Ethical Principles
The HBV-FLR adheres to the highest standards of ethical practice in accordance with internationally-agreed publication ethics guidelines. HBV-FLR adheres to the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors, as set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), as well as the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. Furthermore, it adheres to the publication ethics standards set forth by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA).
Transparency Principle
The operation of the journal is conducted in a transparent manner, in accordance with predetermined procedures. The article acceptance process is conducted via the DergiPark system, ensuring that relevant units and individuals are able to access information at any time and monitor the progression of each stage.
Publication Policy
- Authors submit their manuscripts to the journal via the DergiPark system. DergiPark is an organization operating under TÜBİTAK ULAKBİM that provides technical support to peer-reviewed academic journals published in Türkiye by offering electronic hosting and editorial process management services. For further details regarding DergiPark, please refer to the following link: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/page/about.
- All processes pertaining to the journal, including communication, are conducted through DergiPark's highly secure and continuously updated system. The archiving of article processes, files and correspondence is facilitated through the DergiPark system.
- In general, manuscripts that have been through the publication process are published in the first subsequent issue. However, the Editorial Board may opt to publish some articles in the next issue, taking into account the number of articles or the topic of the articles in question.The authors are informed of such decisions.
- Each author can have one article published in four issues. If an author submits more than one article, the process of the remaining articles cannot begin until the process of the first article is completed.
- The proportion of articles by internal authors (HBV University academic and administrative staff, and Institute’s students) to be published in the journal issue should not exceed 20%*. Where 20% of the total number of articles does not correspond to a whole number, the resulting figure shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number.
Responsibilities of Authors
- The submitted articles must align with the purpose and scope of the journal.
- It is the responsibility of the authors to ensure that their articles comply with the relevant scientific and ethical rules. The following practices are considered unethical: plagiarism, duplication, false authorship or denied authorship, research or data fabrication, article slicing, the splitting of articles, copyright infringement and the concealment of conflicts of interest. Any articles that fail to meet the requisite ethical standards will be removed from the publication process.
- The author is required to upload a signed and printed Ethical Declaration Form to the system, attesting that the article is original, has not been previously published elsewhere, and is not currently under consideration for publication elsewhere or in another language. Should copyrighted material (e.g. tables, figures or extensive quotations) be used, permission and acknowledgement must be sought.
- Copyrighted materials (such as tables, figures, or extensive quotations) are used with the necessary permissions and acknowledgements. The works of other authors and contributors, as well as the sources consulted, are used appropriately and duly cited in the references.
- Individuals who did not contribute directly to the academic and scientific content of the work in question are not to be indicated as authors. The order of the authors' names is determined by a joint decision of the authors. It is the responsibility of all authors to indicate the author order in the Copyright Transfer Form. In the case of translated works, written permission for publication must be obtained from the author or the person or organisation holding the right of publication. This permission document must be attached to the application document.
- Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship but have contributed to the study (for example, by providing technical support, assisting in writing or providing only general support, or providing financial and material support) are listed in the section entitled "acknowledgements/information”.
- The authors declare any financial relationships, conflicts of interest, or competition of interest that have the potential to influence the results of the research or the scientific evaluation.
- In the event of an author identifying a significant error or inaccuracy in a published manuscript, it is their responsibility to immediately contact and cooperate with the editor for the purpose of correction or retraction.
- It is the responsibility of the author to demonstrate that they have the requisite rights to use the data in question, that they have obtained the necessary permissions for the research and analysis, or that the consent of the subjects of the experiment has been obtained.
- It is not permitted for an author to submit their work to more than one journal concurrently. Each application may be initiated only after the preceding one has been completed.
- The author is required to provide their name, ORCID number and institutional information in a clear, accurate and comprehensive manner on the printed Cover Page within the system. The city and country information is to be provided subsequent to the university and faculty/directorate addresses.
Responsibilities of Editors (Field Editors, Deputy Editors, Language Editors and Publishing Editors)
- The Editor is the person responsible for managing the entire publication and peer-review process from the submission of a manuscript to its publication, and for ensuring the quality and performance of the journal. The Editor is appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Law from among university academic staff holding at least a doctoral degree, for a term of three years. One of the editors serves as the Editor-in-Chief.
- The role of the Editor-in-Chief is to ensure the quality of the publication and to facilitate the harmony and coordination between field editors and assistant editors.
- Each article is assigned a Field Editor and Deputy Editor, who are visible to the authors via the DergiPark system. The distribution of tasks is made in accordance with the respective areas of expertise of the Editors and deputy editors. A distribution other than that specified above may be made for reasons pertaining to workload and periods of absence.
- The evaluation of manuscripts is conducted by Editors in a manner that is independent of the ethnic origin, gender, nationality, religious beliefs, and political philosophy of the authors.
- The evaluation processes of manuscripts submitted by internal authors are conducted by Assistant Editors or Field Editors from outside the institution*.
- The Field Editors assess the articles submitted to the journal in accordance with established criteria, including quality, content, and contribution to the field. Based on this evaluation, they determine whether the article should be included in the publication process. At this juncture, the article may be rejected without further consideration.
- Deputy Editors review the manuscripts assigned to them for compliance with the journal’s submission and formatting guidelines and ensure that authors make the necessary revisions. Deputy Editors forward manuscripts that have completed the preliminary review process to the relevant Field Editor for the assignment of reviewers. They communicate with authors and provide the editors with the necessary information and reminders.
