Ethical Principles and Publication Policy
A-) Ethical Principles of Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University
The publication processes of Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University are based on the unbiased production, development and sharing of information with scientific method. Refereed articles are studies that ensure the application of the scientific method and impartiality. In the realization of scientific production, all stakeholders of the publication process; It is aimed that publishers, editors, authors, referees and readers contribute to the correct progress of science by complying with ethical principles. Compliance with scientific ethical principles is important in scientific studies prepared in accordance with this goal.
These ethical principles are accepted by Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University based on the guidelines and policies (“Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors” and “COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors”) prepared by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). It is presented below, some of which are recommended to be adopted by stakeholders (publishers, editors, authors, referees and readers).
1. Publisher's Ethical Responsibilities
Adıyaman University, the publisher of Adıyaman University Health Sciences Journal, is a non-profit public education institution that pursues the public interest.
Among the stakeholders involved in a scientific study, the publisher should act within the scope of all these ethical principles.
The publisher is obliged to use its communication power without any individual benefit and to direct its target audience correctly.
It protects the property and copyright of every published work and undertakes the duty of archiving every published product.
The publisher acknowledges that the decision maker and the refereeing process are the editor's responsibility during the article publishing process in Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University.
The publisher provides open, electronic and free access to the journal on the journal's website.
People should not hesitate to contact the publisher when faced with an unethical situation.
2. Ethical Responsibilities of the Editorial Board
The editor should communicate the rules of publication and spelling to the new editorial board members and explain what is expected of them.
The editor should convey the most up-to-date version of the editorial and spelling rules to the editorial board members.
The editor should evaluate the editorial board members and select the members who will actively participate in the development of the journal to the editorial board.
The editor should inform the editorial board members about their roles and responsibilities below.
- To support the development of the journal
- Writing compilations on their field of expertise when asked to do so
- Reviewing and improving publication and spelling rules
- Fulfilling the necessary responsibilities in the operation of the journal
3. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors, Assistant Editors and Field Editors
Editors endeavor to respond to the information needs of referees, author (s), researchers, practitioners and readers when necessary, to act according to the principles of clarity in matters that require correction and explanation during the publication process.
While deciding on the publication of the articles, the editors take care that the articles are original and contribute to the scientific literature, readers, researchers and practitioners.
When making positive or negative decisions about the articles, editors take into account the original value of the articles, their contribution to the field, the validity and reliability of the research method, the clarity of the expression, and the journal's purpose and scope.
Editors take the submitted articles to the pre-evaluation stage as long as they do not have a significant problem, consider positive referee suggestions, and do not change the decisions made by the previous editor (s) unless there is a serious problem.
Editors implement the policies of blind review and evaluation process, which are among the publishing policies of the journal, keep the identity information of the referees confidential, and ensure that each article is evaluated objectively and in time.
Editors send the articles by taking into account the field of expertise of the editors and referees, and they support the impartial and independent evaluation.
Editors take into account whether there is a conflict of interest between editors, referees and author (s) for unbiased evaluation of the article.
Editors seek to ensure that the referee pool is diverse and constantly updated.
Editors avoid unscientific reviews that do not follow academic etiquette.
Editors ensure that the journal publishing processes are operated in accordance with the publication policies and guidelines, inform their areas of duty in the process about the developments in publication policies, and prepare training programs when necessary.
Editors communicate effectively with everyone involved in the publishing process and hold meetings at regular intervals.
Editors ensure the protection of personal data in reviewed articles; protect individual data of authors, referees and readers.
Editors; They pay attention to the protection of human and animal rights in the articles, they care about documenting the explicit consent of the participants of the article, the approval of the ethics committee of the participants of the article, and they reject the article when they do not have permission for experimental research.
Editors; They take precautions against misconduct. When there are complaints about misconduct, he makes an objective investigation and shares the findings on the subject.
Editors ensure that errors, inconsistencies or misdirections in the articles are corrected.
