ALKAD Writing Rules and Page Layout
General Guidelines
Articles submitted to the Journal of German Language and Culture Research must follow the rules of APA Style (7th Edition). For more details, consult the APA 7 writing and referencing guide.
Manuscripts uploaded to the article submission system must begin with abstracts in both the language of the article and English. Each abstract should consist of 150-200 words, summarizing the study’s purpose, scope, methodology, and findings.
Below each abstract, include 3-5 keywords. The first line of the abstract should be aligned to the left (no indentation).
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Page Layout
• Paper Size: A4 Portrait
• Margins:
o Top: 2.5 cm
o Bottom: 2.5 cm
o Left: 2.5 cm
o Right: 2.5 cm
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Text Formatting
• Font: Calibri
• Font Style: Normal
• Font Size:
o Main Text: 11 pt
o Abstract: 9 pt
o Footnotes: 9 pt
• Paragraph Spacing:
o Before: 6 pt
o After: 0 pt
• Paragraph Indentation:
o The first line of each paragraph should be indented by 0.5 inches from the left margin. Use the TAB key or the automatic paragraph formatting feature of the word processor (default setting is 0.5 inches). Do not use the space bar for indentation.
• Line Spacing: Single (1)
Note: Necessary adjustments have been made in the writing template. If you change the settings, ensure that you reapply the above formatting.
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Headings
• Section Labels: Section labels (e.g., "Abstract," "References") should be centered and bold. The first letter of all words in headings should be capitalized. Headings should not be numbered.
• Heading Levels:
o Level 1: Centered, Bold
o Level 2: Left-Aligned, Bold
o Level 3: Left-Aligned, Bold, Italic
o Level 4: Indented, Bold, Ends with a Period
o Level 5: Indented, Bold, Italic, Ends with a Period
Note: Limit headings to a maximum of four levels.
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Tables and Figures
• Tables:
o The table number should be in plain text, bold, and placed above the table.
o The table title, written in italics with title case, should appear below the table number on a separate line.
o Do not add a period at the end of the table number.
o Tables should not include vertical lines, and horizontal lines should be minimized.
o Column headers must be included in every table.
o Column headers should be centered, and the first letter of each word in the headers should be capitalized.
• Figures:
o Figure numbers should be in plain text, bold, and placed above the figure.
o The figure title, written in italics with title case, should appear below the figure number.
o Additional explanations, if needed, should be included as notes below the figure.
Formatting:
• Tables and figures should use single line spacing.
• If necessary, the font size in tables may be reduced to 8 pt.
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Citations
Single Author
• Parenthetical: ……. (Koçak, 2018).
• Narrative: Koçak (2018) …….
Two Authors
• Parenthetical: ……. (Leung & Spurgeon, 2009).
• Narrative: Leung and Spurgeon (2009) …….
Three or More Authors
• Parenthetical: ……. (Alrawashdeh et al., 2021).
• Narrative: Alrawashdeh et al. (2021) …….
Groups with Abbreviations
• First Citation: ……. (World Health Organization [WHO], 2020).
• Subsequent Citations: ……. (WHO, 2020).
Groups without Abbreviations
• Parenthetical: ……. (Gazi University, 2020).
• Narrative: Gazi University (2020) …….
Note: For works with three or more authors, citations should be abbreviated using "et al." starting from the first mention, in line with APA 7.
Multiple Sources in One Citation
• List sources alphabetically and separate them with a semicolon, e.g., (Author A, 2020; Author B, 2019).
Unknown Publication Dates
• Use "n.d." (no date), e.g., (Author, n.d.).
Anonymous Works
• Use "Anonymous" for references and in-text citations, e.g., (Anonymous, 2017).
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Quotations
Short Quotations (Less Than 40 Words)
• Enclose short quotations in quotation marks and integrate them into your text. Do not add ellipses unless the original source includes them.
Example:
It can be challenging to define effective teams because "high performance in one area does not guarantee high performance in another" (Ervin et al., 2018, p. 470).
Long Quotations (40 Words or More)
• Start long quotations on a new line, indented 0.5 inches (1.25 cm) from the left margin. If the quotation includes a second paragraph, indent the first line by another 0.5 inches. Do not enclose block quotes in quotation marks.
Example:
The results indicated that students perform better when...
(Author, Year, p. X).
Secondary Sources
• If the primary author and year are known: (Rabbitt, 1982, as cited in Lyon et al., 2014)
• If the primary year is unknown: Allport's diary (as cited in Nicholson, 2003)
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References
• Use a hanging indent of 0.5 inches.
• The reference list should start on a new page at the end of the main text.
• Sort entries alphabetically by the first author’s surname.
• Works by the same author should be arranged chronologically.
• For works published in the same year, use a, b, c after the year (e.g., 2020a, 2020b).
Examples:
• Books:
Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2003). Qualitative research methods in social sciences. Seçkin Publishing.
• Book Chapters:
Aktay, S. (2015). Technology-supported science teaching. In Ş. S. Anagün & N. Duban (Eds.), Science teaching (pp. 425-454). Anı Publishing.
• Articles:
Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117-140. https://doi.org/10.3109/16066359.2014.981810
• Websites:
Aktay, S. (2010, July 10). How does the internet work? Internet Nedir. https://www.internetnedir.net/internet-nasil-calisir.html
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Appendices
• Labels and titles for appendices should be centered and bold.
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Changes Introduced in APA 7
1. Full DOI links must be provided.
2. Up to 20 authors can be listed in the reference list.
3. Retrieval dates must be included for online sources (if applicable).
4. Hyperlinks must be active for online sources.
5. Figure captions should be placed above figures.
6. The publisher’s location is no longer required.
7. For works with three or more authors, use "et al." for all in-text citations.
8. DOIs should be formatted as URLs (e.g., https://doi.org/...).
9. Do not add retrieval dates unless necessary.
10. Include website names if different from the author.

1. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE JOURNAL OWNER
Editorial Independence
The Journal of German Language and Culture Research is committed to ensuring the independence of editorial decisions without influence from any individuals or commercial partners.

Intellectual Property and Copyright
The Journal of German Language and Culture Research protects the ownership and copyright of articles published in the journal and ensures the record of every published version.

2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF EDITORS AND THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Fair Assessment
Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts based on their academic merit (significance, originality, validity, and clarity) and their relevance to the journal’s scope, regardless of the author’s race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, nationality, religious belief, political philosophy, or institutional affiliation.

Decision Authority
Editors hold full responsibility and authority to accept or reject an article. They have complete control over the journal’s editorial content and the timing of its publication. Editors must reject incomplete or erroneous research that does not meet journal policy and publishing standards without any external influence.

Confidentiality
Editors ensure that manuscripts reviewed by at least two reviewers are evaluated under a double-blind peer-review system, maintaining the confidentiality of reviewers.

Publication Decisions
Editors ensure that all manuscripts, except news, translations, and book reviews, are evaluated for publication and reviewed by at least two experts in the relevant field. Editors are responsible for deciding which manuscripts will be published based on their significance to researchers and readers, reviewers’ comments, and legal requirements.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Editors of the Journal of German Language and Culture Research do not permit any conflicts of interest between authors, reviewers, and editors. Unpublished material in a submitted manuscript should not be used by anyone without the explicit written consent of the author.

Impartiality
All submitted manuscripts are evaluated without bias.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES OF REVIEWERS
Evaluation Criteria
Reviewers assess manuscripts regardless of the authors’ origin, gender, sexual orientation, or political philosophy. They also ensure a fair peer-review process for manuscripts submitted to the journal.

Support for Editors
Reviewers assist editors in decision-making and help authors improve their manuscripts.

Timeliness
Reviewers who feel unqualified to assess the research reported in a manuscript or know that a prompt review will be impossible should immediately notify the editor and excuse themselves from the review process.

Confidentiality
All information related to submitted manuscripts is kept confidential. Reviewers must not discuss manuscripts with anyone other than those authorized by the editor.

Impartiality
Reviewers must always provide an unbiased assessment and clearly express their opinions with appropriate supporting evidence.

Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by an appropriate citation. Reviewers must also inform editors of any substantial similarity or overlap between the submitted manuscript and other known works. Reviewers may deepen their analysis by using similarity-checking software.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Invited reviewers should decline to review manuscripts if conflicts of interest arise from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with authors, companies, or institutions. Unpublished material disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in a reviewer’s own research without explicit written consent from the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must remain confidential and not be used for personal advantage, including for reviewers who decline the invitation to review.

4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF AUTHORS
Reporting Standards
Manuscripts submitted to the journal must be original, and authors must ensure that their work has not been previously published elsewhere. Research data should be clearly presented, and the manuscript should include sufficient detail and references to allow others to replicate the study.

Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must confirm that their works are entirely original and that any use of others’ works and/or statements is properly cited. Significant publications that influenced the nature of the reported work should also be referenced. Plagiarism, in any form—whether copying substantial parts of another’s work or presenting someone else’s results—is considered unethical and unacceptable.

Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Violations
Unethical actions include:
a) Plagiarism: Presenting others’ ideas, methods, data, applications, writings, figures, or works as one’s own without appropriate attribution.
b) Fabrication: Creating false data or presenting fabricated data.
c) Falsification: Manipulating research data or methods to fit certain theories, altering findings, or distorting results for personal or institutional benefit.
d) Duplicate Publication: Submitting the same research results as separate works for academic evaluations or other purposes.
e) Salami Slicing: Fragmenting a study into smaller sections and publishing them as separate works.
f) Unjustified Authorship: Excluding contributors or including non-contributors as authors.
g) Other Violations: Misusing research facilities or resources, violating patient rights, or making baseless accusations of ethical misconduct.

Plagiarism Policy
All submissions are screened for plagiarism using the iThenticate software. Authors, reviewers, and editors must adhere to international publishing ethics and the journal’s guidelines.

Duplicate or Concurrent Submissions
Authors must not submit the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously. Doing so is unethical and unacceptable. Secondary publication may be allowed under specific conditions, provided the original reference is acknowledged.

DISCLAIMER
The editors and editorial board are not responsible for the opinions expressed in articles or the content of published manuscripts. The responsibility for originality, readability, and any errors lies solely with the authors. All submissions to the Journal of German Language and Culture Research are subjected to double-blind reviews for originality, ethical considerations, and significant contributions. Reviewers’ decisions are final and binding.