Balkan Health Science Journal

Balkan Health Science Journal, published by Trakya University Faculty of Health Sciences, is an international peer-reviewed scientific journal based on open access, independent and unbiased double-blind peer-review principles, aiming at the free circulation and distribution of information. It has been published as an electronic journal twice a year, in April and October, starting from 2022. It continues to be published three times a year as of 2023. The publication language of the journal is Turkish and English. The journal includes studies in the field of health sciences (such as nursing, nutrition, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, audiology, health management, occupational therapy, midwifery, medicine and other health sciences). The journal is open access and there is no fee for article submission, article processing and publication. Issues published on the journal's website can be accessed free of charge.

The journal accepts submissions in the form of original research articles , clinical studies, reviews, case reports, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and letters to editor. The required forms for all articles are available on the journal website.

1. General Guidelines
• Manuscripts may be submitted in either Turkish or English.
• Text must be prepared in Microsoft Word using Times New Roman font, 11-point size, with 1.5 line spacing.
• Page margins should be set to 2.5 cm on the top, bottom, left, and right.
• Paragraphs must be justified, with a first-line indentation of 1.25 cm.
• All pages should be numbered consecutively in the bottom-right corner.
• The manuscript title should be in 12-point size, written in bold, with each word capitalized (except conjunctions and prepositions).
• Author information, institutional affiliation, and supporting institution/company should be anonymized within the manuscript by using “XXX.” These details must be fully disclosed on the Title Page.
• The manuscript file should include the following sections in order: Turkish title, abstract, and keywords; English title, abstract, and keywords; manuscript text; references; tables; and figure legends (if any) at the end.
• Submission of the Copyright Transfer Form during the manuscript submission process is mandatory. Link: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/journal-file/35298 
• Submission of the Ethical Declaration Form is mandatory at the time of manuscript submission (Can be uploaded as Conflict of Interest Declaration file). Link: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/journal-file/35300 

• Submission of a plagiarism report/similarity report obtained from Turnitin or iThenticate is also mandatory at the time of manuscript submission.
• The similarity index must not exceed 20%. Similarity analysis must exclude tables, figures, and references.
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2. Article Types and Word Limits
• Manuscripts must be written in clear, precise, and grammatically correct language. For Turkish submissions, the Turkish Language Association Dictionary http://www.tdk.org.tr and the medical terminology dictionaries of relevant Turkish Medical Societies should be used as references.
• Abbreviations must be spelled out in full at first mention, followed immediately by the abbreviation in parentheses.
• The journal accepts the following types of manuscripts:
2.1. Original Research / Clinical Research / Systematic Review / Meta-analysis
• Maximum 5,000 words (excluding abstract, tables, figures, and references).
• Abstract: 200–250 words, structured (Objective, Materials and Methods, Results, Conclusion).
• Tables/Figures: Maximum 5.
• References: Up to 35.
2.2. Review
• Maximum 5,000 words.
• Abstract: 200–250 words, unstructured.
• Tables/Figures: Maximum 4.
• References: Up to 40.
2.3. Case Report
• Maximum 2,500 words.
• Abstract: 100–150 words.
• May include up to 3 tables/figures.
• References: Up to 20.
• Written patient consent must be explicitly stated.
2.4. Letter to the Editor
• Maximum 800 words.
• No abstract required.
• No tables or figures allowed.
• References: Up to 5.
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3. Manuscript Structure and Headings
All manuscript types must follow the structure outlined below:
3.1. Title Page
• Submission of the Title Page is mandatory during the submission process.
• Link: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/journal-file/35302  
3.2. Abstract and Keywords
• Both Turkish and English abstracts must be provided along with the manuscript title.
• Abbreviations must not be used in abstracts.
• Three to five keywords (compatible with MeSH/Index Medicus) should be included.
• Keywords must be written in lowercase, separated by commas.
• Turkish keywords should be listed alphabetically, while English keywords should follow the order of the Turkish keywords.
3.3. Main Text (Headings in 12-point, bold font)
• Original Research Article:
o Introduction
o Materials and Methods
o Results
o Discussion
o Limitations
o Conclusion
o References
• Review:
o Introduction
o Subheadings (appropriate to the subject)
o Conclusion
o References
• Case Report:
o Introduction
o Case Description
o Discussion
o Conclusion
o References
• Letter to the Editor:
o Main Text (single section)
o References
3.4. Tables and Figures
• Tables must not contain vertical lines and should be prepared using Microsoft Word’s table function.
• Decimal points should be indicated with a dot (e.g., 10.45).
• Figures, images, tables, and graphs must not be embedded within the main text. Tables should be included within the manuscript file, one table per page.
• Table and figure titles must be written as complete sentences with only the first word capitalized (e.g., Table 1. Demographic characteristics of participants).
• Each figure, graph, or photograph must be submitted separately as a high-resolution image file (minimum 600 dpi, JPEG format).
• Figure legends must be included at the end of the manuscript file.
• The location of tables and figures must be indicated in the text (e.g., “(Table 1)” at the end of a sentence).
• Tables should be numbered, with titles placed above; figure titles should be placed below.
• If previously published figures, images, tables, or graphs are used, written permission must be obtained, and this should be acknowledged in the legends.
• Patient/participant identity must be anonymized.
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3.5. References

