Vokatek: Journal of Research and Community Service (Vokatek) is committed to promoting transparency, impartiality, and ethical integrity in all stages of scholarly publication. Conflicts of interest may arise when financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships have the potential to influence research conduct, interpretation, peer review, or editorial decisions. To safeguard scientific credibility and maintain public trust, Vokatek requires the identification, disclosure, and appropriate management of potential conflicts of interest among authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in the publication process. This policy follows internationally recognized publication ethics principles, including guidance provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

1. Policy Statement

Vokatek: Journal of Research and Community Service (Vokatek) recognizes that conflicts of interest may compromise, or appear to compromise, the objectivity and credibility of scientific research and scholarly publishing.

All individuals participating in the submission, review, editorial evaluation, and publication processes must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence their professional judgment or responsibilities.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not automatically disqualify a manuscript from publication. However, complete and transparent disclosure is essential to maintaining public confidence in the scientific record.

Vokatek is committed to evaluating and managing disclosed conflicts fairly, independently, and consistently with recognized publication ethics standards.

2. Types of Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest may be financial or non-financial and may involve relationships or circumstances that directly or indirectly affect research integrity.

2.1. Financial Conflicts of Interest

Financial conflicts may include:

• Research grants and financial sponsorship.

• Employment or consultancy relationships.

• Honoraria, professional fees, and paid advisory services.

• Stock ownership or other financial investments.

• Patents, royalties, and intellectual property interests.

• Financial relationships with sports organizations, equipment manufacturers, or commercial research sponsors.

2.2. Non-Financial Conflicts of Interest

Non-financial conflicts may include:

• Personal or family relationships.

• Professional and institutional affiliations.

• Academic competition or professional rivalry.

• Close research collaborations.

• Personal beliefs or commitments that could influence scientific judgment.

• Relationships with organizations that may benefit from the research findings.

2.3. Research-Related Conflicts of Interest

Research-related conflicts may arise when individuals have direct relationships with organizations, programs, technologies, or interventions evaluated in the research.

In sports science and coaching research, these may include relationships with sports federations, coaching institutions, professional teams, performance technology providers, or commercial sports equipment manufacturers.

All relevant relationships must be transparently disclosed when they could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the conduct or interpretation of the research.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

All authors submitting manuscripts to Vokatek must disclose relevant financial and non-financial interests that may affect the research or its interpretation.

Authors are required to:

1. Provide accurate and complete conflict-of-interest declarations during manuscript submission.

2. Identify all sources of financial support, research funding, and sponsorship.

3. Explain the role of funders or sponsors in research design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and publication decisions.

4. Disclose relevant professional or institutional relationships associated with the reported research.

5. Update their disclosures if new conflicts emerge during the editorial or publication process.

6. Ensure that research findings and interpretations remain independent of inappropriate external influence.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that conflict-of-interest information is collected from all co-authors and accurately reported to the journal.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers must conduct manuscript evaluations objectively, independently, and confidentially.

Before accepting a review invitation, reviewers must disclose relationships or circumstances that could compromise their impartiality.

Potential conflicts may include:

• Recent or ongoing research collaborations with the authors.

• Personal, professional, or financial relationships with the authors.

• Direct academic competition involving the research topic.

• Institutional relationships that could compromise impartiality.

• Financial or other interests in the research outcomes.

Reviewers must decline or withdraw from the review process when a conflict could reasonably influence their scientific assessment.

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

5. Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and editorial board members must maintain independence, impartiality, and transparency throughout the editorial decision-making process.

Editors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and must not manage manuscripts when significant personal, professional, institutional, or financial relationships could compromise their judgment.

When a conflict exists, editorial responsibility must be transferred to an independent editor who has no relevant conflict of interest.

Manuscripts submitted by editors or editorial board members must undergo independent editorial handling and the journal's established peer-review procedures.

Editorial decisions must be based exclusively on scientific merit, methodological quality, originality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope.

Commercial interests, institutional influence, personal relationships, and potential publication revenue must not determine editorial decisions.

6. Conflict of Interest Declaration

All manuscripts submitted to Vokatek must include a Conflict of Interest Statement, regardless of whether the authors have any conflicts to disclose.

6.1. Declaration When No Conflict Exists

Authors who have no relevant conflicts of interest must include the following statement:

"The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial conflicts of interest related to this research."

6.2. Declaration When a Conflict Exists

Authors with relevant conflicts must clearly identify and describe the relationships involved.

An appropriate statement may follow this structure:

"The authors declare the following potential conflicts of interest: [describe the relevant financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships]. The authors confirm that these relationships have been disclosed and that responsibility for the scientific integrity of the research remains with the authors."

6.3. Funding Disclosure

Authors must provide a separate Funding Statement identifying any financial support received for the research.

Where no external funding was received, authors may state:

"This research received no external funding."

Financial support must be disclosed independently of conflict-of-interest declarations so that readers can distinguish research funding from other relevant relationships.

7. Conflict of Interest Management

Vokatek editorial team will assess disclosed conflicts of interest and determine whether additional measures are necessary to ensure the independence and integrity of the publication process.

Depending on the circumstances, appropriate measures may include:

1. Requesting additional information or clarification from the individuals involved.

2. Requiring more detailed disclosure statements.

3. Assigning independent reviewers or editors.

4. Excluding conflicted individuals from specific editorial decisions.

5. Requiring clarification of sponsor involvement or author independence.

6. Publishing relevant disclosures alongside the article.

The editorial team may request supporting documentation where necessary.

All decisions concerning conflict-of-interest management will be guided by transparency, fairness, proportionality, and recognized publication ethics principles.

8. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may constitute a violation of publication ethics, particularly when the omission is deliberate or materially affects the credibility of the research or publication process.

When undisclosed conflicts are identified before publication, the editorial team may request clarification, require additional declarations, suspend editorial processing, or reject the manuscript when justified.

If undisclosed conflicts are discovered after publication, Vokatek will assess their significance and determine an appropriate response.

Depending on the evidence and severity of the issue, actions may include publishing a correction, issuing an editorial notice, referring the matter for institutional investigation, or considering retraction when the integrity or reliability of the publication is seriously compromised.

All investigations and editorial actions will be conducted in accordance with COPE guidance.

9. Transparency and Compliance

Vokatek requires all authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members to comply with this Conflict of Interest Policy.

Relevant disclosures must be communicated transparently and accurately throughout the publication process.

The journal recognizes that transparent disclosure does not necessarily indicate misconduct. Rather, it enables readers, reviewers, and editors to assess potential influences on the reported research.

Vokatek is committed to maintaining editorial independence, protecting scientific credibility, and ensuring that published findings are evaluated on the basis of evidence and scholarly merit.