CONTENT (SCOPE)
The Anadolu Forest Research Journal primarily accepts research articles, review articles, letters to the editor, and short communications from fields such as Forestry Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Forest Industry Engineering, and related disciplines. The journal publishes two issues per year, although the number of issues may increase under certain circumstances.

AUTHOR RESPONSIBILITY (ETHICAL GUIDELINES)
Authors are responsible for the content, validity, and legality of their experimental results. Authors must ensure permission to use materials obtained from different sources. For articles submitted to the Anadolu Forest Research Journal, authors are especially responsible for safeguarding against ethical concerns such as plagiarism. Using the ideas or expressions of others without modification and without clear citation or explicit acknowledgment is considered plagiarism (direct quotations with proper citation are not classified as plagiarism).

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
Submitting an article to the journal implies that the manuscript has not been published or submitted elsewhere. Permission must be obtained from the responsible publisher for the use of copyrighted materials (e.g., figures, photographs, table content, etc.). Materials used without such permission will be assumed to be original works of the authors. The corresponding author must upload a previously signed Copyright Transfer Form during submission.

COVER LETTER
Authors must submit a cover letter with their manuscript stating that the article has not been previously published or is not under review elsewhere. The letter should also affirm that there are no disputes among the authors of the manuscript.

SUBMISSION
Articles for the Anadolu Forest Research Journal can be submitted by following the relevant information flow at http://dergipark.org.tr.
To be evaluated, manuscripts must adhere to the following conditions:
1. Submitted articles must not have been previously published or submitted for publication elsewhere.
2. If the manuscript overlaps with topics from the authors' previously published works, this should be stated explicitly, and a copy of the previous work must be submitted with the new article.
3. Research presented at scientific events (conferences, symposia, etc.) can be considered for publication if this is disclosed and if no copyright constraints apply.
4. All authors must approve the submission. The corresponding author must upload a previously signed Copyright Transfer Form during submission.
5. Accepted articles may not be published in the same form in another language without the publisher's permission.
6. The publisher is not legally responsible for compensation in any circumstances. The ethical, scientific, and legal responsibility for articles lies with the authors and does not reflect the views of the Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Board.
7. Submitted manuscripts will not be returned to the authors, whether accepted or rejected. No royalties are paid for published articles.

REVIEW PROCESS
1. Manuscripts are submitted electronically and tracked throughout the publication process via the electronic system. Authors must first register at http://dergipark.org.tr. Registered authors can log in and upload manuscripts prepared in accordance with the journal's writing rules, along with a cover letter and copyright transfer form. Manuscripts undergo a preliminary review by the Editor. Submissions that pass the preliminary review are forwarded to the relevant section editor, while incomplete submissions are returned to the authors for necessary revisions. The section editor conducts a technical review and sends appropriate manuscripts to at least two reviewers for evaluation. Manuscripts not aligned with the journal's scope or found insufficient in technical or structural terms are returned to the authors for corrections if deemed necessary by the section editor. The author and reviewer identities are kept confidential during the review process.
2. Acceptance of manuscripts is decided by the Editorial Board based on reviewer evaluations. Accepted manuscripts are returned to the corresponding author for revision as per reviewer recommendations.
3. Finalized manuscripts are sent to the corresponding author for review before publication. Authors are responsible for the content of the final version.
4. Manuscripts are processed within a maximum of three months. Accepted articles are provided to the corresponding author in PDF format. Separate prints are not provided, and unpublished manuscripts are not returned.
5. No fees are charged during the review or publication process.
6. Submitted articles undergo similarity checks using plagiarism detection software during the preliminary review. The Editor decides whether to reject the article due to plagiarism or proceed with the review process.

