Conflicts of Interest Policy
Transparency and Editorial Integrity
Conflicts of Interest Policy
The International Journal of Education and Skills for the Green Economy requires authors, reviewers and editors to disclose interests that could influence—or reasonably appear to influence—the publication process.
Policy statement
A conflict of interest, also described as a competing interest, exists when a financial, professional, institutional or personal relationship could affect a person’s judgement, actions or interpretation of research.
The existence of an interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct or prevent publication. Transparent disclosure enables editors and readers to evaluate its possible relevance.
Types of competing interests
Financial interests
Employment, consultancy, research funding, grants, honoraria, paid testimony, patents, shares, gifts or other financial relationships connected with the work.
Professional interests
Professional competition, supervisory relationships, institutional responsibilities, editorial positions or direct involvement in a related project.
Personal relationships
Family relationships, close friendships, personal disputes or other relationships that could affect objective judgement.
Institutional interests
Relationships involving an author’s institution, employer, sponsor, research centre, publisher or collaborating organization.
Academic interests
Strong intellectual commitments, competing theories, ongoing disputes or direct academic rivalry relevant to the submitted work.
Non-financial interests
Political, ideological, religious, advocacy or organizational affiliations that may reasonably be perceived as affecting interpretation.
Responsibilities of authors
Every author must disclose all interests that are directly or indirectly relevant to the submitted manuscript. The corresponding author is responsible for collecting and submitting declarations from all co-authors.
Disclosures should be made at initial submission and updated whenever circumstances change during review, production or after publication.
Declaration when no conflict exists
Declaration when a conflict exists
Funding disclosure
Authors must identify all financial and material support received for the research and publication. The funding statement should include:
- The full name of the funding organization;
- The grant or project number, where applicable;
- The author or authors who received the funding;
- The funder’s role in study design, data collection, analysis and publication;
- Confirmation when the funder had no role in the research or publication decision.
Reviewers
Reviewers must disclose any relationship or interest that could affect their impartiality. They should decline a review when they cannot provide an independent and objective assessment.
Editors
Editors must recuse themselves from manuscripts in which they have a personal, professional, financial or institutional interest. Another qualified editor must manage the submission.
Editorial board members
Editorial board membership does not provide preferential treatment. Submissions from board members are handled independently and undergo the journal’s normal peer-review process.
Reviewer conflicts requiring withdrawal
A reviewer should normally decline an invitation when the reviewer:
- Has a close personal or professional relationship with an author;
- Works at the same institution as an author;
- Has recently collaborated with or supervised an author;
- Has a direct financial interest in the research outcome;
- Is involved in an active dispute or direct competition with an author;
- Believes that another circumstance prevents an impartial assessment.
Institutional and publisher independence
IJESGE is developed with the institutional support of the Green Economy and Optimization Research Lab and Forest Education Azerbaijan LLC.
Supporting institutions must not interfere with individual editorial decisions. Decisions to accept, revise or reject manuscripts are based on scholarly quality, relevance, ethical compliance and the independent judgement of the responsible editors.
Editorial management of disclosed interests
After reviewing a disclosure, the journal may:
- Determine that the interest does not prevent further consideration;
- Publish the disclosure with the article;
- Appoint a different editor or reviewer;
- Request additional clarification or documentation;
- Exclude an individual from a specific editorial decision;
- Reject or discontinue consideration when an interest cannot be appropriately managed.
Undisclosed conflicts discovered after publication
If a relevant conflict is discovered after publication, the journal will assess whether the omission affects the interpretation, reliability or editorial handling of the article.
Depending on the circumstances, IJESGE may publish a correction, disclosure notice, expression of concern or retraction. Serious or intentional non-disclosure may also be reported to the relevant institution or funding body.
Reporting a concern
Concerns regarding an undisclosed competing interest should be submitted to the editorial office with the relevant article or manuscript details and supporting evidence. Reports made in good faith will be handled objectively and with appropriate confidentiality.
Governing principle
Transparent disclosure does not automatically disqualify an author, reviewer or editor. Its purpose is to protect independent judgement, enable informed evaluation and maintain confidence in the scholarly record.
Policy owner: Editorial Office of the International Journal of Education and Skills for the Green Economy
Effective date: 2026
Last reviewed: August 2026
