

“The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.”

If a conflict of interest exists, authors should describe the relevant relationship or interest clearly and accurately.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must evaluate manuscripts impartially and disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their editorial judgment.

An editor who has a conflict of interest involving a submitted manuscript must not participate in decisions concerning that manuscript. The manuscript should be assigned to another qualified editor who can manage the editorial process independently.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest before accepting or proceeding with a review assignment.

Reviewers should decline the assignment if a conflict of interest could compromise their ability to provide an objective assessment. If a potential conflict arises during the review process, reviewers must inform the editor promptly so that appropriate action can be taken.

5. Management of Conflicts of Interest

PAUDIA will assess disclosed conflicts of interest and take appropriate measures to safeguard the integrity and impartiality of the editorial process.

Depending on the circumstances, these measures may include requesting additional disclosures, assigning an alternative editor or reviewer, or taking other appropriate editorial action.

Failure to disclose a relevant conflict of interest may result in further editorial review and appropriate action in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.

6. Transparency and Publication

Relevant conflict of interest disclosures may be included in the published article when appropriate. The journal aims to ensure that conflicts are managed transparently while maintaining the confidentiality of editorial communications and other protected information.

This policy applies to all parties involved in the submission, review, editorial evaluation, and publication of manuscripts in PAUDIA.