PREPARATION OF MANUSCRIPTS
Manuscripts can be written in Turkish or English. If the article is in Turkish, it should include an English abstract, and vice versa. Authors who are not native Turkish speakers are not required to provide a Turkish abstract. The manuscript should use Times New Roman font, 12-point size, with 3 cm margins on the left and 2.5 cm margins on other sides. Main headings and subheadings should follow a numbered Arabic numeral format (1, 2, 3, etc.) without full capitalization. Page numbers and continuous line numbering are required.
Writing Guidelines
Manuscripts should follow the IMRAD format (Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion), which is widely accepted in the international scientific community. The components of a manuscript should include: title page, abstract, keywords, main text (Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion), acknowledgments, references, and appendices (if any). Tables and figures should be placed as close as possible to the paragraphs where they are first mentioned. References to tables and figures must be made in the text. Table and figure captions should use the same font size and format as the main text. However, if necessary, font size can be reduced and a different format may be used for table and figure content.
Section headings should be concise and numbered sequentially. All pages should be numbered consecutively, and line numbers should be included. Line numbering is essential for reviewers to evaluate the manuscripts effectively. Line numbers should continue across pages. In the manuscript, headings and subheadings should not be embedded in the text but should be written on separate lines without indentation. It is important to note that section headings must not be written entirely in uppercase letters under any circumstances. The first letters of the main and subheading words should be capitalized, except for conjunctions such as "and," "or," etc.
Although there is no strict word limit for the manuscript, it is recommended that the length does not exceed 6000 words (excluding tables, figures, and appendices). Attention should be paid to grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and logical flow in writing.
Title Page:
The first page should include the article title, authors' names and affiliations, and contact details of the corresponding author (email address, phone number, and ORCID IDs). The title should reflect the content of the article without including brand names or abbreviations. Titles should be between 4 and 15 words whenever possible.
Abstract:
The abstract must be provided in both English and Turkish. Authors whose native language is not Turkish may only submit the abstract in English. The abstract should specify the significance of the study, the materials and methods used, key findings, conclusions, and recommendations. It should not exceed 250 words or 1250 characters, be written as a single paragraph, and use past tense (unless otherwise necessary). The abstract should include numerical data when presenting findings. The English abstract must adhere to proper language and formatting rules and, if possible, be reviewed by a native English speaker or a qualified language expert. The abstract should include the following sections:
• Background and aims
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion
Keywords:
At least 4 and no more than 7 keywords should be provided in alphabetical order.
Introduction:
This section should convince the reader of the importance and relevance of the study. It should provide sufficient background information to enable understanding without requiring additional sources. The introduction should not be overly long or short and should avoid irrelevant information or references. Ensure that cited sources are necessary and up-to-date. The last paragraph of the introduction should clearly state the focus and objectives of the study.
Materials and Methods:
The materials used should be described in detail. For plant materials, the most detailed classification possible should be provided. Plants, animals, and microorganisms should be identified by their cultivar, species, taxonomy, and specific characteristics. Soils should be described using the most detailed classification and aligned with internationally accepted standards. General names should be used instead of commercial names. If commercial names must be mentioned, a footnote should clarify that there is no commercial relationship between the research institution and the brand, and the name is provided solely for informational purposes. If methods are presented for the first time, they should be detailed thoroughly. For well-established methods, referencing the original source is sufficient. Methods should be described in a way that another expert could replicate the study. For statistical analyses, the experimental design, methods used for result evaluation, and significance levels applied for hypothesis testing should be explicitly stated. Established statistical methods require only the name and reference, but novel methods should be explained in detail.
Results:
The results should be presented clearly, concisely, and directly. Tables and figures should be used to present the results but should not duplicate information between the two formats. As a general rule, related data should be presented in figures, and repetitive data should be summarized in tables using descriptive statistics. Avoid repeating information already provided in the Materials and Methods section. Use internationally recognized units and symbols. Decimals should be separated by a comma for Turkish manuscripts and a period for English manuscripts.
Discussion:
This section should interpret the results and explain their significance. Results should be compared with findings from previous similar studies, and their similarities and differences should be clearly discussed, including possible reasons. Avoid repeating data from tables and figures; instead, explain their implications. When discussing statistical analyses, focus on interpreting the results rather than the statistical details. Support the discussion with relevant information from the literature. Avoid repeating details already covered in the Materials and Methods section.
Acknowledgments:
This section should come immediately before the references. Acknowledge institutions, organizations, and individuals who contributed to the study but are not listed as authors. Provide the full names of supporting institutions or organizations.
CITATIONS AND REFERENCES
The following rules must be followed when providing in-text citations:
1. The reference list should include works cited in the text that have been published or are in the process of publication. The name-year system should be used for in-text citations (e.g., (Keleş, 2010), (Erdönmez and Özden, 2009), (Başkent et al., 2008), (Başkent and others, 2010)).
2. When a source is used in the sentence, only the year should be given in parentheses. For example: “According to Erşahin (2001)” or “as suggested by Göl and Dengiz (2008).”
3. For citations with three or more authors, only the first author’s name should be given, followed by “et al.” (or "ve ark." for Turkish sources), e.g., “(Başkent et al., 2002)” or “as stated by Başkent et al. (2002).”
4. When multiple works by the same author from the same year are cited, letters such as “a,” “b,” etc., should be used, e.g., “(Keleş, 2005a, 2005b).”
5. When citing multiple references at once, separate them with a semicolon and list them in chronological order, e.g., “(Erşahin, 2001; Başkent et al., 2002).”
6. For subsequent references, use the author’s surname or abbreviation instead of the year, e.g., “According to Erşahin (2006)…”
7. Use a comma to separate the year and author names, e.g., “(Keleş, 2015; Erşahin et al., 2016).”
8. For Turkish sources, use “ve” between author names; for English sources, use “and,” e.g., “(Erdönmez and Özden, 2009; Sünal and Erşahin, 2013).”
9. For Turkish sources with more than two authors, use “ve ark.”; for English sources, use “et al.,” e.g., “(Işık ve ark., 2015; Öner et al., 2016).”
10. In English articles, use “et al.” and “and” as equivalents for “ve ark.” and “ve.”
11. Even if the manuscript is in Turkish, if the source is in English, follow English citation conventions, e.g., “Li and Miller (2005)” instead of “Li ve Miller (2005)” or “Jones et al. (2000)” instead of “Jones ve ark. (2000).”
Use reference management software (e.g., EndNote, Mendeley). Mendeley is available for free download (https://www.mendeley.com). If using Mendeley or EndNote, follow the referencing style of the journal Forest Ecology and Management.

