Journal of Child and Development (J-CAD) is based on the principles of integrity, transparency, impartiality, and academic ethics in all scholarly publishing processes. All submissions are evaluated through a double-blind peer-review process founded on scientific research methodologies and adherence to ethical standards.
The journal’s ethical guidelines and publication policies are aligned with the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and the “Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing” jointly published by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME. Following these internationally recognized standards ensures honesty, transparency, and academic rigor throughout the editorial process.
Open Access and Ethical Approval
For research involving human participants (surveys, observations, interviews, experiments, etc.), obtaining "Ethics Committee Approval" and stating this information within the manuscript is mandatory. For animal experiments, clinical trials, and research requiring special permits, approval from the relevant institutional bodies must be submitted. Manuscripts found to be in violation of ethical principles may be withdrawn at any stage, and relevant institutions will be notified if necessary.

ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PUBLISHER
J-CAD is published with a non-profit scholarly publishing approach. The publisher ensures academic independence and adheres to ethical principles in all activities.
The publisher acknowledges that the final decision-making authority in the evaluation and publication process rests with the Editor and the Editorial Board.
The publisher supports the free circulation of scientific knowledge by providing immediate, electronic, and free open access to the journal’s content.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF EDITORS AND SECTION EDITORS
The Editor and Editorial Board are responsible for the evaluation, publication, and post-publication processes of submitted works, prioritizing impartiality, scientific merit, and public interest.
The Board continuously works to improve the journal's scientific quality and academic standing by updating publication policies.
Editors ensure that manuscripts are reviewed by experts in the field; the reviewer pool is regularly updated and diversified based on areas of expertise.
Conflict of interest is strictly monitored during reviewer assignments. If a conflict between authors and reviewers is identified, the process is restructured.
Confidentiality of the double-blind review process is maintained; author and reviewer identities are strictly protected.
Editors ensure compliance with ethical guidelines regarding human and animal subjects. Studies lacking the necessary ethics committee approval will not be considered for evaluation.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF REVIEWERS
J-CAD employs a double-blind peer-review system. Reviewers cannot communicate directly with authors; all feedback is transmitted through the editorial system.
Reviewers must only accept manuscripts within their specific area of expertise.
Evaluations must be objective and based solely on scientific quality, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, language, belief, or socio-cultural characteristics of the authors.
Reviewers must decline the invitation and notify the editor if a conflict of interest exists.
Reviews must be conducted using constructive, professional, and academic language; personal or derogatory comments are strictly prohibited.
Reviewers are expected to submit their reports within the designated timeframe.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF AUTHORS
Originality: Submitted works must not have been previously published or be under simultaneous consideration by another journal.

Authorship: Only individuals who have made a significant scientific contribution to the study (design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or intellectual content) should be listed as authors. Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission will not be accepted.
Citations: All sources used must be accurately and ethically cited.
Ethical Documentation: For research articles, ethics committee approval (name of the committee, date, and decision number) must be explicitly stated in the Methods section.
Similarity Report: Authors must document their similarity reports using iThenticate. The acceptable similarity threshold is below 20%.
Data Access: Authors must provide raw data or relevant documentation if requested by the Editorial Board during the evaluation process.
Error Reporting: If an author identifies a significant error in their work at any stage, they must immediately notify the editor to correct or withdraw the manuscript.
COPYRIGHT AND PLAGIARISM
Studies published in JCD are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) International License. This allows others to share and adapt the work for non-commercial purposes, provided appropriate credit is given.
Copyright Transfer: Authors must upload the signed “Copyright Transfer Form” during submission. Submissions without this form will not be processed.
Unethical Behavior: Examples of unacceptable practices include "salami-slicing" (inappropriately dividing a single study into multiple publications), failure to disclose conflicts of interest, and breach of double-blind review confidentiality.
DATA PRIVACY AND CHILD RIGHTS POLICY
J-CAD adheres to human rights, child rights, data privacy, and ethical principles in pediatric research.
Consent: Informed consent from parents or legal guardians is mandatory. Participant safety, voluntariness, and privacy are paramount.
Anonymity: No personal data, photographs, or identifying information of children may be shared. Directly or indirectly identifying information is strictly prohibited in the findings.
Compliance: The journal adopts the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, national Personal Data Protection Laws (KVKK), and international ethical standards. Any breach of child rights will lead to immediate retraction and institutional notification.
POST-PUBLICATION CORRECTIONS, RETRACTIONS, AND APPEALS
Corrections: If an error is identified post-publication, a Corrigendum or Erratum may be issued.
Retractions: Retractions are conducted according to COPE Retraction Guidelines in cases of significant ethical breaches or scientific errors.
Appeals: Authors may appeal editorial decisions in writing with scientific justifications. Appeals are reviewed impartially by the Editorial Board.
Self-Archiving: J-CAD supports open science. Authors may archive the published version of their articles in institutional repositories or personal websites, provided the original journal source is cited.

Prof. Dr. Neriman ARAL
Journal of Child and Development (J-CAD)
Editor-in-Chief
https://dergipark.org.tr/cg