Jurnal Triton, published by Politeknik Pembangunan Pertanian Manokwari, is committed to maintaining transparency, editorial independence, impartiality, and integrity throughout the scholarly publishing process. The journal recognizes that actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest may influence, or appear to influence, the objectivity of research, peer review, editorial decisions, and the interpretation of scientific findings.

All authors, reviewers, editors, and members of the editorial board are required to disclose any relevant conflicts of interest that could affect their professional judgment or responsibilities in relation to a submitted manuscript or published article.

Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when personal, financial, professional, institutional, academic, or other relationships may compromise, or reasonably be perceived to compromise, an individual's impartiality in conducting, reviewing, editing, or publishing scholarly research.

Conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

1. Financial interests, including employment, consultancy, honoraria, research grants, funding, stock ownership, patents, royalties, or other financial benefits related to the research.

2. Personal relationships, including family relationships, close friendships, personal disputes, or other relationships that may influence professional judgment.

3. Professional or academic relationships, including recent collaboration, shared research projects, supervisory relationships, competition, or direct professional rivalry.

4. Institutional interests, including affiliations or responsibilities that may affect the impartial assessment of a manuscript.

5. Intellectual or ideological interests, including strong commitments, competing academic positions, or personal beliefs that may influence the interpretation or evaluation of research findings.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct. However, failure to disclose a relevant conflict may undermine confidence in the fairness and credibility of the publication process.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose all actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest relevant to their submitted manuscript at the time of submission. Such disclosures should include financial support, sponsorship, employment, consultancy, personal relationships, institutional affiliations, intellectual property interests, and any other relationships that could influence the research or its interpretation.

All sources of funding and the role of sponsors in study design, data collection, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and publication decisions must be disclosed where applicable.

If no relevant conflict of interest exists, authors must include the following statement in their manuscript:

"The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article."

If a conflict exists, authors must provide a clear and accurate disclosure describing its nature. The editorial team will assess whether additional information or a specific disclosure statement is necessary.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest before accepting or proceeding with a review assignment. Reviewers should decline the assignment if their impartiality may reasonably be questioned, including situations involving close personal relationships, recent collaboration, direct competition, financial interests, or other significant professional connections with the authors or their research.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal, professional, or financial advantage. They are also required to maintain confidentiality and provide objective, evidence-based evaluations without prejudice or favoritism.

Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and editorial board members must make editorial decisions independently, fairly, and objectively, based on the manuscript's scientific quality, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and compliance with publication ethics.

Any editor or editorial board member who has a conflict of interest concerning a submitted manuscript must disclose it and withdraw from handling the manuscript or making related editorial decisions. The manuscript will be reassigned to an independent editor who has no relevant conflict of interest.

Editors must not allow personal relationships, institutional affiliations, academic seniority, financial considerations, or external pressure to influence editorial decisions. Editorial independence must be maintained throughout the submission, peer-review, revision, acceptance, and publication processes.

Disclosure and Management Procedures

Conflict of interest declarations must be submitted through the journal's designated submission system or other official channels established by Jurnal Triton. The editorial office may request additional clarification or supporting information when necessary.

All disclosures will be assessed to determine whether the identified conflict requires management, reassignment, additional transparency, or other appropriate action. Depending on the circumstances, the journal may require a revised disclosure statement, appoint an independent reviewer or editor, or take other measures to protect the integrity of the editorial process.

If a previously undisclosed conflict of interest is identified after publication, Jurnal Triton will evaluate the matter and take appropriate action. This may include publishing a correction, issuing an expression of concern, or taking further editorial action where justified by the evidence and the seriousness of the case.

Transparency and Accountability

Jurnal Triton is committed to handling conflict of interest disclosures consistently, confidentially, and transparently. Relevant declarations will be published with the article when appropriate to ensure that readers can assess the research in its proper context.

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that all relevant conflicts of interest have been disclosed and that the information provided is complete and accurate. Reviewers and editors are likewise expected to comply with this policy as part of their professional and ethical responsibilities.

Through this policy, Jurnal Triton seeks to safeguard editorial independence, promote fair peer review, strengthen accountability, and maintain the trust of authors, reviewers, readers, and the wider scholarly community.