Editors protect the intellectual property rights of the published articles and defend the rights of the journal and the author (s) in case of violation. In addition, they take the necessary measures to ensure that the content of the published articles does not infringe the intellectual property rights of other publications; They do the authenticity-similarity check.
Editors take into account the consistent criticism of the articles published in the Journal and give the author (s) the right to reply to the criticized articles.
Editors also consider studies with negative results.
Editors examine the complaints submitted to the Journal and make the necessary explanations.
4.Ethical Responsibilities of Author (s) Who Submitted Articles to Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University
Author (s) should not send an article that they have published elsewhere or sent to be published, or more than one article at the same time to the Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University.
Author (s) should send an original article to Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University.
Author (s) should correctly refer (cite) to the sources they use during article writing in line with ethical principles.
The names of persons who do not contribute to the article should not be written as authors, and it should not be suggested to change the order of the author of an article submitted for publication, to remove or add authors.
Individuals who have a conflict of interest and a common interest related to the article for publication must be notified to the editors.
If information or raw data is requested from the author (s) during the evaluation process, they should submit the expected information to the Editors.
The author (s) must document that the rights to use the data they use in their articles, permission for research-analysis or the consent of the participants on which they have researched.
The author (s) should contact the editor to inform, correct or retract when they notice an error in the evaluation and early view or electronically published article.
The author (s) received the approval of the ethics committee for studies that require data collection through quantitative or qualitative methods such as experiments, questionnaires, scales, interviews, observations, focus group studies that require the decision of the ethics committee The name of the ethics committee, the date and number of the decision should be indicated on the last page of the candidate article and in the method section, and the document showing the ethics committee decision should be uploaded to the system along with the application of the article. In addition, case reports should include information about obtaining informed consent / obtaining consent form in the article.
The author (s) should present in the article the evidence that they adhere to ethical principles in the data collection process (such as obtaining permission from others to use documents such as scale, questionnaire, photograph). It should be stated in the articles that research and publication ethics and copyright regulations for intellectual and artistic works are complied with. If the research was carried out on human and animal subjects, it should be reported that the research was carried out in accordance with international reports, guidelines, etc.
Ethics committee approval is not required from the author (s) for review articles. However, in articles that do not require an ethics committee decision, it should be stated on the last page of the article and in the method section that an ethics committee decision is not required.
The articles submitted to the journal should not be in the evaluation process in another journal before, not accepted for publication and not published (full text papers: including poster papers exceeding 400 words), should be prepared in accordance with scientific and ethical rules. Authors are responsible for the compliance of the articles with scientific and ethical rules. (http://www.icmje.org/about-icmje/faqs/conflict-of-interest-disclosure-forms/).
Ethics committee approval should be obtained in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration ethical standards for experimental, clinical and drug research. In all human studies, there should be a statement in the "Materials and Methods" section that the study was approved by the relevant committee or that the study was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki Principles (www.wma.net/e/policy/b3.htm). It should be stated in the text that people signed the informed consent form. It will assume that the articles submitted to the Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University are made in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, have received institutional ethical and legal permissions and will not accept any responsibility. If animal was used in the study, the authors should state that they protect animal rights in their studies in line with the principles of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (www.nap.edu/catalog/5140.html) in the "Materials and Method" section of the article and they must specify that have received approval from the ethics committees of their institutions.
As a result, ethics committee approval should be obtained for clinical and experimental studies on humans and animals that require an ethical committee decision, this approval should be indicated and documented in the article with the "Ethics Committee Approval Number and Date". In articles based on retrospective (catalog) scans, the approval of the Ethics Committee is mandatory, except for the addition of a document by the Head of the Department (Department of Science), the Chief Physician or the Chief of Service, to the study (For retrospective articles based on archive records, the head of the department, the hospital director or a consent document signed by the clinician is required).
Moreover, ethics committee approval is required in both retrospective and prospective clinical studies.
Informed Consent Form of Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University must be filled in for case reports.
All responsibilities, including ethical responsibility, regarding the articles published in Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University belong to the authors as the author of the work.
