ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
The ethical principles and publication policy of our journal have been prepared in accordance with the guidelines and policies published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

Actions Contrary to Scientific Research and Publication Ethics
• Plagiarism: Presenting the original ideas, methods, data or works of others as one's own, in whole or in part, without proper scientific attribution.
• Fabrication: Using data that does not actually exist or has been falsified in scientific research.
• Distortion: Altering research records or obtained data, presenting equipment or materials not used in the research as if they had been used, altering or shaping research results in line with the interests of the individuals and organisations providing support,
• Duplicate publication: Presenting duplicate publications as separate publications for academic appointment and promotion,
• Salami slicing: Dividing the results of a research study into parts in an inappropriate manner that compromises the integrity of the research and publishing them as multiple publications, presenting these publications as separate publications for academic appointments and promotions,
• Unfair authorship: Including individuals who have not made an active contribution among the authors or excluding those who have, changing the author order in an unjustified and inappropriate manner, removing the names of those who have made an active contribution from subsequent editions, or including one's name among the authors by using one's influence despite not having made an active contribution,

Other types of ethical violations include:
a) Failing to acknowledge the individuals, institutions, or organisations that provided support for research resulting in publications,
b) Using theses or studies that have not yet been submitted or defended as sources without the permission of the owner,
c) Failing to comply with ethical rules in research involving humans and animals, failing to respect patient rights in publications,
c) Acting contrary to the provisions of relevant legislation in biomedical research involving humans and other clinical research,
d) Sharing information contained in a work assigned for review with others prior to publication without the express permission of the author,
e) Using resources, premises, facilities and equipment provided or allocated for scientific research for purposes other than those intended,
f) Making unfounded, unwarranted, and deliberate allegations of ethical violations,
g) Publishing data obtained without the explicit consent of participants in surveys and attitude studies conducted as part of scientific work, or without the additional consent of the institution if the research is to be conducted at an institution,
h) Harming animal health and ecological balance in research and experiments,
ı) Failing to obtain the necessary written permissions from the competent authorities before commencing research and experiments.
i) Conducting research and experiments that violate the relevant provisions of legislation or international agreements to which Turkey is a party.
j) Failure by researchers and officials to comply with the obligation to inform and warn relevant parties about potentially harmful practices related to scientific research,
k) In scientific studies, failing to use data and information obtained from other persons and institutions to the extent and in the manner permitted, failing to respect the confidentiality of this information and failing to ensure its protection.
l) Making false or misleading statements regarding scientific research and publications in academic appointments and promotions.

Principles of Research Ethics and Scientific Responsibility
• Scientific integrity, impartiality, reliability, and transparency must be the guiding principles in the planning, conduct, reporting, and publication of research. Researchers must avoid misleading, incomplete, or manipulative practices during data generation, analysis, and interpretation; they must document all processes in a manner that allows for verification when necessary.
• Individuals participating in the research and the research team must be informed in a clear and understandable manner regarding the study’s purpose, method, scope, duration, data collection tools, and the intended uses of the data obtained. Sufficient explanations must be provided for all questions participants may have regarding the research, and the informed consent process must be carried out in its entirety.
• Personal data and sensitive information obtained from participants must be protected in accordance with the principle of confidentiality. During the processes of storing, processing, and sharing data, actions must comply with national and international data protection regulations; the principles of anonymity and privacy must be upheld. Any information that could lead to the disclosure of participants’ identities must be securely protected.
• Participation in research must be entirely voluntary. No pressure, coercion, threats, or material or emotional coercive elements should be imposed on participants. Participants must be clearly informed that they may withdraw from the study at any time without providing a reason.
• All necessary measures must be taken to ensure that individuals do not suffer physical, psychological, social, cultural, or economic harm during the research process. Potential risks must be assessed in advance, and strategies to mitigate harm must be developed. Studies involving children, individuals with disabilities, the elderly, or groups with limited decision-making capacity require additional ethical sensitivity; where necessary, consent from a legal representative must be obtained.
• Researchers must maintain their scientific independence and transparently disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence the study’s results. Financial support, sponsorship relationships, institutional affiliations, and project funding must be clearly disclosed. Research results must not be altered to serve the interests of any individual, institution, or organization.
• Conduct must adhere to the principles of scientific publication ethics; ethical violations such as plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, salami slicing, and unfair authorship must be avoided. Citations must be made in accordance with academic standards, and all scientific contributions used must be properly referenced.
• Research results must be evaluated with the public interest in mind. Incomplete or misleading statements that could lead to the misinterpretation of scientific knowledge or the misrepresentation of the public must be avoided. Researchers must act with a sense of academic responsibility in scientific communication processes.
• In research utilizing artificial intelligence, digital analysis tools, or automated data processing systems, the role of these technologies within the scope of the study must be clearly stated; data security, accuracy, and ethical usage principles must be taken into account.