- The Field Editors oversee the double-blind peer review process for the articles. It is the responsibility of the editors to ensure that there is no conflict of interest between the authors, editors and reviewers. Should the peer review not be completed within a reasonable timeframe, the editors may contact the reviewer and request that the process be accelerated or alternatively appoint a new reviewer.
- Following the completion of the peer review process, the editor will undertake a detailed evaluation of the reviewer reports. The Board of Editors convenes to determine whether to accept the article, refer it to a third reviewer, or reject it. The rationale behind the rejection decision is conveyed to the author, along with the reviewer reports.
– Manuscripts that have completed the peer-review process are reviewed by the English Language Editor. The Language Editor examines manuscripts in terms of language accuracy, academic style, and clarity to ensure compliance with the journal’s publication standards. The Language Editor checks grammar, spelling, punctuation, and terminology, and proposes revisions aimed at improving readability and linguistic consistency. Where necessary, the Language Editor may request the author to revise the manuscript in accordance with these recommendations.
– The Publishing Editor ensures that the manuscript is prepared in a format suitable for typesetting; at this stage, authors are expected to provide the necessary support to the Publishing Editor.
- All information related to the articles is maintained in confidence until the article is published.
- The Editor-in-Chief may publish an error page or implement necessary corrections with the author's knowledge.
Review and Responsibilities of Reviewers/Peer-review Policy
- Double-blind-anonymous peer review is required for scientific research articles and translated articles. They are appointed by the Field Editors.
- Reviewers must have no conflicts of interest with the research, the authors, and/or the organizations providing funding for the research.
- Reviewers appointed to evaluate manuscripts may not be affiliated with the same institution as the author. In this context, there must be no prior academic relationship between the author and the reviewer, such as graduate thesis supervision, co-authorship, or joint project work. Where the authors are academics, reviewers should, where possible, be selected from among scholars holding a higher academic rank. (For example, manuscripts submitted by Assistant Professors are reviewed by Associate Professors or Professors.)
- In the context of blind peer review, the identity of the reviewers is kept confidential.
- Reviewers are expected to respond within ten (10) days to the review invitation sent via the DergiPark system by e-mail, which includes the manuscript abstract as an attachment. Where necessary, this period may be extended twice for an additional five (5) days each. If a reviewer does not accept or decline the invitation within the specified period, the Section Editor may cancel the invitation through the system and invite another reviewer.
- Once the invitation has been accepted, the reviewer is able to access both the article file and the Reviewer Evaluation Form via his/her DergiPark account.
- As a general rule, the review is completed within (30)+(10) days. However, should this be unfeasible, the field editor may extend this period. If the reviewer does not consider himself/herself competent on the subject of the article or if it is not possible to provide timely feedback, he/she should notify the editor and request the cancellation of the reviewer process.
- It is the responsibility of the reviewer to complete the Reviewer Evaluation Form in a truthful manner and to provide a well-founded assessment. Upon completion of the evaluation, the reviewer selects one of the following options through the system: rejection, minor revision, major revision, or acceptance.
- If reviewers request minor or major revisions to the manuscript, the author is asked to revise the manuscript in line with the reviewers’ comments.
- In the case of minor revision, the revised manuscript is reviewed by the relevant Assistant Editor.
- In the case of major revision, the revised manuscript is resubmitted to the same reviewer, who is asked to decide whether the revised version is suitable for publication.
- Manuscripts that are deemed not suitable for publication by both reviewers are not published.
- Where both reviewers recommend major revision, the Editorial Board may decide to reject the manuscript after considering the reviewers’ comments.
- If one reviewer recommends rejection, the Editorial Board may either reject the manuscript or send it to a third reviewer, taking into account the comments of the other reviewer.
- In cases where the reviewers’ reports lack sufficient scientific evaluation, the Section Editor may refer the manuscript to a third reviewer, even if a positive recommendation has been given.
- The confidentiality of all information pertaining to submitted manuscripts is maintained by reviewers. It is not permitted for reviewers or members of the editorial board to discuss articles with other individuals. Should they identify any instances of copyright infringement or plagiarism on the part of the author, they are obliged to report the matter to the editor.
- The performance of reviewers is evaluated according to criteria such as the timeliness of their feedback. It is the policy of the journal to prohibit unkind and unscientific evaluations.
Relations with Authors
- If a manuscript is rejected at the initial screening stage, the reasons for rejection are communicated to the author. If a manuscript is rejected on the basis of negative reviewer reports, the relevant reviewer reports and the reasons for the decision are shared with the author through the DergiPark system.
- It is always possible for authors to communicate with Editors and Assistant Editors via the DergiPark system. The Editors respond to queries from authors and consider their feedback and grievances. All correspondence on the DergiPark system is archived.
The Editorial Board
- The Editorial Board, comprising the Editor-in-Chief, Field Editors and Assistant Editors, maintains continuous communication and collaboration to guarantee that the publication process adheres to the established principles and rules. The editorial board meets regularly to collectively determine the journal's editorial policy.
- It is essential that the board is constituted with equal representation of genders.
- At least one-third of the Editorial Board shall consist of academics from different universities*.
The Advisory Board
The Advisory Board, comprising academics from a range of institutions, oversees the operations of the journal and offers insights and recommendations.
* These amendments have been introduced within the scope of the Academic Publishing Standards and Ethical Principles Document adopted in November 2025 by the Publisher, Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University Office for Supporting International Publications and Scientific Journals. In addition to the provisions set out in its own ethical principles, the Journal is obliged, as of January 2026, to comply with the principles and rules specified in the aforementioned document. This document serves as a complementary institutional and normative framework guiding the Journal’s approach to editorial processes, peer review principles, publication ethics, transparency, and academic integrity.