Formatting References
Journal Articles: Include the author's surname, initials, publication year, article title (capitalize only the first word), journal name (or abbreviation), volume(issue), and page range.
Example:
Çakır, M., 2018. Richness and diversity of litter and soil fauna as affected by differences in three fir species. Bosque, 39(1), 441–447.
Çakır, M., Makineci, E., 2020. Litter decomposition in pure and mixed Quercus and Fagus stands as influenced by arthropods. The Journal of Forestry Research, 31, 1123–1137.
Conference Proceedings: Include the author's surname, initials, publication year, title of the paper (capitalize only the first word), conference name, publisher, location, and page range.
Example:
Ercanlı, İ., Günlü, A., Şenyurt, M., Bolat, F., Kahrıman, A., 2016. Artificial neural network for predicting stand carbon stock from remote sensing data for even-aged Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands in the Taşköprü-Çiftlik forests. 1st International Symposium of Forest Engineering and Technologies (FETEC), Bursa Technical University, Bursa, pp. 244–252.
Books: Include the author's surname, initials, publication year, book title (capitalize all words except conjunctions), publisher, location, and page range.
Example:
Day, R.A., 1994. How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Book Chapters: Include the chapter author’s surname, initials, year, chapter title (capitalize all words except conjunctions), editor(s), book title, publisher, location, and page range.
Example:
McLean, E., 1982. Soil pH and lime requirement, in: Page, A.L., Miller, R.H., Keeney, D.R. (Eds.), Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Chemical and Microbiological Properties. American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America, Madison, pp. 199–224.
Websites: Include the site name, topic, URL, and access date (day, month, year).
Example:
Cancer Research UK, 1975. Cancer statistics reports for the UK. http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/aboutcancer/statistics/cancerstatsreport/ (accessed 13.03.03).
Theses: Include the author’s full surname, initials, year, institution, and city.
Example:
Ohman, K., 2001. Forest planning with consideration to spatial relationships. Doctoral Thesis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umea.
Databases: Include the surname and initials of the database owner(s), year, database name, and URL.
Example:
Oguro, M., Imahiro, S., Saito, S., Nakashizuka, T., 2015. Mortality data for Japanese oak wilt disease and surrounding forest compositions. Mendeley Data, v1. https://doi.org/10.17632/xwj98nb39r.1.