Responsibilities of Stakeholders

Responsibilities of Publishers
• To act in accordance with impartiality, transparency and ethical principles throughout all stages of the publication process.
• Not to interfere with the independent decision-making processes of editors.
• To clearly present the journal's publication policy, open access conditions, copyright and ethical principles on its website.
• Conduct necessary investigations into publication ethics violations (plagiarism, etc.) and proceed according to COPE guidelines.
• Ensure confidentiality in the peer review process.
• Ensure the digital archiving and long-term accessibility of articles.

Responsibilities of Editors
• Make publication decisions based on scientific merit, originality, and referee opinions.
• Keep the identities of referees and authors confidential from each other.
• Refer articles to at least two independent referees with subject expertise.
• Not participating in the evaluation of articles where the editor or editorial board has a conflict of interest.
• Taking immediate action in cases of correction, retraction, or ethical violations.
• Evaluating authors' appeals through a fair process.
• Being responsible for the implementation and updating of the journal's ethical policies.
• Conducting the timing, communication, and decision-making processes of the publication process in a transparent manner.

Authors' Responsibilities
• Declare that the submitted work is original, scientific, and complies with ethical principles.
• Commit that the article has not been previously published and is not simultaneously submitted to another journal.
• Ensure that all authors have made a meaningful contribution to the article and have given their approval.
• Cite all sources used appropriately.
• Clearly state any funding, conflicts of interest, or support information.
• Respond to referee or editor feedback on a scientific basis.
• Verify or provide access to data when required.
• Immediately notify the editor of any errors discovered after publication.

Referees' Responsibilities
• Strictly adhere to the principle of confidentiality during the review process.
• Complete the review objectively, constructively, and in a timely manner.
• Inform the editor if there is a personal or institutional conflict of interest.
• Evaluate the scientific content, methodological accuracy, and appropriateness of citations.
• Inform the editor if ethical violations (plagiarism, etc.) are detected in the article.
• Focus on scientific quality without being influenced by factors such as language, country, or author identity.

Ethics Committee Approval
Our journal requires that all studies in scientific fields requiring ethics committee approval have obtained the relevant ethics committee decision. In this context, information regarding ethics committee approval (committee name, date, and decision number) must be clearly stated in the article text.
In line with the regulations implemented by Ulakbim TR Index since 2020, studies without ethics committee approval are not considered for publication in our journal.

Studies Requiring Ethics Committee Approval
Studies requiring ethics committee approval in our journal include the following:
• All research conducted using qualitative or quantitative approaches involving data collection from participants through methods such as surveys, interviews, focus group studies, observation, and interview techniques,
• Retrospective studies within the framework of the Personal Data Protection Law.
For such studies to be considered for evaluation, the relevant ethical committee approvals must have been obtained and clearly stated in the article text.

Plagiarism Check
Articles submitted to our journal for publication are scanned using the Turnitin programme to confirm that they have not been previously published and do not contain plagiarism. If plagiarism is detected in an article submitted to or published in our journal, our journal acts in accordance with COPE principles (Plagiarism in a submitted manuscript - Plagiarism in a published article).

Use of Artificial Intelligence
The use of artificial intelligence in studies submitted to our journal is acceptable in processes that do not affect the originality of the article, such as literature review or language control. However, the use of artificial intelligence must be carried out within the framework of ethical rules and must not be used for unethical purposes such as fabricated data or manipulation.
For studies involving the use of artificial intelligence, it is mandatory to inform our journal of this situation during the article submission stage. All responsibility regarding the use of artificial intelligence lies with the authors themselves.

Privacy Statement
All personal data submitted to our journal is protected. Data belonging to authors, referees, and other individuals is not shared with third parties or institutions.

Correction, Retraction, Expression of Concern
Editors may consider publishing a correction if minor errors are found in a published article that do not affect the findings, interpretations, or conclusions. Editors should consider retracting an article when major errors/violations invalidate the findings and conclusions. COPE guidelines are taken into account regarding corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

Protection of Intellectual Property Rights
Our journal is responsible for protecting the intellectual property rights of all published articles and defending the rights of the journal and the author(s) in the event of possible infringements.

Conflicts of Interest
Our journal ensures that the publication process is completed independently and impartially, taking into account conflicts of interest between authors, reviewers, and other editors.

Complaints and Appeals to Our Journal
You may email any complaints or appeals regarding content, procedures, or policies under the responsibility of our journal or its editorial board members to bider@gmail.com. Complaints and appeals submitted to our journal are carefully reviewed and evaluated in accordance with COPE principles.