The Journal of Energy and Electrical Engineering (JEEE) is committed to maintaining transparency, independence, fairness, and integrity in scholarly publishing. JEEE requires authors, peer reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in the editorial process to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest (COIs) that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, research conduct, interpretation, peer review, or publication decisions. This policy is informed by the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. DEFINITION AND SCOPE OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

A conflict of interest may arise when a secondary interest could affect, or be perceived as affecting, an individual's professional judgment or primary responsibility for conducting, evaluating, or reporting research objectively. A conflict does not necessarily imply improper conduct or invalidate research findings; however, transparent disclosure is required so that editors and readers can assess the relevance of the relationship.

Relevant interests may include, but are not limited to:

• Financial interests: research sponsorship, consulting or advisory fees, employment, honoraria, equity or stock ownership, paid expert testimony, royalties, and patent or licensing interests.
• Professional or institutional relationships: supervisory relationships, recent or ongoing collaborations, shared institutional responsibilities, academic competition, and affiliations that may affect impartiality.
• Personal interests: close personal or family relationships, friendships, disputes, or rivalries relevant to a manuscript or editorial decision.
• Intellectual interests: strong commitments to competing scientific positions, technologies, or commercial approaches that could reasonably affect objective assessment.

In the context of energy and electrical engineering, relevant relationships may include support from power utilities, manufacturers of electrical equipment, energy technology providers, software vendors, consultancy firms, or organizations with commercial interests in the reported devices, algorithms, simulations, or research outcomes.

2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF AUTHORS

All authors must disclose relationships and activities that could reasonably be viewed as relevant to the submitted manuscript, regardless of whether the authors believe these relationships affected their conclusions. Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

1. Every author provides accurate information about relevant financial and non-financial interests.
2. All sources of research funding, donated equipment, software licenses, technical assistance, and other material support are properly acknowledged where applicable.
3. The role of any sponsor in study design, data acquisition, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and the decision to submit for publication is explained, or the absence of such involvement is stated.
4. Authors retain the ability to assess and report research findings independently and do not conceal unfavorable or inconclusive results because of a sponsor's interests.
5. Any new or previously omitted relevant conflict is promptly communicated to the JEEE Editorial Office during review or after publication.

The corresponding author should coordinate the collection of declarations from all co-authors. Funding acknowledgment and conflict-of-interest disclosure are related but distinct: receiving funding does not automatically constitute a conflict, and the absence of external funding does not establish the absence of other conflicts.

3. CONFLICT-OF-INTEREST DECLARATION IN THE MANUSCRIPT

Authors must provide a conflict-of-interest statement in the submitted manuscript or accompanying submission information. The statement should be updated if circumstances change and should be included in the published article as appropriate. Authors may use one of the following formats:

A. No Conflict of Interest

"The authors declare that they have no known financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could have influenced the research reported in this article."

B. Conflict of Interest Declared

"The authors declare the following potential conflicts of interest: [describe the relevant relationship, interest, or activity]. [Name of sponsor or organization] [describe its role, if any, in the research and publication process]."

These examples should be adapted to the authors' actual circumstances. Declaring no conflict is appropriate only when all authors have considered their relevant relationships and activities.

4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF PEER REVIEWERS

Invited reviewers must disclose any relationship or activity that could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, their independence. This includes significant financial interests, close personal or professional relationships, recent collaboration with an author, direct academic competition, or involvement in the work under review. Reviewers must decline or withdraw from a review when a conflict prevents an impartial assessment; when uncertain, they should consult the handling editor before accepting the invitation. Reviewers must preserve manuscript confidentiality and must not use unpublished findings or information obtained through peer review for personal, professional, or financial advantage.

5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF EDITORS AND EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Editors and Editorial Board members must disclose interests relevant to manuscripts they handle and must not participate in decisions when their impartiality could reasonably be questioned. A manuscript submitted by an editor, Editorial Board member, or a person with a close relationship to an editor must be handled by an independent editor who is not affected by the relevant conflict. Conflicted individuals must not select reviewers, evaluate confidential reports, or make the final decision on that manuscript. Editorial decisions must be based on scholarly quality, methodological rigor, originality, ethical compliance, and relevance to JEEE, rather than on commercial, institutional, or personal interests.

6. MANAGEMENT OF DISCLOSED CONFLICTS

The presence of a disclosed conflict does not automatically result in rejection. The Editor-in-Chief or an independent designated editor will assess the relevance and seriousness of the interest and may take appropriate steps, including:

• Requesting additional information or clarification from the individual concerned.
• Appointing independent reviewers or assigning the manuscript to an independent editor.
• Removing a conflicted reviewer or editor from the relevant evaluation or decision.
• Requiring a clear declaration in the published article.
• Taking proportionate publication-related action if a material conflict emerges after publication.

Decisions should be recorded through the journal's editorial process and handled with appropriate confidentiality. Transparency and effective management, rather than the mere existence of a relationship, guide the editorial response.

7. UNDISCLOSED CONFLICTS AND POST-PUBLICATION CONCERNS

When a potential conflict is identified during manuscript assessment or after publication, JEEE may contact the relevant parties to obtain an explanation and assess whether the omission was material. Depending on the evidence and its impact on research or editorial integrity, the journal may require an updated disclosure, reconsider an editorial assignment or decision, issue a correction to the published disclosure, or take further action under its Allegation of Research Misconduct and Correction and Retraction policies. Serious concerns will be reviewed fairly and without presuming misconduct before the facts have been established.

8. REPORTING AND RELATED JEEE POLICIES

Questions or concerns about conflicts of interest may be directed to the JEEE Editorial Office at [email protected]. Reports should identify the relevant manuscript or published article, explain the relationship or concern, and provide supporting information where available. This policy should be read together with JEEE's Publication Ethics and Authorship Criteria and Contributions.

9. REFERENCES AND ETHICAL GUIDELINES

1. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Disclosure of Financial and Non-Financial Relationships and Activities, and Conflicts of Interest. ICMJE Recommendations.
2. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). COPE Focus on Conflicts of Interest. COPE Guidance.
3. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Undisclosed Conflict of Interest in a Submitted Manuscript. COPE Flowchart.