FIGURES
All visuals in the manuscript should be presented under the title "Figure." Figures should be of high quality (at least 300 dpi), with adjustments made to ensure their clarity after printing, particularly for photographs and similar visuals. When designing graphs, consider that figure details, axis labels, and text sizes may be reduced by up to 50% during printing. Figures should be placed as close as possible to the paragraphs where they are first mentioned in the text. Figures must be numbered sequentially in the order they appear and cited in the text using their numbers (e.g., "Figure 1" instead of "the figure above" or "the figure below").
For multipart figures, each part should be explicitly labeled (e.g., Figure 1a, Figure 1b). Each figure must have a caption placed below the figure. The caption should be descriptive enough for readers to understand the figure content without referring to the main text but should avoid unnecessary details. The first word of the figure caption should start with a capital letter, while the rest should be in lowercase unless necessary. Figure captions must end with a period. Figures should be separated from the surrounding text by one blank line both above and below.

TABLES
All tables should be created using the table option in MS Word. Like figures, tables should be placed as close as possible to the paragraphs where they are first mentioned in the text. Overly complex tables should either be divided into simpler parts or provided as appendices.
Table captions should define the content of the table and enable understanding without referring to the text. Captions should be placed above the tables. Symbols and abbreviations used in the table should be explained in the table footnotes. When referring to table footnotes, use lowercase letters as superscripts (e.g., "a," "b").
The first word in the row and column headings should be capitalized, while subsequent words should be in lowercase unless necessary. As with figures, tables should be cited in the text using their table numbers (e.g., "Table 1"). Table captions should start with a capital letter for the first word, while subsequent words should be in lowercase unless necessary, and the caption should end with a period. Tables should also be separated from the surrounding text by one blank line both above and below.

EQUATIONS
All mathematical equations in the manuscript should be presented under the title "Equation." MS Word's equation editor should be used for formatting, with each equation placed on a separate line and assigned a unique number. Equation numbering should follow their order of appearance in the text, similar to figures and tables.
In the first text following an equation, the symbols and terms used should be clearly defined, along with their respective units.

ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviations should be defined upon their first mention in the text. If necessary, they should be redefined in later sections for clarity. Avoid arbitrary abbreviations and adhere to internationally recognized symbols for terms.

FOOTNOTES
Footnotes should be avoided as much as possible and should not include references.

UNITS OF MEASUREMENT
The metric system is standard, and SI units should be used whenever possible. However, commonly accepted derivatives of SI units are also permitted (e.g., "g cm⁻³" instead of "kg m⁻³").

FEES AND CHARGES
The Anadolu Forest Research Journal does not charge any fees for manuscript submission or publication.

REPRINTS
The corresponding author will be provided with a printed copy of the journal issue containing the article and a PDF version of the article free of charge.