5.Ethical Responsibilities of Referees
During the article evaluation process of Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University, the two-way blind refereeing principle is applied, which the author (s) referees do not recognize, the referees do not recognize the authors. The article evaluation forms and the notes stated on the text and the correction requests are forwarded to the author (s) by the editors through the journal management system. Referees who will evaluate the articles submitted to the Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University should bear the following ethical responsibilities:
Referees should only agree to evaluate articles related to their field of expertise.
Referees should make the assessment in neutral and confidentiality. In accordance with this principle, they should destroy the articles they have reviewed after the evaluation process, but use them after publication. Nationality, gender, religious belief, political belief and commercial concerns should not disturb the neutrality of the evaluation.
When the referees understand that there is a conflict of interest, they should refuse to evaluate the article and inform the editors.
The style used by the referees in their suggestions should be polite, respectful and scientific. Referees should avoid offensive, disrespectful and subjective personal comments. When it is determined that the referees made such unscientific comments, they may be contacted by the editor or editorial board to review and correct their comments.
The referees should evaluate the article, which they accepted, within the time limit.
The referees are required to fill in the Referee Evaluation Form regarding the articles they have evaluated, and they are expected not to indicate their names in the forms in order not to harm the double-blind refereeing process. The referees are required to indicate in this form their decision on whether the article they have evaluated can be published or not, and the reasons for their decision.
B-) Publication Policy of Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University
Journal Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is the use of others' published and unpublished ideas or words (or other intellectual property rights) without reference or permission, and presented as new and original rather than stating that they are derived from an existing source. Self-overcrowding means that an author uses some parts of his previous articles on the same topic elsewhere in his publications, especially without citing. (https://wame.org/recommendations-on-publication-ethics-policies-for-medical-journals).
Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University obliges the studies to be checked for plagiarism by the “iThenticate” plagiarism program during the article upload process. In this context, each study should be checked for plagiarism by the author and sent to the journal with its report. The similarity rate of this report is reviewed and approved by the Editor / Assistant Editor. The submission is rejected if the similarity rate is high or if quotation is not made in accordance with academic rules. Even if the similarity rate is very low, it is the authors' responsibility to ensure that the content complies with academic ethical rules.
2. Article Withdrawal and Rejection
2.1. Article Withdrawal
Preliminary Evaluation Stage
Manuscripts at this stage may be withdrawn by the author(s). The withdrawal request must be submitted in writing to the journal editorial office by the corresponding author. All authors are expected to be informed of the withdrawal request and to agree to the withdrawal.
Peer Review Stage
Authors who wish to withdraw their manuscript and publish it elsewhere due to delays in the evaluation process or for similar reasons may request withdrawal by submitting a written request to the journal editorial office. In order for the withdrawal request to be processed, all authors must be informed of the request and provide a written statement confirming their agreement to the withdrawal.
The withdrawal request is evaluated by the journal editorial office, taking into consideration the stage of the manuscript evaluation, the ongoing peer review process, and the reason for the request. If it is determined that the manuscript has been simultaneously submitted to another journal or published elsewhere while the evaluation process is still ongoing, the journal reserves the right to take the necessary editorial actions.
After Acceptance of the Manuscript
As a general rule, requests by authors to withdraw a manuscript after its acceptance will not be accepted. However, if there is a justified and exceptional scientific, ethical, or legal reason, the withdrawal request may be separately evaluated by the Editorial Board.
After acceptance of the manuscript, requests for changes in authorship, including the addition or removal of authors, will be considered subject to the written consent of all authors and an evaluation of the justification for the request. Requests for an author to withdraw from the manuscript require the written agreement of all existing authors and the author(s) affected by the proposed change.
