Conflict of Interest Policy

Civil Engineering Science and Technology (CEST) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency, fairness, and integrity throughout the editorial and publication process. To preserve the credibility of published research, all participants involved in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher—are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence the objectivity, integrity, or interpretation of scholarly work.

A conflict of interest does not necessarily constitute research misconduct; however, failure to disclose a relevant conflict may compromise the transparency of the publication process and undermine confidence in the published record.

Conflict of Interest for Authors

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, commercial, personal, or professional relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the design, conduct, interpretation, or reporting of their research.

Potential conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

  • Research funding or financial sponsorship.
  • Employment, consultancy, or advisory positions.
  • Honoraria, speaker fees, or expert testimony.
  • Stock ownership or financial investments.
  • Patent applications or intellectual property interests.
  • Personal, professional, or institutional relationships that may influence the research.

All disclosures should be included in a Conflict of Interest Statement within the manuscript and confirmed during the submission process.

Where no conflicts exist, authors should include the following statement:

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial or personal interests that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Conflict of Interest for Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to perform their evaluations objectively, fairly, and independently. Reviewers must decline an invitation to review a manuscript if they have any conflict of interest that may compromise—or reasonably be perceived to compromise—their impartiality.

Examples include:

  • Current or recent collaboration with any of the authors.
  • Employment at the same institution.
  • Personal or family relationships.
  • Financial or commercial interests related to the research.
  • Direct academic competition.
  • Any circumstance that could affect independent judgment.

Reviewers must not use confidential information obtained during the peer review process for personal, professional, or commercial advantage.

Conflict of Interest for Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring that editorial decisions are based exclusively on the scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, and relevance of submitted manuscripts.

Editors must recuse themselves from handling any manuscript where a conflict of interest exists, including but not limited to:

  • Personal or professional relationships with the authors.
  • Employment at the same institution.
  • Financial interests related to the research.
  • Participation in the reported study.
  • Any circumstance that may compromise editorial independence.

When necessary, responsibility for the manuscript will be reassigned to another qualified editor to ensure an impartial editorial process.

Conflict of Interest for the Publisher

The Publisher, Universitas Sains dan Teknologi Komputer (STEKOM University), supports the editorial independence of CEST and does not influence editorial decisions regarding manuscript acceptance, rejection, or publication. Publishing decisions are based solely on academic quality, ethical compliance, and the recommendations of the editorial team and independent reviewers.

Disclosure Requirements

To promote transparency and accountability, CEST requires all corresponding authors to complete a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form during manuscript submission. The disclosure should identify any relationships or circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly declare that no competing interests are present.  

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may result in:

  • Requests for clarification or additional information.
  • Delay of the editorial process.
  • Rejection of the manuscript.
  • Publication of a correction.
  • Retraction of the published article when appropriate.

Editorial Assessment

All declared conflicts of interest are evaluated by the editorial office on a case-by-case basis. The existence of a conflict of interest does not automatically preclude publication. Instead, editors assess whether the disclosed relationship may affect the objectivity, credibility, or interpretation of the research. Where appropriate, disclosed conflicts may be published alongside the article to promote transparency. 

Responsibility for Disclosure

Authors, reviewers, and editors share a continuing responsibility to disclose any conflict of interest that arises before, during, or after the publication process. If a previously undisclosed conflict is identified after publication, CEST may take appropriate editorial action in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics, Research Misconduct Policy, and the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Policy Compliance

Submission, review, or editorial handling of a manuscript constitutes acknowledgement and acceptance of this Conflict of Interest Policy. All participants involved in the publication process are expected to uphold the principles of transparency, independence, accountability, and ethical scholarly publishing established by CEST.