Conflict of Interest Policy
1. Introduction
Physical Education and Sports: Studies and Research (PESSR) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, impartiality, and accountability in scholarly publishing. The journal recognizes that the disclosure and appropriate management of conflicts of interest, also referred to as competing interests, are essential to preserving the credibility of published research and public confidence in the editorial and peer-review processes.
This policy establishes the responsibilities of authors, peer reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and journal staff in identifying, disclosing, assessing, and managing actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.
PESSR follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and promotes editorial independence, fair peer review, and responsible research assessment throughout the publication process.
2. Description
A Conflict of Interest (COI) or Competing Interest arises when an individual's professional judgment concerning a primary responsibility, such as conducting research, evaluating scientific evidence, reviewing manuscripts, or making editorial decisions, could be influenced or reasonably perceived to be influenced by a secondary interest.
Conflicts of interest may be financial or non-financial.
A. Financial Conflicts of Interest
Financial interests include, but are not limited to:
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Employment, consultancy arrangements, or advisory positions involving organizations with an interest in the research.
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Research grants, sponsorships, institutional funding, or other financial support.
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Stock ownership, equity interests, or financial investments.
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Honoraria, paid expert testimony, speaking fees, or travel support.
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Patents, patent applications, intellectual property rights, or royalties associated with the research.
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Financial relationships with manufacturers or suppliers of sports equipment, wearable technologies, rehabilitation devices, nutritional products, or other materials relevant to the research.
B. Non-Financial Conflicts of Interest
Non-financial interests include, but are not limited to:
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Personal relationships, including family connections or close friendships.
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Professional relationships, including current or recent research collaborations, supervisory relationships, or institutional associations.
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Academic competition, professional rivalries, or disputes between researchers.
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Membership or leadership positions in professional associations, sporting organizations, or institutions directly connected to the research.
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Strong intellectual commitments, personal beliefs, or professional interests that could compromise objective judgment.
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Involvement in the design, development, or evaluation of the manuscript under consideration.
Conflicts of interest are not necessarily evidence of misconduct. However, undisclosed or inadequately managed conflicts may compromise the integrity of research, peer review, and editorial decision-making.
This policy applies to all individuals participating in PESSR's publication process, including authors, peer reviewers, the Editor-in-Chief, Section Editors, Associate Editors, Guest Editors, Editorial Board Members, and editorial staff.
3. Policy
A. Principle of Full Disclosure
All individuals involved in the publication process must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence their responsibilities or professional judgment.
Disclosures must be complete, accurate, and updated whenever relevant circumstances change.
Individuals who have no conflicts of interest must explicitly declare the absence of competing interests.
B. Timing of Disclosure
1. Authors
Authors must disclose all relevant financial and non-financial interests when submitting their manuscripts to PESSR.
The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that disclosures from all co-authors are complete and accurately represented.
Authors must update their declarations if additional competing interests become apparent during manuscript evaluation, revision, acceptance, or publication.
2. Peer Reviewers
Invited reviewers must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.
If a conflict becomes apparent after accepting an invitation or during the review process, the reviewer must immediately notify the handling editor.
Reviewers must decline or withdraw from assignments when their interests could compromise the independence or objectivity of the review.
3. Editors and Editorial Staff
Editors and editorial staff must disclose relevant interests that could affect their editorial responsibilities.
Editors must not handle manuscripts in which they have significant financial, personal, professional, or institutional conflicts of interest.
Such manuscripts must be assigned to an independent editor who has no relevant competing interests.
C. Assessment and Management of Conflicts of Interest
PESSR evaluates disclosed conflicts of interest according to their nature, relevance, and potential influence on the research or publication process.
Depending on the circumstances, appropriate management measures may include:
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Requesting additional information or clarification concerning the declared interests.
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Publishing a conflict of interest statement alongside the accepted article.
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Reassigning a manuscript to an independent handling editor.
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Replacing a reviewer whose impartiality may be compromised.
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Seeking additional independent peer-review assessments when necessary.
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Requiring correction or clarification of incomplete or inaccurate declarations.
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Declining further consideration of a manuscript when an unacceptable conflict cannot be appropriately managed.
The existence of a disclosed conflict does not automatically result in manuscript rejection. Decisions are based on whether the conflict can be managed sufficiently to protect scientific integrity and editorial independence.
D. Publication of Conflict of Interest Statements
All articles published in PESSR must include a conflict of interest declaration.
This requirement applies to all manuscript categories, including original research articles, review articles, opinion articles, perspectives, commentaries, and editorials.
When relevant competing interests exist, the published declaration must describe their nature sufficiently to enable readers to assess their potential influence.
When no competing interests exist, the article must include an explicit statement indicating their absence.
Research funding must be disclosed separately, including the role of the funding organization in the research and publication process, where applicable.