Retraction of a Published Article
A published article may be retracted if an error or problem is identified that seriously affects the reliability of its results or conclusions. Retraction may be considered in circumstances including, but not limited to, the following:
The findings are unreliable due to a serious error;
Fabrication or falsification/manipulation of data;
Misleading manipulation of images or other scientific materials;
Plagiarism;
Substantial duplicate or redundant publication;
Unethical research practices;
Failure to obtain the required ethics committee approval or research permissions, or a determination that the research was ethically unacceptable;
Copyright infringement or other serious legal issues;
An undisclosed serious conflict of interest that has significantly affected the interpretation or results of the article;
Manipulation of or serious compromise to the peer review process;
Other circumstances that seriously affect the results or scientific validity of the article.
The decision to retract an article is made by the Editorial Board based, as far as possible, on the relevant evidence and necessary investigations. If there is a suspicion of research misconduct, the journal may, when necessary, request investigation and information from the relevant institution(s) or organization(s).
When an article is retracted, its bibliographic record and electronic archival record are not completely removed. The title, author information, DOI, and bibliographic details of the article are retained; however, all electronic versions of the article, including the abstract and full text, are clearly marked as “Retracted Article.”
A retraction notice is published separately and clearly, stating the reason for the retraction. An electronic link is established between the retraction notice and the original article. The retraction notice is associated with the article record in a manner that enables the article to be properly identified and indexed as a retracted publication.
Correction and Expression of Concern
If an error identified in an article does not invalidate the results or conclusions of the study but affects the accuracy of the scientific record, a Correction/Erratum may be published instead of retracting the article.
If there is a serious concern regarding a scientific or ethical issue, but the available evidence is insufficient to reach a definitive conclusion, or an investigation conducted by a relevant institution or organization has not yet been completed, an Expression of Concern may be published when deemed necessary.
Corrections and Expressions of Concern are clearly linked to the relevant article to ensure that readers are informed of changes to the scientific record or existing concerns regarding the article.
2.2. Article Rejection
Manuscripts that are not accepted for publication are communicated to the authors, with the reasons for rejection provided where possible.
A maximum of 15 days is granted for manuscripts requiring revisions during the preliminary evaluation stage.
A maximum of 30 days is granted for manuscripts requiring revisions following the evaluation process. If the authors fail to submit the required revisions within the specified periods or do not request a justified extension, the manuscript may be rejected.
A manuscript may be rejected on the basis of its lack of suitability for the journal's scope, methodological or scientific deficiencies, ethical concerns, issues regarding originality, peer review recommendations, or other editorial considerations.
2.3. Manuscript Evaluation, Acceptance and Publication Process
All manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University are handled in three main stages: initial screening, scientific evaluation, and editing/typesetting-publication.
The Journal aims to conduct manuscript evaluation and publication processes within a reasonable timeframe in accordance with the principles of scientific publishing and editorial standards. However, the duration of the evaluation and publication processes may vary depending on several factors, including the type and subject of the manuscript, reviewers’ evaluation periods, authors’ revision processes, the need for additional reviewer or editorial evaluation, ethical or legal reviews, technical procedures, and the Journal’s publication planning.
Therefore, any timeframes specified for the evaluation and publication processes are target or estimated timeframes and do not constitute a definite period, guarantee, or commitment to publication.
Initial Screening
Manuscripts submitted to the Journal are initially evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief, Editor, or the relevant Section Editor with regard to their compliance with the aims and scope of the Journal, author guidelines, principles of scientific publishing and research ethics, and fundamental academic standards.
Manuscripts that are considered unsuitable for the aims and scope of the Journal, contain fundamental scientific or ethical problems, substantially fail to comply with the author guidelines, or are deemed unsuitable for peer review may be rejected without being sent for peer review or returned to the author for the necessary revisions.
Decisions made during the initial screening stage are communicated to the corresponding author as soon as reasonably possible.
Scientific Evaluation Process
Manuscripts considered suitable for peer review following the initial screening are sent to an appropriate number of reviewers who are experts in the relevant field. Depending on the nature of the scientific evaluation process, it is generally expected that the opinions of at least two reviewers will be obtained.
Based on the peer-review process, a manuscript may:
· be accepted;
· require revision;
· be sent for further evaluation to a reviewer or an additional reviewer; or
· be rejected.