Publication Policies of the Anadolu Forest Research Journal
This guide must be carefully reviewed by all researchers who wish to submit their work to the journal.
The sources used in preparing these policies are listed at the end of the guide.
OPEN ACCESS POLICY
The Anadolu Forest Research Journal is a publication aware of the necessity of easy access to information to advance scientific studies. It supports the open access initiative for peer-reviewed journal literature outlined in the Budapest Open Access Initiative and provides all published articles free of charge in an environment where they can be read and downloaded by anyone.
In this declaration, open access is defined as the ability to access, read, save, copy, print, scan, link to full texts, index, transfer to software, and use scientific literature for any lawful purpose via the Internet without financial, legal, or technical barriers. Considering the role of information sharing in advancing science, open access is of great importance for researchers and readers.
Therefore, the articles in this journal can be used as long as proper attribution is given to the author and the original source. Permissions from authors or publishers are not required. Articles in this journal can be accessed through search engines, websites, blogs, and other digital platforms.
This open access policy, adopted by our editorial board on September 12, 2012, can be accessed at the following link: http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/boai-10-translations/turkish-translation.
CREATIVE COMMONS
A Creative Commons license is a type of public copyright license that allows the free distribution of copyrighted work or material. Authors use the CC license when they want to share their work or grant permission for modifications.
For all articles published in the Anadolu Forest Research Journal, the "Creative Commons Attribution License (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0))" is deemed appropriate.
This license allows other authors to use your work in their own works for non-commercial purposes, provided proper attribution is given to your work.
Open access is an approach that enhances interdisciplinary development and promotes collaboration among different disciplines. For this reason, the journal contributes to its field by providing greater access to its articles and ensuring a more transparent review process.
ETHICAL POLICY
The aim is to ensure that all stakeholders involved in a scientific study (authors, editors, reviewers, publishers, and readers) contribute to the accurate progression of science. Therefore, it is essential for scientific studies to comply with ethical principles.
These ethical principles are adopted based on the guidelines prepared by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and are recommended to all stakeholders. A summary is provided below:
Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
• Ensure the accuracy of the data related to their study, maintain proper records, and provide access to this data upon request.
• Confirm that the submitted manuscript has not been published or accepted elsewhere.
• If there are overlaps with previously published or submitted content, acknowledge this overlap and cite appropriately. Provide the editor with copies of any related works. Obtain necessary permissions and provide proper citations when using or reproducing content from other sources.
• Ensure that all studies involving human or animal subjects comply with national and international laws and guidelines (e.g., WMA Declaration of Helsinki, NIH Policy on Laboratory Animal Use, EU Directive on Animal Use). State the necessary ethical committee approvals and include related details in the "Materials and Methods" section of the manuscript.
• Report any conflicts of interest and inform the editor and publisher if an ethical violation related to their manuscript is identified. This includes issuing corrections, retractions, or other necessary actions.
Ethical Responsibilities of Editors
• Act in a balanced, objective, and fair manner while performing their duties, without discrimination based on gender, religious or political beliefs, or the ethnic or geographical background of authors.
• Evaluate submissions solely on their content and avoid favoritism.
• Take necessary precautions to prevent conflicts of interest and assess any disclosed conflicts.
• Handle sponsored works and special issue submissions with the same rigor as other submissions.
• In cases of ethical violations, follow the journal's policies and procedures. Provide authors an opportunity to respond to complaints and take necessary actions regardless of the identity of the work’s author.
• Reject manuscripts that do not align with the journal's aims and scope.
Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
• Contribute to editorial decision-making by providing timely and objective reviews and agreeing to review only studies within their area of expertise.
• Perform reviews solely based on the manuscript's content, without bias stemming from religious, political, or financial interests.
• Provide constructive feedback to improve the manuscript's quality, delivering their comments respectfully and professionally.
• Maintain confidentiality, destroy reviewed manuscripts after the review process, and report any potential violations of double-blind peer review to the editor.
• Be aware of potential conflicts of interest (financial, institutional, collaborative, or personal relationships with authors) and inform the editor, withdrawing from the review process if necessary.
Ethical Responsibilities of Publishers
• Publishers must adhere to these ethical principles and guide all stakeholders involved in scientific studies accordingly.
• Publishers are responsible for protecting the ownership and copyright of published works and ensuring their archiving.
