1. Guarantee of Editorial Independence

JET maintains editorial independence throughout manuscript evaluation and publication. The publisher supports the journal's editorial autonomy and shall not seek to influence individual editorial decisions for commercial, political, institutional, or other inappropriate reasons.

Editorial decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief and authorized editorial personnel in accordance with JET's editorial policies and peer-review procedures. Decisions are based on the manuscript's scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, validity, relevance to the journal's scope, and the results of peer review.

Editorial decisions shall not be determined by publication revenue, payment of publication fees, authors' institutional affiliations, nationality, personal relationships, or other factors unrelated to scholarly assessment. Publication fees, payment status, and eligibility for a fee waiver shall not influence the peer-review process or editorial decision.

2. Definition of a Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest, also referred to as a competing interest, arises when financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other relationships could influence, or could reasonably be perceived to influence, an individual's judgment, objectivity, or responsibilities during manuscript submission, review, editorial evaluation, or publication.

Conflicts of interest may be actual, potential, or perceived. Their existence does not necessarily indicate misconduct. However, relevant interests must be disclosed and appropriately managed to protect the integrity, fairness, and credibility of the editorial process.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose actual, potential, or perceived competing interests that could reasonably be considered relevant to their research or its publication. Disclosures should be provided at initial submission and updated if relevant circumstances change during the editorial process.

Competing interests may include, but are not limited to:

• Financial interests: Research funding, grants, employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership, patents, patent applications, licensing arrangements, or other financial relationships relevant to the submitted work.
• Professional and institutional interests: Institutional affiliations, supervisory relationships, professional commitments, or organizational interests that could reasonably affect the interpretation or presentation of the research.
• Personal and other non-financial interests: Personal relationships, professional rivalries, advocacy commitments, or other circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the authors' judgment.

Funding sources and financial relationships should be disclosed where relevant, but their existence does not automatically constitute a conflict of interest.

Disclosure Mechanism

Authors must disclose competing interests and funding sources in accordance with JET’s Author Guidelines. All articles must include a funding acknowledgment, specifying the funding agency and grant number, if applicable. If no funding was received, authors must state:

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

If no competing interests exist, authors must include the following statement:

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

JET may request additional information or clarification when necessary.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, confidentially, and impartially. They must disclose actual, potential, or perceived competing interests to the handling editor as soon as they become aware of them, including upon receiving a review invitation.

Relevant circumstances may include:

• Close personal relationships with any of the authors.
• Recent or ongoing collaboration, co-authorship, shared funding, or other professional relationships that could reasonably compromise impartiality.
• Direct supervisory, employment, departmental, or research-group relationships that could affect the objectivity of the review.
• Financial interests or direct professional competition that could reasonably influence the reviewer's assessment.
• Other circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as affecting the reviewer's independence.

Recent collaboration, including collaboration within the previous three years, will normally require disclosure and assessment by the handling editor. However, the relevance of a relationship depends on its nature and circumstances; the three-year period does not automatically determine whether a conflict exists.

If a conflict cannot be appropriately managed, the reviewer must decline the invitation or withdraw from the review. Reviewers must not use confidential or unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal, professional, or financial advantage. They must also comply with JET's confidentiality requirements and applicable policies on the use of generative artificial intelligence in peer review.

5. Responsibilities of Editors and Handling of Internal Submissions

Editors must disclose relevant competing interests and recuse themselves from handling or making decisions on manuscripts where their impartiality could reasonably be compromised. Such manuscripts must be assigned to an independent editor who has no relevant competing interests.

5.1. Submissions by Editorial Board Members

Editorial board members and other individuals with editorial responsibilities may submit manuscripts to JET. However, they must not participate in the editorial handling or decision-making process for their own submissions.

The submitting editor or board member shall not select reviewers, influence the handling editor, participate in editorial deliberations, or make the publication decision. Access to confidential review information shall be restricted as appropriate, subject to the journal's manuscript management system and available access-control functions.

5.2. Submissions by the Editor-in-Chief

Manuscripts authored or co-authored by the Editor-in-Chief must be assigned to an independent qualified editor or guest editor who has no relevant competing interests. The Editor-in-Chief shall have no role in reviewer selection, editorial deliberations, or the publication decision for that manuscript.

If the Editor-in-Chief cannot be adequately separated from the process, JET shall arrange an alternative independent handling procedure to protect the integrity of the evaluation.

5.3. Transparency and Disclosure

For accepted manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief or an editorial board member, JET shall disclose the independent handling arrangement in the published article or an appropriate editorial disclosure. The disclosure should accurately describe the independent editorial handling without implying that the process can guarantee the complete absence of bias.

JET shall implement appropriate access restrictions in its manuscript management system where technically available.

5.4. Other Editorial Conflicts

Editors must also disclose and appropriately manage conflicts arising from personal relationships, institutional affiliations, financial interests, professional collaborations, or other circumstances that could compromise their independence. Where necessary, the manuscript shall be reassigned to another qualified editor who can conduct the evaluation independently.

6. Managing Violations

If an undisclosed or improperly managed competing interest is identified during peer review or after publication, JET shall assess the matter fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with its applicable policies. Relevant parties may be invited to provide explanations or supporting information where appropriate.

JET will follow applicable publication ethics guidance, including the guidance and resources of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and its own policies concerning research misconduct, complaints and appeals, and post-publication corrections and retractions.

Depending on the nature of the conflict, whether it was disclosed, and its effect on the editorial process or the integrity of the published research, appropriate actions may include:

• Requesting clarification or additional disclosure from the relevant parties.
• Reassigning editorial responsibility or arranging an independent reassessment of the manuscript.
• Reconsidering an editorial decision where there is evidence that the process was compromised.
• Publishing a correction or an expression of concern when warranted.
• Retracting an article when the circumstances and evidence justify retraction under the journal's applicable policy.
• Contacting the relevant institution or another appropriate authority when necessary.

The response shall be proportionate to the circumstances and supported by an appropriate assessment of the available evidence. The existence of a conflict of interest alone does not automatically warrant retraction. JET shall consider whether the conflict was concealed or improperly managed and whether it affected the reliability of the research or the integrity of the publication process.

Related Policies

For further information, please consult the following JET policies:

• Publication Ethics and Research Integrity
• Peer Review Process
• Editorial Decision Appeals
• Generative AI Use
• Corrections, Retractions, and Article Removal