Reviewer reports are evaluated by the relevant Editor or Section Editor in terms of scientific adequacy, consistency, and compliance with the Journal's publication policies. The final editorial decision is made by taking into consideration the reviewers' comments as well as the scientific quality, originality, contribution to the field, methodological adequacy, ethical compliance, and suitability of the manuscript for the aims and scope of the Journal.
If reviewer opinions conflict or if deemed necessary, the manuscript may be sent for additional peer review.
Revision Process
When revisions are requested, authors are expected to complete the requested revisions within the period communicated to them.
Unless otherwise specified, authors may be given up to 30 days to complete revisions requested following peer review. In justified circumstances, an extension may be granted upon the author's request and at the discretion of the Editor.
If authors fail to complete the requested revisions within the specified period, do not request an extension, or do not provide a reasonable justification, the manuscript may be withdrawn from the evaluation process or rejected.
Revised manuscripts may, where necessary, be re-evaluated by the relevant Editor, Section Editor, or reviewers.
Manuscript Acceptance
Acceptance of a manuscript indicates that the scientific evaluation process has been completed and that the manuscript has been found suitable for publication in the Journal following the editorial evaluation process.
Based on the peer-review reports and the opinion of the relevant Section Editor, the manuscript is evaluated by the Editorial Board. The final decision regarding acceptance for publication is made under the authority and responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief/Editor and the Editorial Board.
When a manuscript is accepted, the acceptance decision is communicated to the corresponding author as soon as reasonably possible.
The acceptance date of a manuscript indicates the date on which the scientific evaluation process has been completed and does not constitute a definite commitment that the manuscript will be published on a specific date or in a specific issue.
Post-Acceptance Editorial and Technical Process
Accepted manuscripts undergo language and writing checks, reference and formatting review, technical checks, typesetting, proofreading, and other necessary editorial procedures.
The typeset PDF version of the manuscript may be sent to the corresponding author for final review and necessary corrections.
Authors are expected to review the proof provided to them within the specified timeframe and complete any necessary corrections. Delays attributable to authors may affect the publication schedule and the timing of publication.
If scientific, ethical, legal, or technical issues are identified before publication, additional investigations may be conducted regarding an accepted manuscript. Where necessary, the publication process may be temporarily suspended, or the manuscript may be reconsidered by the Editorial Board.
Publication Order and Assignment of Accepted Manuscripts to Issues
The issue in which accepted manuscripts will be published and their order of publication are not determined solely by the acceptance date of the manuscript.
The fact that one manuscript has been accepted before another manuscript does not mean that it will necessarily be published before the other manuscript or appear in an earlier issue.
The publication order of accepted manuscripts and their assignment to specific issues are determined in accordance with the Journal's publication planning and editorial requirements.
The following factors may be taken into consideration in publication planning:
· The technical and editorial readiness of the manuscript for publication;
· The completion of author revisions and the proofreading process;
· The type of manuscript;
· The scientific or thematic scope of an issue;
· The distribution of manuscripts addressing the same or similar topics within an issue;
· Maintaining scientific content and subject diversity within the Journal;
· Special issue or thematic issue planning;
· Typesetting and technical preparation processes;
· The completion of ethical, legal, or scientific reviews;
· The Journal's general publication schedule; and
· Other scientific, technical, or editorial considerations deemed necessary by the Editorial Board.
The Journal Owner, Editor-in-Chief, and Editorial Board are authorized to determine the issue in which accepted manuscripts will be published and their order of publication.
This authority shall be exercised in accordance with the principles of scientific publishing, objectivity, equality, academic integrity, transparency, and non-discrimination.
Changes to the Publication Order
The publication order or the issue to which an accepted manuscript has been assigned may be changed as part of the Journal's publication planning.
For editorial, scientific, technical, or publication-planning reasons, a manuscript accepted at a later date may be published before a manuscript that was accepted earlier.
This circumstance alone does not constitute a negative decision regarding the scientific evaluation or acceptance of the previously accepted manuscript, nor does it, by itself, constitute inequality or discrimination against its author(s).
