1. Overview and Statement of Policy
In its editorial and peer review procedures, the Physical Therapy Journal of Indonesia (PTJI) is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of openness and honesty. When professional judgment on a main interest (like the legitimacy of a manuscript or the impartiality of a reviewer) may be impacted by a secondary interest (like financial gain, academic competition, or personal ties), this is known as a conflict of interest (COI).
This policy mandates that authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members disclose any potential conflicts of interest in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics' (COPE) guidelines.

2. Disclosure Scope
Any potential conflicts of interest that might be thought to affect the evaluation or result of a submission must be disclosed by all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors (Associate Editors, Section Editors), and members of the Editorial Board. Whether or not the person feels that the interest influences their judgment, disclosure is required.

3. Conflict of Interest (COI) Definition
Financial or non-financial COIs are also possible.
3.1. Conflicts of Interest in Finance
These conflicts are the easiest to recognize and consist of:
- Employment: Recent or current work (including consulting) with a company that could profit or lose money as a result of the publishing.
- Funding: Getting grants, fees, or payment for services from a business that has a direct financial stake in the results of the study.
- Stocks or Shares: Owning stocks or shares in businesses that the research's conclusions could impact.
- Patents: Possessing or requesting patents pertaining to the manuscript's substance.
- Honoraria: Getting paid for writing, lecturing, or providing advice.
3.2. Conflicts of Interest That Are Not Financial
These are equally significant and consist of:
- Personal Relationships: personal ties (family, personal friends) with competitors, writers, or those who might profit from the publication.
- Academic Competition: Direct rivalry between writers or writing teams.
- Institutional Ties: Having worked with an author in the previous five years as a mentor, student, or thesis adviser.
- Intellectual Beliefs: Strong political or personal convictions that could obstruct impartial assessment.
- Conflicts: Taking part in legal proceedings or major scholarly disagreements with any of the writers.

4. Author Obligations
When submitting an article, authors are required to disclose all pertinent financial and non-financial conflicts of interest.
- Declaration: At the conclusion of their work, writers are required to publish a detailed "Conflict of Interest Statement" outlining any pertinent COIs for each author.
- Financing Statement: All sources of financing for the study must be clearly stated by the authors. In the event that there is no conflict, authors are required to expressly state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."
- Funder's Role: Authors must explain how the study sponsor or sponsors, if any, contributed to the study's design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, report writing, and decision to submit the work for publication.

5. The responsibilities of the Reviewer
Reviewers are essential to the process's integrity and must make sure their evaluation is impartial.
- Declaration: If reviewers believe they have a financial, non-financial, or other conflict of interest that could affect their capacity to conduct an unbiased review, they must notify the Editorial Office right once.
- Declining examine: The reviewer is required to decline the offer to examine the article if a conflict of interest (COI) is found (e.g., they are a direct rival, collaborator, or personal acquaintance of the author).
- Confidentiality: Reviewers are prohibited from using information about the work they are evaluating prior to publication for personal gain.

6. The duties of the editor and editorial board
Editors must abstain from any actual or perceived conflicts of interest and are ultimately in charge of publishing decisions.
- Recusal from Decision: If there is a conflict of interest (COI), the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) or Section Editor is required to abstain from handling a manuscript (e.g., if they are an author, have a close relationship with an author, or are in direct competition). In certain situations, an independent guest editor or another impartial member of the Editorial Board will take over the processing of the manuscript.
- Participation on the Editorial Board: All members of the Editorial Board are required by COPE rules to abide by this COI policy, especially when making recommendations or acting as reviewers.
- Financial Interests: Editors are not allowed to solicit or obtain any personal financial advantage related to the newspaper by utilizing their position.

7. Administration and Implementation
- Internal Audit: COI statements and reviewer declarations are routinely audited by the PTJI Editorial Office.
- Misconduct: If a substantial conflict of interest is not disclosed, the submission may be rejected, a published article may be retracted, or the reviewer pool or Editorial Board may be eliminated.
- Appeals: In accordance with the processes specified in the PTJI Appeal Policy, the PTJI Ethics Committee shall look into any disagreements pertaining to COI complaints.