E. Conflicts of Interest Identified After Publication
If an undisclosed or inadequately managed conflict of interest is identified after publication, PESSR will examine the circumstances in accordance with COPE guidance.
The investigation may involve requesting explanations or supporting documentation from authors, editors, reviewers, or other relevant parties.
Depending on the findings and their implications for the published work, PESSR may:
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Publish a correction or an updated competing interest declaration.
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Publish an editorial notice or expression of concern when appropriate.
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Conduct further investigation into the integrity of the research or editorial process.
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Retract the article when serious concerns substantially undermine the reliability or integrity of the published work and cannot be adequately resolved.
All decisions will be based on the available evidence, the seriousness of the issue, and established publication ethics principles.
4. Technicalities to Achieve and Materialise the Policies
A. For Authors
1. What to Disclose
Authors must disclose all relevant financial and non-financial interests, including:
a. Financial Interests
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Research grants, sponsorships, and financial support.
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Consultancy arrangements, employment, or advisory roles.
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Honoraria, royalties, patents, and intellectual property interests.
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Financial interests in organizations whose products, technologies, services, or interventions are evaluated in the study.
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Financial relationships involving sports equipment manufacturers, fitness technology providers, rehabilitation companies, or other relevant commercial entities.
b. Non-Financial Interests
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Personal or professional relationships that may influence the research.
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Institutional affiliations or collaborative relationships directly relevant to the submitted manuscript.
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Membership in professional organizations with a direct interest in the research outcomes.
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Involvement in the development, commercialization, or promotion of interventions or products examined in the study.
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Any other circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as affecting research objectivity.
c. Funding Sources
Authors must identify all organizations or institutions that provided financial support for the research.
Where applicable, authors should specify the funding body's involvement in:
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Study design and research planning.
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Data collection and management.
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Data analysis and interpretation.
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Manuscript preparation.
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Decisions concerning manuscript submission and publication.
If the funder had no involvement in these activities, this should be explicitly stated.
2. How to Disclose
Authors must provide a conflict of interest declaration as part of the manuscript submission process.
In accordance with PESSR's Author Guidelines, ethical and conflict of interest information must be included in the title page and supported by the required Author Statement.
The journal may request additional disclosure documentation, including the ICMJE Disclosure Form, when further clarification is necessary.
To preserve anonymity during PESSR's double-blind peer-review process, identifying information must remain in the designated title page or confidential submission documentation and must not be included in the anonymized manuscript where it could reveal author identities.
Following acceptance, the relevant conflict of interest declaration must be incorporated into the published article.
3. Recommended Declaration Statements
No Conflict of Interest
"The authors declare that they have no known financial or non-financial competing interests that could have influenced the research reported in this article."
Conflict of Interest Exists
"The authors declare the following competing interests: [describe the relevant financial or non-financial relationships]. The declared interests have been disclosed to the journal and considered during the editorial process."
Funding Declaration
"This research was supported by [funding organization and grant number, if applicable]. The funding organization had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or decision to submit the article for publication."
These statements should be adapted to reflect the actual circumstances of each manuscript.
4. Consequences of Non-Disclosure
Failure to disclose relevant competing interests may result in requests for clarification, delays in editorial processing, manuscript rejection, or appropriate post-publication action.
The response will be proportionate to the seriousness of the omission and its implications for research and publication integrity.
B. For Peer Reviewers
1. What to Disclose
Peer reviewers must disclose any interests that could impair or reasonably appear to impair their impartiality.
Relevant circumstances include:
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Current or recent research collaborations with any manuscript author, particularly within the preceding three years.
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Employment at the same institution or direct institutional relationships with the authors.
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Current or previous supervisory, mentoring, or doctoral advisory relationships.
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Personal friendships, family relationships, professional rivalries, or disputes involving manuscript authors.
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Financial interests in the results, interventions, products, or organizations discussed in the manuscript.
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Direct involvement in preparing, developing, or previously evaluating the manuscript.
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Strong intellectual commitments that would prevent an impartial scientific assessment.
A shared research field or differing scientific opinion does not automatically constitute a disqualifying conflict. However, reviewers must disclose circumstances that could materially affect their independent judgment.
2. How to Disclose
Reviewers must inform the handling editor of relevant conflicts before accepting a review invitation.
Where a conflict becomes apparent during peer review, the reviewer must notify the editor immediately and refrain from further evaluation until the editor determines the appropriate course of action.
3. Management of Reviewer Conflicts
The handling editor will assess disclosed conflicts and determine whether the reviewer may continue or should be replaced.
Reviewers with significant conflicts of interest will ordinarily be excluded from reviewing the relevant manuscript.
When necessary, an alternative independent reviewer will be appointed to protect the fairness and credibility of the peer-review process.
4. Confidentiality and Ethical Responsibility
Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and associated materials.
Unpublished information obtained through peer review must not be used for personal, academic, professional, or commercial advantage.
