Conflict of Interest Policy

The United International Journal of Advanced Engineering and Digital Technologies (UIJAEDT) is committed to transparency and integrity in scholarly publishing. Authors, editors, reviewers, and other participants in the publication process are expected to disclose any financial, professional, personal, or other interests that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, the research or editorial decision-making process.

Authors' Responsibilities

Authors should ensure that any agreements with research sponsors or funding organizations do not restrict their access to relevant research data or interfere with their independent analysis, interpretation, or reporting of the research findings.

All authors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest related to the submitted manuscript. Disclosure should be made during the submission process and should accurately represent the interests of all contributing authors.

Potential conflicts may include, but are not limited to:

  • Employment or consultancy relationships.

  • Research grants, sponsorships, or other financial support.

  • Honoraria, speaker fees, or paid expert services.

  • Stock or share ownership.

  • Patents, patent applications, or licensing arrangements.

  • Commercial or financial interests related to the research.

  • Professional or institutional affiliations.

  • Personal or professional relationships that could influence the work.

  • Other interests that could reasonably be perceived as affecting the objectivity of the research.

The absence of a financial relationship does not necessarily mean that no conflict exists. Authors should also consider relevant non-financial interests when making their disclosure.

Conflict of Interest Statement in the Manuscript

The corresponding author should ensure that an appropriate “Conflicts of Interest” statement is included in the manuscript, preferably before the References section.

Where a conflict exists, the statement should clearly identify the nature of the relevant interest.

Example:

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare that Author A received research funding from [Organization], while Author B has provided consultancy services to [Organization]. All other authors declare no competing interests.

If no relevant conflict exists, authors may use:

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Funding Disclosure

Authors should disclose all significant sources of financial or institutional support associated with the research. Where applicable, the funding statement should identify the funding organization and, where available, the relevant grant or project number.

If the research received no specific financial support, authors may state:

Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Editors' and Editorial Board Members' Responsibilities

Editors and editorial board members must disclose any conflict of interest that could affect their handling of a manuscript.

An editor should not participate in editorial decisions concerning a manuscript when there is a significant personal, professional, financial, or institutional conflict. In such circumstances, the manuscript should be assigned to an appropriate independent editor whenever possible.

Editorial decisions must be based on the scholarly quality, originality, relevance, and integrity of the manuscript rather than personal or commercial interests.

Reviewers' Responsibilities

Reviewers must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest before accepting or completing a review.

A reviewer should decline an assignment when a conflict could reasonably compromise, or appear to compromise, the objectivity of the review. Examples may include close personal or professional relationships with the authors, direct competition involving closely related unpublished research, financial interests, or institutional relationships.

Reviewers must not use confidential information obtained through the peer-review process for personal, professional, or financial advantage.

Management of Conflicts

When a potential conflict of interest is identified, UIJAEDT may request additional information or clarification from the relevant individual. The editorial team will determine appropriate measures to protect the integrity and independence of the review and publication process.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may require disclosure within the published article, reassign an editor or reviewer, request additional documentation, or take other appropriate editorial action.

Failure to disclose a significant conflict of interest may result in editorial action, including manuscript rejection or correction of the published record where appropriate.

Transparency and Independence

UIJAEDT expects authors to maintain appropriate independence from sponsors and other interested parties in the interpretation and reporting of research. Disclosure of a conflict does not necessarily mean that a manuscript will be rejected. Rather, transparent disclosure allows editors, reviewers, and readers to evaluate the research with appropriate context.

The journal is committed to handling conflict-of-interest disclosures fairly, consistently, and transparently while protecting confidential information where appropriate.