• References and in-text citations must conform to APA 7th edition style.
• For further details, consult the APA 7 reference style guide. Link: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/journal-file/35304 
• The reference list must start on a new page.
• Use 10-point font size, hanging indent (1.25 cm), and single line spacing.
• Apply the “Remove space after paragraph” option for the entire reference list.
• References must be arranged in alphabetical order.
• Use “&” for English works, and “ve” for Turkish works.
• References must be formatted according to APA 7th Edition.
• For Turkish works, provide the English translation of the title in square brackets immediately after the original title.
• Unpublished sources or those without retrievable page numbers (e.g., thesis, conference, symposium, meeting etc. documents) must not be used.
👉 For detailed information: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/journal-file/35304 

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In-text Citations
• Single author: (Kılıç, 2025)
• Two authors: In Turkish articles (Kılıç ve Yılmaz, 2025); in English articles (Kılıç & Yılmaz, 2025)
• Three or more authors: In Turkish articles (Kılıç vd., 2025); in English articles (Kılıç et al., 2025)
• Authors with the same surname: (S. Kılıç, 2025; A. Kılıç, 2025)
• Multiple works by the same author in the same year: (Kılıç, 2025a), (Kılıç, 2025b)
• Institutional authorship: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2019), and in subsequent citations (WHO, 2019)
👉 For detailed information: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations 
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Reference Examples
Journal Article (Turkish)
Kılıç, S., Sendesen, E., & Türkyılmaz, M. D. (2019). Bilateral işitme cihazı kullanımının erken dönemde yaşam kalitesine etkileri [The effect of bilateral hearing aid use on quality of life in the early period]. Turkish Journal of Audiology and Hearing Research, 2(3), 5–8. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/tjaudiologyandhear/issue/64120/970755
Journal Article (English)
Kılıç, S., Yiğit, Ö., & Türkyılmaz, M. D. (2022). Listening effort in hearing aid users: Is it related to hearing aid use and satisfaction? Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 33(6), 316–323. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1865-3449
Journal Article (In press – Turkish)
Kılıç, S., Sendesen, E., & Türkyılmaz, M. D. (in press). Bilateral işitme cihazı kullanımının erken dönemde yaşam kalitesine etkileri [The effect of bilateral hearing aid use on quality of life in the early period]. Turkish Journal of Audiology and Hearing Research.
👉 Note: “in press” replaces the year, so the year is not included in parentheses.
If a DOI exists, it must be added at the end (e.g., https://doi.org/xxxx).
If the journal has an English title, it must be written in English.
Journal Article (In press – English)
Kılıç, S., Yiğit, Ö., & Türkyılmaz, M. D. (in press). Listening effort in hearing aid users: Is it related to hearing aid use and satisfaction? Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1865-3449
Book (Turkish)
İnce, A. (2020). Psikolojiye giriş [Introduction to psychology]. Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
Book (English)
Field, A. (2017). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). Sage.
Edited Book (Turkish)
Şahin, S. (Ed.). (2018). Öğrenme güçlükleri [Learning difficulties]. Hedef CS Basın Yayın.
Edited Book (English)
Harris, K. R., Graham, S., & Urdan, T. (Eds.). (2012). APA educational psychology handbook (Vols. 1–3). American Psychological Association.
Translated Book (Turkish)
Freud, S. (2016). Psikanalize giriş dersleri (A. Arı, Çev.) [Introductory lectures on psychoanalysis] (Original work published 1917). İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları.
Translated Book (English)
Piaget, J. (2001). The psychology of intelligence (M. Piercy & D. E. Berlyne, Trans.) (Original work published 1947). Routledge.
Official Publication
Ministry of National Education. (2011). Örnek grup rehberliği etkinlikleri [Sample group mentoring activities] (Publication No. 4581). http://www.meb.gov.tr/orn.pdf
Online Source (Turkish)
Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health. (2024). Türkiye sağlık istatistikleri yıllığı [Turkey health statistics yearbook]. Accessed September 25, 2025, from https://sbsgm.saglik.gov.tr/istatistikler
Online Source (English – static content with DOI or stable link, no retrieval date needed)
World Health Organization. (2019). International classification of diseases. https://icd.who.int/browse10/2019/en
Online Source (English – continuously updated, retrieval date required)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). COVID-19 data tracker. Retrieved September 25, 2025, from https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker

ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF AUTHORS
Author(s) submitting articles to the journal are expected to adhere to the following ethical responsibilities:
• Submission of the Ethical Declaration Form is mandatory at the time of manuscript submission. Link: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/journal-file/35300 
• Submission of the Copyright Transfer Form is mandatory at the time of manuscript submission. Link: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/journal-file/35298 
• For all studies involving human participants, approval from an appropriate ethics committee must be obtained and submitted during the manuscript submission process.
• Written informed consent is required for all case reports.
• All research must be conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
• For animal studies, approval from an animal ethics committee is required.
• Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF REFEREES
Referees who submit articles to the journal are expected to comply with the following ethical responsibilities:
- Referees should not contact authors directly.
- They must make their evaluations impartially and confidentially.
- If he/she thinks that he/she is faced with a conflict of interest during the evaluation process, he/she should not accept to review the study and should inform the journal editor.
- Must complete the evaluation objectively and use constructive and courteous language.
- If they deem necessary, they should exchange opinions with the editor during the evaluation process.
ETHICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EDITORS
Editors who submit articles to the journal are expected to comply with the following ethical responsibilities:
— Must make efforts to meet the information needs of readers and writers.
— The author should carefully examine feedback from referees or readers and respond in an enlightening and explanatory manner.
— Must contribute to the development of the journal and carry out processes to improve the quality of the studies.
— Journal processes must be completed fairly, impartially and on time, in accordance with ethical principles.
—Must be ensure that the submitted manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process.
— Editor and editorial board members can also send articles to the journal and publish in the journal.

The journal uses the DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) Open Access Journals Guide (https://doaj.org/apply/transparency/). Transparency principles are taken as reference in scientific publishing. Although the publication language of the journal is Turkish, articles in English with Turkish abstracts can also be included in the journal.
Balkan Journal of Health Sciences attaches importance to ethical rules in terms of protecting the rights of both the journal and the authors. The provisions of the "Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive" (https://www.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Kurumsal/mevzuat/bilimsel-arastirma-ve etikyonetmeligi.aspx), relevant legislation and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) ) takes into account the ethical rules and responsibilities published by https://publicationethics.org/
Article submission and evaluations by Scientific Advisory Board Members are carried out electronically. Manuscripts sent to the journal are first examined by the first reading/language editor team in terms of the journal's basic rules. Articles that do not comply with the basic rules of the journal may be rejected by the editorship or revision may be requested. Manuscripts that are determined to comply with the basic rules of the journal are first evaluated by the journal editorship and sent to the field editor. After being reviewed by the field editor, it is sent to at least two members of the Scientific Advisory Board (double-blind peer review) and these members are asked to give their opinions within 4 weeks about whether it is suitable for publication.
In order for the article to be published, at least two referees must express positive opinions. If one of the two referees expresses a negative opinion, the Journal Publications Commission may review the referee reports and decide to appoint a third referee for the article or to return the article to the author. Referees evaluate articles in areas such as scientific quality and contribution to national/international science and practice. After review by the referee, the article is sent to the journal editor with a recommendation regarding rejection, revision or acceptance of the article.
The Field editors makes a decision in line with the referee recommendations, which will be notified to the author. The article is sent back to the author along with the referee reports. Authors revise the article in line with the recommendations given by the referees and upload all revisions to the system as a response letter to the referee. The final revised version of the articles that pass this review is re-evaluated by the journal editorship and field editors, and the issue in which they will be published is decided.  The changes are marked by the authors/s using yellow color. An acceptance letter is sent to the relevant author and the article is placed in the printing queue. 
After the article is sent to the journal for publication, none of the authors can be deleted from the author list, no name can be added as an author and the author order cannot be changed.
The evaluation process for the article takes approximately 3 months.
Process for Retraction of an Article
Link: https://confluence.ulakbim.gov.tr/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=187301946&preview=/187301946/187301950/Geri%20C%CC%A7ekme%20I%CC%87s%CC%A7leyis%CC%A7i.png 

There is no fee for article submission or processing of processes.

Other Indexes

	Türkiye Atıf Dizini
	TürkMedLine