Reviewers must not exploit confidential research findings, intellectual property, or privileged information obtained during manuscript evaluation.
C. For Editors and Journal Staff (Including Editorial Board Members)
1. What to Disclose
The Editor-in-Chief, Section Editors, Associate Editors, Guest Editors, Editorial Board Members, and journal staff must disclose relevant interests that could affect their editorial independence.
These may include:
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Financial relationships with organizations connected to submitted research.
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Personal or professional relationships with manuscript authors or reviewers.
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Current research collaborations or supervisory relationships.
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Direct institutional interests associated with the submitted research.
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Authorship or co-authorship of a manuscript submitted to PESSR.
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Involvement in a competing research project that creates a significant conflict.
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Any other relationships that could reasonably compromise independent editorial judgment.
2. How to Disclose
Editors must proactively report relevant conflicts to the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriate independent editorial authority.
When the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest, the matter must be referred to a designated independent editor or another appropriate authority who is not involved in the conflict.
3. Editorial Recusal
Editors with significant conflicts of interest must withdraw from all editorial responsibilities related to the affected manuscript.
They must not:
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Select or influence the selection of peer reviewers.
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Access or influence confidential reviewer recommendations beyond what is necessary for authorized administrative functions.
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Participate in editorial discussions concerning the manuscript's scientific merits.
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Influence acceptance, rejection, or other editorial decisions.
An independent editor without relevant competing interests must manage the manuscript and make or oversee editorial decisions in accordance with the journal's procedures.
4. Manuscripts Submitted by Editors or Editorial Board Members
PESSR permits submissions from its editors and editorial board members, provided that the review and editorial decision-making processes remain independent and transparent.
For these submissions:
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The author-editor must not participate in handling or evaluating the manuscript.
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A qualified independent editor without a relevant conflict of interest must be assigned.
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Peer reviewers must be selected independently and must have no relevant conflicts with the authors.
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The applicable peer-review procedures and scientific evaluation standards must be followed.
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The final editorial decision must be made by an editor who has no relevant conflict of interest.
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The journal must maintain appropriate internal documentation of the independent handling process.
These safeguards also apply, where relevant, to manuscripts authored by employees of the publisher or individuals with close professional relationships with the journal's editorial leadership.
5. Editorial Independence
All manuscripts must be assessed according to scientific merit, originality, methodological rigor, ethical integrity, relevance to the journal's scope, and scholarly contribution.
Consistent with PESSR's commitment to responsible research assessment and the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), editorial decisions must not be based on journal-level metrics or the perceived prestige of authors, institutions, or publication venues.
Editorial decisions must remain independent of financial, institutional, commercial, or personal influence.
D. Journal's Conflicts of Interest
Physical Education and Sports: Studies and Research (PESSR) is published by CV. Rezki Media, Indonesia, in collaboration with the International Association of Physical Education and Sports (IAPES).
PESSR is committed to maintaining editorial independence from its publisher, collaborating organizations, sponsors, and other external stakeholders.
The journal recognizes that institutional, commercial, and financial relationships may create actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
Accordingly:
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The publisher and collaborating organizations must not interfere with editorial decisions concerning individual manuscripts.
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Editorial decisions must be based exclusively on scholarly quality, ethical standards, and relevance to the journal's aims and scope.
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Article processing charges (APCs), publication fees, institutional partnerships, sponsorships, and other financial arrangements must not influence manuscript acceptance or rejection.
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Authors who are affiliated with the publisher, collaborating organizations, or editorial team must be subject to the same scientific and ethical evaluation standards as other authors.
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Commercial sponsorship or financial support must not determine the selection of reviewers, influence peer-review recommendations, or determine editorial outcomes.
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Any potential institutional or organizational conflicts affecting the journal must be disclosed and managed transparently.
The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for safeguarding the journal's scientific integrity and ensuring that editorial decisions remain free from inappropriate influence.
E. Record Keeping
PESSR will maintain confidential records of conflict of interest disclosures submitted by authors, peer reviewers, editors, and editorial staff.
These records may include:
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Submitted conflict of interest declarations.
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Relevant correspondence and supporting documentation.
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Editorial assessments of disclosed competing interests.
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Decisions concerning reviewer replacement or editorial recusal.
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Actions taken to resolve or manage identified conflicts.
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Documentation of investigations concerning undisclosed competing interests.
Records will be maintained securely and accessed only by authorized personnel when required for legitimate editorial, ethical, or administrative purposes.
Disclosure information will not be made publicly available beyond what is necessary for transparent reporting in published articles or formal editorial notices.
This policy will be reviewed periodically and updated when necessary to reflect developments in publication ethics, COPE guidance, and internationally recognized standards for responsible scholarly publishing.
COPE Resources
PESSR refers to the following COPE resources for guidance on identifying, disclosing, and managing competing interests:
