Publication Ethics

The publication processes of the Atatürk Research Center Journal (Atam Journal) are based on the impartial and reputable development and sharing of knowledge. Peer-reviewed journals are publications that ensure the application of the scientific method and impartiality. Accordingly, it is essential that all stakeholders in the process including authors, readers, researchers, the publisher, reviewers, and editors/associate editors/publication coordinators adhere to ethical standards.

The publication ethics and open access policy of the Atatürk Research Center Journal require that all components of the publication process comply with ethical principles, in accordance with the guidelines and policies published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding open access, as well as the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Guidelines (1).

All articles that do not comply with accepted ethical standards will be retracted. This includes articles found to contain potential irregularities or non-compliance after publication.

The Publisher’s Ethical Responsibilities
The Atatürk Research Center Presidency, as the publisher of the Atatürk Research Center Journal, is a public institution that serves the public interest and operates on a nonprofit basis. 

The Atatürk Research Center Presidency protects the ownership and copyright of every published article and assumes the responsibility of maintaining a record of every published copy.

Ethical Responsibilities of the Editorial Board
1-The Editorial Board of the Atatürk Research Center Journal is responsible for all processes related to articles submitted to the journal and fulfills this responsibility. This requires making independent decisions regarding matters pertaining to the journal, considering only the public interest and without regard to personal gain. The relationship between the publisher and the Editorial Board is based on the principle of independence; all decisions made by the Editorial Board are independent of the publisher and other individuals and organizations.

2-The Editorial Board of the Atatürk Research Center Journal strives to continuously improve the journal and enhance the quality of its publications. When deciding on the publication of articles, the Editorial Board ensures that the articles are original and contribute to the scientific literature as well as to readers, researchers, and practitioners.

3-The Editorial Board of the Atatürk Research Center Journal is responsible for establishing and implementing journal policies regarding publication, the peer review process, and ethical principles.

4-The Editorial Board of the Atatürk Research Center Journal is responsible for taking measures regarding intellectual property rights, unethical scientific conduct, similarity rates, and “citation cartels” during the article and journal publication process.

5-The Editorial Board of the Atatürk Research Center Journal establishes policies that motivate and focus reviewers and authors on specific goals.

Ethical Responsibilities of Editors and Assistant Editors

1. When expressing positive or negative opinions regarding articles, editors, assistant editors, and publication coordinators take into account the articles’ originality, contribution to the field, the validity and reliability of the research methods, the clarity of the presentation, and the journal’s objectives and scope.

2-Editors, assistant editors, and publication coordinators implement the journal’s publication policies, including those regarding double-blind peer review and the evaluation process; they keep reviewers’ identities confidential and strive to ensure that each manuscript is evaluated impartially and in a timely manner.

3-Editors, assistant editors, and publication coordinators submit recommendations to the Editorial Board regarding the review of a manuscript, taking into account whether there are any conflicts of interest or common interests among the editors, reviewers, and author(s) to ensure an impartial evaluation.

4-Editors, assistant editors, and publication coordinators submit recommendations to the Editorial Board to prevent the review of articles that do not comply with academic writing standards or that they deem unscientific.

Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
All articles submitted to the Atatürk Research Center Journal are evaluated through a double-blind peer review process. Double-blind peer review means that the identities of the authors are kept confidential from the reviewers, and those of the reviewers are kept confidential from the authors, in order to ensure an impartial, objective, and independent evaluation process. Articles are sent to reviewers via the journal management system (YAY-SİS) for evaluation. Reviewers are required to complete a form detailing their decisions regarding the article’s contribution to the field and its suitability for publication, along with the rationale for these decisions. The ethical responsibilities and roles of reviewers for the Atatürk Research Center Journal are as follows:

1-Reviewers should only accept to evaluate articles related to their area of expertise.

2- Reviewers must act with the awareness that they are the primary determinants of the academic quality of articles to be published in the journal and must conduct their evaluations with a sense of responsibility to enhance academic quality.

3- Reviewers must conduct their evaluations impartially and confidentially. They must not compromise the impartiality of the evaluation based on nationality, gender, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or commercial interests.

4-Reviewers must adhere to the principle of confidentiality; they are obligated not to use information obtained during the review process for personal gain and must not share their reports or information about the article with others. Furthermore, they may use data from the articles only after the articles they have reviewed have been published, provided they cite the source.

5-When reviewers become aware of a conflict of interest or a common interest, they must decline to review the article and notify the Institution.

6-Reviewers must evaluate only the accuracy of the article’s content and its compliance with academic standards. The fact that the ideas presented in the article differ from the reviewer’s own views should not influence the evaluation.

7-Reviewers must conduct their evaluations in a manner consistent with academic etiquette and in a constructive tone; they must avoid personal comments containing insults or hostility.

8-In the event of any misconduct by the author(s) (e.g., plagiarism or similar unethical activities), they must immediately notify the relevant editor.

9-Reviewers are required to complete their reviews within the allotted timeframe and are expected to adhere to the ethical responsibilities outlined herein.

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
1-Authors should not submit an article to the journal that has been published elsewhere or submitted for publication elsewhere.

2-Authors must submit original manuscripts. Submitted manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with the Atatürk Research Center Journal Publication Guidelines and the Turkish Language Association’s Style Guide (1). (Manuscripts submitted in a foreign language must include a Turkish abstract.)

3-Authors must properly cite and/or quote the sources they have used in writing the article in accordance with ethical principles. Authors must provide complete and accurate citations and/or quotations for all sources used in the article (authors, online pages, personal interviews, etc.).

4-The names of individuals who did not contribute to the article should not be listed as authors; authors must be listed at the time of submission. Proposals to change the order of authors, remove authors, or add authors to an article that has entered the publication process should not be made.

5-Authors must disclose to the editors any individuals with a conflict of interest or a common interest regarding the article submitted for publication.

6-If information regarding the article is requested from the author(s) during the review process, they must submit the requested information to the Editorial Board of the Atatürk Research Center Journal.

7-If revisions are requested for the article, the requested revisions must be made within the specified timeframe.

8-If authors notice any errors in their article during the review or early-view stages, or after it has been published online, they must report the error or contact the editorial office of the Atatürk Research Center Journal to have it corrected.

9-Authors must provide evidence within the article that they have adhered to ethical principles during the data collection process (such as obtaining permission from others to use their scales, surveys, photographs, etc.). Articles must state that they comply with research and publication ethics as well as copyright regulations for intellectual and artistic works.

10-Articles submitted for publication must not violate the principles of scientific research and publication ethics (plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, salami slicing, unfair authorship, and other types of ethical violations) as outlined in the “Guidelines on Scientific Research and Publication Ethics for Higher Education Institutions.”

11-Scientific articles submitted to the journal must take into account COPE’s International Standards for Editors and Authors.

12-Authors may be requested to provide raw data related to their articles as part of the review process; in such cases, authors must be prepared to submit the requested data and information to the journal’s editorial board.

13-Authors must document that they possess the rights to use the data in their articles, that they have obtained the necessary permissions for research and analysis, and that they have secured the consent of the participants involved in their research. For research requiring data collection through quantitative or qualitative methods—such as experiments, surveys, scales, interviews, observations, or focus group studies—that necessitate an ethics committee decision, authors must indicate that they have obtained ethics committee approval; they must specify the name of the ethics committee, the decision date, and the decision number on the first or last page of the submitted manuscript and in the Methods section, and upload the document evidencing the ethics committee decision to the system along with the manuscript submission. Manuscripts must state that they comply with research and publication ethics as well as copyright regulations for works of literature and art. For studies not requiring ethics committee approval, authors must include a statement indicating that ethics committee approval was not required.