• Individuals should not hesitate to contact the publisher if they encounter unethical conduct.
Examples of Actions Violating Scientific Research and Publication Ethics:
• Plagiarism: Presenting others' original ideas, methods, data, or works as one's own without proper attribution.
• Fabrication: Using non-existent or falsified data in scientific research.
• Distortion: Manipulating research records or data, presenting unused tools or materials as if used, or altering results to suit sponsors' interests.
• Duplicate Publication: Presenting the same work in multiple publications as separate studies for academic promotions.
• Salami Slicing: Dividing research results into inappropriate portions to publish multiple articles, undermining the integrity of the research.
• Unfair Authorship: Including individuals who did not actively contribute to the work as authors or excluding those who did, arbitrarily changing the author order, or misusing one's influence to include their name as an author.
• Failure to Disclose Support: Not acknowledging contributions from individuals, institutions, or organizations that supported the research.
• Unauthorized Use of Theses or Studies: Using unpublished or unapproved theses or studies without the owner's consent as sources.
• Violation of Ethical Rules in Human and Animal Studies: Disregarding ethical guidelines, disrespecting patient rights, harming animal welfare or ecological balance, or failing to obtain necessary permissions.
• Misuse of Resources: Using resources, facilities, or equipment allocated for scientific research for other purposes.
• Misrepresentation: Providing false or misleading information regarding scientific research and publications for academic promotions.
PLAGIARISM POLICY
Plagiarism, regardless of intent, is an ethical violation. Submissions that show similarities with other sources without proper citation and are accepted for publication in such a form are not only unethical but also illegal and unacceptable.
The Editorial Board acts in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines when dealing with allegations or suspicions of plagiarism, citation manipulation, or data fabrication related to submitted manuscripts.
COPYRIGHT TRANSFER
Manuscripts submitted to the journal for publication must be original works that have not been previously published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Authors are required to declare that their work has not been partially or fully published on any other platform and is not under review elsewhere. In cases of non-compliance, authors will be held responsible under relevant penalties.
By submitting a manuscript for evaluation, authors agree to transfer the copyright of their work to the journal. This transfer becomes binding upon acceptance of the manuscript for publication. No part of the published material may be used elsewhere without written permission from the publisher.
The journal’s publication processes are conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the European Association of Science Editors (EASE), and the National Information Standards Organization (NISO).
Authors retain specific rights, including:
• Reproducing the work for their purposes, provided it is not sold;
• Using parts or the entirety of the work in their books or other academic publications, provided proper citation is given;
• Making the work available on personal websites or institutional open-access repositories, provided proper bibliographic details are included.
Authors must obtain permission from copyright holders to use previously published content, including images, tables, or other materials, whether in print or electronic format. Authors bear full legal, financial, and criminal responsibility in this regard.
Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal must complete the "Copyright Transfer Form." This form must be signed with a wet signature and submitted to the journal. Initially, a scanned copy of the signed form should be sent via email during submission, followed by a hard copy sent via postal mail.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Situations that provide economic or personal benefits create conflicts of interest. The reliability of the scientific process and published articles is directly related to objectively addressing conflicts of interest during the planning, implementation, writing, evaluation, editing, and publication of scientific work.
Financial relationships are the easiest to identify as conflicts of interest and can inevitably undermine the credibility of the journal, authors, and science. These conflicts may also arise from personal relationships, academic competition, or intellectual biases.
Authors should avoid agreements with sponsors, whether profit-oriented or non-profit, that restrict access to the data of the study or interfere with their ability to analyze, interpret, write, or publish articles.
To prevent conflicts of interest, editors should avoid bringing together individuals with any potential relationships during the evaluation of a manuscript. Editors making the final decision on manuscripts must have no personal, professional, or financial connections with the subject matter of their decisions.
All individuals must inform the Editorial Board of any potential conflicts of interest to ensure that articles are evaluated within ethical guidelines and an independent process is maintained. The Editorial Board works diligently to ensure that the evaluation process is conducted impartially.
References Used in Preparing and Adopting the Policies:
• Budapest Open Access Initiative
• International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
• Creative Commons
• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
• Publication Policies of the Education and Science Journal
• DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, Version 3
• YÖK (Higher Education Council) Directive on Scientific Research and Publication Ethics