The Bitlis Eren University Journal of Social Sciences adopts the highest ethical standards to support the development of an impartial and reputable scientific literature. In its publication processes, our journal is based on the "Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors" determined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the TR Dizin journal evaluation criteria.

1. PUBLICATION POLICY
Open Access and Free Publication: No fees are charged to authors or readers at any stage of the process of article submission, evaluation, publication, or access to articles.

Evaluation System (Double-Blind Peer Review): All works submitted to our journal are evaluated using the "Double-Blind Peer Review" method. The identities of the authors and reviewers are kept mutually confidential throughout the process.

Publication Frequency: Our journal is published regularly twice a year, in June and December.

Our magazine does not accept advertisements from any organization.

2. PLAGIARISM CHECK POLICY
Articles submitted to our journal must have a similarity rate of less than 20% in a search excluding the bibliography.

Even if the similarity rate is below this limit, the similarity rate from a single source must not exceed 5%. Articles that do not meet these conditions will be rejected or returned to the author for correction.

3. ETHICS COMMITTEE APPROVAL POLICY

Ethics Committee Approval is mandatory for all research (qualitative or quantitative) that requires data collection using survey, interview, focus group study, observation, experiment, and discussion techniques.

Separate Ethics Committee Approval must be obtained for clinical and experimental studies on humans and animals that require an ethics committee decision.

Information regarding the obtained approval (committee name, date, and number) must be clearly stated in the "Methods" section and the declarations section at the end of the article.

For studies that do not require ethical committee approval, a statement such as "This study does not require ethical committee approval" should be included at the end of the article.

4. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF STAKEHOLDERS
     A. Editor's Responsibilities:

The editor objectively evaluates articles based solely on scientific content and the scope of the journal, regardless of the authors' race, gender, religious beliefs, ethnicity, citizenship, or political philosophy.

The editor carefully selects reviewers to be assigned to articles, taking into account their area of ​​expertise and ensuring there are no conflicts of interest.

The editor ensures that the peer review process is conducted in a timely, fair, and confidential manner.

    B. Reviewers' Responsibilities:

Reviewers should only accept to evaluate articles that fall within their area of ​​expertise and where they can maintain the confidentiality of the blind peer review process.

Reviews should be objective, academic, and constructive; personal criticism should be avoided.

Reviewers should immediately inform the editor and withdraw from the process if they become aware of any conflict of interest related to the article they are evaluating.

    C. Authors' Responsibilities:

Originality: Authors must declare that the submitted work is entirely original, has not been previously published elsewhere, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Scientific Accuracy: Fabrication, falsification, or unfair use of data is strictly prohibited.

Authorship Rights: Individuals who have not directly contributed scientifically and in terms of content to the work should not be included as authors (gift authorship is unacceptable).

Conflict of Interest and Funding: Authors must clearly declare the institutions supporting the research (including project numbers, if any) and any potential conflicts of interest at the end of the article.

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.