The Journal reserves the right to change the publication order and the issue to which accepted manuscripts are assigned in accordance with scientific and editorial requirements.
Publication Time and Publication Date
The Journal aims to complete manuscript evaluation and publication processes within a reasonable timeframe. However, variations or delays may occur due to the peer-review process, author revisions, additional evaluations, editorial procedures, technical preparation, typesetting, proofreading, ethical or legal reviews, and publication planning.
Any average evaluation or publication periods stated on the Journal's website or in other informational materials are statistical or target timeframes and do not constitute a definite period, guarantee, or commitment applicable to each individual manuscript.
Acceptance of a manuscript does not provide the author(s) with a guaranteed right to publication within a specific period, in a specific issue, or on a specific date.
Requests for Publication in a Specific Issue or on a Specific Date
Requests by authors for their manuscripts to be published on a specific date, in a specific issue, or within a specific period may be considered in accordance with the Journal's publication plan and editorial capacity.
However, the Journal is not obligated to accept such requests.
Unless an explicit publication commitment has been made in writing by the Editor or Editorial Board, an author's expectation that a manuscript will be published in a particular issue or on a particular date does not create a binding obligation for the Journal.
Early View and Electronic Publication
Where permitted by the Journal's publication policy and technical infrastructure, accepted manuscripts that have completed the necessary editorial procedures may be published electronically as Early View (Online First/Early View) before being assigned to a specific issue.
The issue to which an Early View manuscript will subsequently be assigned is determined in accordance with the Journal's publication planning.
Where the Early View system is not available or cannot be implemented, manuscripts are published directly in the planned issue.
Editorial Decisions Regarding Publication Planning
The scientific evaluation and acceptance of a manuscript and the determination of the issue in which it will be published are separate editorial processes.
Acceptance of a manuscript indicates that it has been found suitable in accordance with the Journal's scientific and publication principles. The issue in which the manuscript will appear and its publication order are determined separately as part of the Journal's publication planning.
Decisions concerning publication order are made independently of the scientific acceptance or rejection decision and are intended to ensure the regular, balanced, and sustainable operation of the Journal's publishing activities.
Exceptional Circumstances
Where scientific, ethical, legal, technical, or editorial circumstances require, the publication of an accepted manuscript may be postponed or the manuscript may be reconsidered.
Such circumstances include, but are not limited to:
The need for an ethical investigation;
· The identification of a scientific error or significant inconsistency;
· The emergence of copyright or intellectual property issues;
· Disputes among authors;
· The evaluation of a serious complaint or objection concerning the manuscript;
· The emergence of a problem concerning the peer-review or evaluation process; or
· Unexpected problems arising during the technical or production process.
In such cases, the Editorial Board is authorized to conduct the necessary investigations, request additional information or documentation, temporarily suspend the publication process, reconsider the manuscript, or take other appropriate editorial actions.
Communication Regarding the Process
Authors may request information regarding the evaluation and publication process of their manuscripts through the Journal's manuscript management system or official communication channels.
The Journal endeavors to respond to reasonable requests for information from authors within an appropriate timeframe.
The Journal's evaluation, acceptance, and publication processes are conducted in accordance with the principles of scientific publishing, ethical rules, the Journal's publication policies, and the editorial responsibilities of the Editorial Board.
Important Note: The acceptance date of a manuscript does not, by itself, determine its publication order. The issue in which an accepted manuscript will be published and its publication order are determined by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board in accordance with the Journal's editorial, scientific, and technical publication planning.
3. Publication Policy
Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University is an open access journal. Past issues can be accessed via the internet without charge. In the article applications, after the author gave the right to publish it to Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University, his article is being licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA). Thanks to this license, other researchers can copy, edit, distribute and reuse the articles for non-commercial purposes, provided that they cite the articles and maintain the same license. Click on the link for more information about the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en
Journal of Health Sciences of Adıyaman University does not charge any fees for article submission, evaluation and publication process. In addition, authors are not charged for open access to the article.