Actions Contrary to the Ethics of Scientific Research and Publication
• Plagiarism: Presenting the original ideas, methods, data, or works of others—in whole or in part—as one’s own without citing them in accordance with scientific standards,
• Fabrication: Using data in scientific research that does not actually exist or has been falsified,
• Falsification: Tampering with research records or obtained data; presenting equipment or materials not used in the research as if they had been used; or distorting or manipulating research results to align with the interests of individuals or institutions providing support,
• Duplicate Publication: Presenting duplicate publications as separate publications in academic appointments and promotions,
• Salami Slicing: Dividing the results of a single study into parts in a manner that compromises the integrity of the research and in an inappropriate way, publishing them as multiple separate publications, and presenting these publications as distinct works in academic appointments and promotions,
• Unjustified authorship: Including individuals who did not make an active contribution among the authors or omitting those who did; changing the author order without justification or in an inappropriate manner; removing the names of those who made active contributions from subsequent editions of the work; or using one’s influence to have one’s name included among the authors despite having made no active contribution,

Other types of ethical violations include:
a) Failing to acknowledge the individuals, institutions, or organizations that provided support, or their contributions, in publications resulting from research conducted with such support,
b) Using theses or studies that have not yet been submitted or defended and accepted as sources without the owner’s permission,
c) Sharing information contained in a work assigned for review with others prior to publication without the explicit permission of the author,
ç) Misusing resources, facilities, opportunities, and equipment provided or allocated for scientific research,
d) Making unsubstantiated, unfounded, or malicious allegations of ethical violations,
e) Publishing data obtained from surveys and attitude studies conducted as part of a scientific study without the participants’ explicit consent, or—if the research is to be conducted at an institution—without the institution’s permission,
f) Failing to comply with the obligation to inform and warn relevant parties about potential harmful practices related to the scientific research being conducted, as required of researchers and officials,
g) In scientific studies, failing to use data and information obtained from other individuals and institutions only to the extent and in the manner permitted, failing to respect the confidentiality of such information, and failing to ensure its protection,
h) Making false or misleading statements regarding scientific research and publications in the context of academic appointments and promotions,

Principles of Research Ethics and Scientific Responsibility
• The principles of integrity, objectivity, reliability, and transparency must be adhered to during the design, conduct, evaluation, reporting, and publication of research. Researchers must avoid practices that are untruthful, incomplete, or misleading during the collection, processing, analysis, and interpretation of data, and must document all stages of the research in a manner that allows for verification and validation when necessary.
• Participants in the research and members of the research team must be informed in a clear, understandable, and sufficient manner regarding the purpose, method, scope, duration, data collection methods to be used, and the intended use of the data obtained. Participants’ questions regarding the research must be answered appropriately, and their informed consent, based on free will, must be obtained before the research begins.
• Personal information, special-category data, and other sensitive information pertaining to participants obtained within the scope of the research must be protected in accordance with the principles of confidentiality and privacy. During the collection, storage, processing, and sharing of data, applicable national and international data protection regulations must be followed; participants’ anonymity and personal privacy must be safeguarded to the highest possible degree. Any information that could lead to the identification of individuals must be protected with appropriate security measures.
• Participation in the research must be voluntary. No pressure, threats, coercion, or any form of material or psychological coercion that could influence participants’ decisions should be used. Participants must be clearly and understandably informed that they may withdraw from the research at any time without having to provide a reason.
• Necessary measures must be taken during the conduct of the research to prevent participants from suffering physical, psychological, social, cultural, or economic harm. Potential risks arising from the research must be identified in advance, and appropriate measures must be planned to mitigate these risks. Research involving groups requiring special protection—such as children, the elderly, people with disabilities, or individuals with limited decision-making capacity—must be conducted with a higher level of ethical care, and consent must be obtained from their legal representatives when necessary.
• Researchers must maintain their scientific independence and impartiality; they must clearly disclose any existing or potential conflicts of interest that could influence the conduct or results of the research. Financial support, sponsorships, institutional affiliations, and other forms of project support provided for the research must be disclosed transparently. Research findings must not be altered or biased to serve the economic, academic, or other interests of any individual, institution, or organization.
• The rules of publication ethics must be followed during the preparation and publication of scientific studies. Ethical violations such as plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data, the inappropriate fragmentation and publication of research results, and unjustified authorship must be avoided. All scientific sources used in the research must be cited in accordance with appropriate academic standards, and the ideas, data, and contributions of other researchers must be properly attributed.
• When evaluating research results, the societal impacts of scientific knowledge and the public interest must be taken into account. Incomplete, exaggerated, or inaccurate statements that could lead to the misinterpretation of scientific findings, their removal from context, or the misleading of the public must be avoided. Researchers must act in accordance with accuracy, academic responsibility, and ethical values in their scientific communication activities.
• When artificial intelligence applications, digital analysis tools, or automated data processing systems are used in the research process, the purpose and contribution of these technologies to the research must be clearly stated. In the use of these technologies, the principles of data security, scientific accuracy, transparency, and ethical responsibility must be observed; care must be taken to ensure that the systems used do not adversely affect the confidentiality, reliability, or integrity of research data.

Ethics Committee Approval
Our journal requires that studies in all scientific disciplines requiring ethics committee approval have obtained the relevant ethics committee decision. In this regard, information regarding ethics committee approval (committee name, date, and decision number) must be clearly stated in the text of the article.
In accordance with the regulations implemented by Ulakbim TR Index starting in 2020, studies without ethics committee approval will not be considered for publication in our journal.

Research Requiring Ethics Committee Approval
In our journal, research requiring ethics committee approval includes the following types of studies:
• Any research conducted using qualitative or quantitative approaches that requires data collection from participants through surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, or other interview techniques,
• Retrospective studies conducted within the framework of the Personal Data Protection Law.
For such studies to be considered for review, the relevant ethics committee approvals must have been obtained and clearly stated in the article text.

Plagiarism Check
Manuscripts submitted to our journal for publication are screened using the İntihal.net program to prevent plagiarism. The acceptable similarity rate for manuscripts submitted to our journal is a maximum of 20%. Manuscripts with a similarity rate exceeding 20% may:

1- Be sent back to the author by the editor for revision

2- Be rejected by the editor

3- May be forwarded to the editorial board for review

NOTE: If plagiarism is detected in a manuscript submitted to or published by our journal, our journal adheres to COPE principles (1,2)

Protection of Personal Information
All personal data submitted to our journal is protected in accordance with legal regulations and ethical guidelines.

Protection of Intellectual Property Rights
Our journal is obligated to protect the intellectual property rights of all published articles and to defend the rights of the journal and the author(s) in the event of potential infringements.

Conflicts of Interest
Our journal ensures that the publication process is completed independently and impartially by taking into account conflicts of interest among authors, reviewers, and other editors. Our journal adheres to the COPE principles (1-2) regarding potential conflicts of interest.

Author Changes
Author changes are accepted only before the article is accepted for publication. Authors must carefully review the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscripts and provide the final list of authors at the time of initial submission. Our journal adheres to the COPE principles (1-2-3-4-5) regarding relevant changes.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
Editors may consider publishing a correction if minor errors are identified in a published article that do not affect the findings, interpretations, or conclusions. Editors should consider retracting an article when major errors or violations that invalidate the findings and conclusions are identified. COPE Principles (1,2,3,4,5,6) are taken into account regarding corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

Reporting Ethical Violations to the Editor
If you encounter any unethical situations related to the Atatürk Research Center Journal, you may report the matter via email to dergi@atam.gov.tr. Our journal adheres to the COPE Principles (1,2) regarding complaints.

Publication Policies
General Principles
1-The Atatürk Research Center Journal is a peer-reviewed journal.
2-The journal publishes academic, scientific studies.
3-No more than one article by the same author may appear in a single issue, nor may an author’s articles appear in two consecutive issues (unless they are part of a series).
4-The Atatürk Research Center Journal publishes in accordance with the guidelines and policies published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding open access, as well as the Guidelines on Scientific Research and Publication Ethics for Higher Education Institutions issued by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).
5-The Atatürk Research Center Journal develops policies to ensure inclusion in international indexes.

NOTE: Detailed information regarding the journal’s other publication policies can be accessed via the links below.
1-Article Review Process | Click here.
2-Copyright and Open Access Policy | Click here.
3-Archiving Policy | Click here.
4-Artificial Intelligence Usage Policy | Click here.
5-Special Issue Policy | Click here.
6-Fee Policy | Click here.