The Journal of Religious Studies adheres to international standards regarding research and publication ethics. The Journal of Religious Studies adopted the International Ethical Publishing Principles published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA).

Duplicate Publication
Duplicate publication is the publication of the same article or substantially similar articles in more than one journal. The editor returns the article unreviewed. After that, the editor may consider no articles by any of the authors for a period of time and may announce publicly in the journal (perhaps as a simultaneous announcement with the editor of the journal that published the earlier article) that the authors have submitted a previously published article, or may do any combination of these actions, at the editor’s discretion.

Simultaneous Submission of Manuscripts
Authors should not send the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. If the editor learns of possible simultaneous submission, the editor reserves the right to consult with the other editor(s) who have received the article. Further, the editor may return the article without review, or may reject it without regard to the reviews, or make this decision in discussion with the other editor(s) involved, and may decide to consider no articles from the author from the authors for a period of time, and may also write to the author's employers, or may do any combination of these actions, at the editor’s discretion.

Publication Check for Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of presenting, either partially or entirely, the ideas, methods, data, practices, writings, figures, or works of others as one's own without giving proper citations to the original sources based on scientific standards.
The Journal of Religious Studies routinely screens article submissions for Plagiarism. The studies submitted for review are checked for plagiarism using Turnitin and Ithenticate. The similarity rate is expected to be less than 20%. When the similarity rate of the article exceeds this threshold, it is either returned to the author or rejected by the Editorial Board. The main measure of similarity is that the author complies with the citation and citation rules. Even though the similarity rate is 1%, if the citation and citation are not duly made, plagiarism may still be in question. In this respect, citation and citation rules should be known and carefully applied by the author.

If plagiarism is detected in our journal, first of all, an official notification is made to the university to which the plagiarizing author is affiliated and cooperation is made to initiate the necessary procedures regarding the violation. If the detected article has been published, the PDF copy will be removed from the journal website, links to the article will be disabled, and the phrase “Plagiarized Article” will be added to the article title. In addition, the account of the author responsible for the violation will be closed on the journal system and this author will be banned from submitting any work to the journal for 4 years.

Forgery and Data Fabrication
Generating data that lacks a foundation in research, altering or revising submitted or published work using fabricated data, reporting or publishing such work, and presenting research that has not been conducted as if it has been completed are considered academic misconduct and breaches of scholarly integrity.
Manipulating research records and acquired data, presenting unused methods, devices, and materials as if they were utilized in the research, disregarding data inconsistent with the research hypothesis, manipulating data and/or results to conform to relevant theories or assumptions, and distorting or shaping research outcomes to align with the interests of supporting individuals and organizations are considered forms of academic misconduct.

Human Participants
The Journal of Religious Studies requires that all research involving personal or sensitive data or material relating to human participants that is not legally available to the public is subject to formal ethical review.

Allegations of Research Misconduct
The Journal of Religious Studies adheres to the Ethics Toolkit for a Successful Editorial Office outlined by COPE. Editors of The Journal of Religious Studies are committed to taking proactive measures to forestall the publication of papers marred by plagiarism, citation manipulation, data tampering, data fabrication, and other forms of research misconduct. Under no circumstances will the journal's editors tolerate such unethical practices. Should the editors become aware of any allegations of research misconduct pertaining to an article published in their journal, they will adhere to COPE's Ethical Principles Flow Chart.

Ethical Violation Notices
When readers notice a significant error or mistake in an article published in The Journal of Religious Studies or have any complaints about editorial content (plagiarism, duplicate articles, etc.), they can email diniarastirmalar98@gmail.com. We welcome any inquiries as it will allow us to improve, and we respond quickly and constructively.

Correction, Retraction, Expression of Concern
The journal editor may consider publishing a correction if minor errors that do not affect the published paper's results, interpretations, and conclusions are detected. The editor may consider retraction if major errors and/or misconduct that invalidate the results and conclusions are identified. An expression of concern may be issued by the editor if there is evidence of research or publication misconduct by the authors if there is evidence indicating that the findings are unreliable, and if the institutions of the authors fail to investigate the matter or if the investigation appears to be unfair or inconclusive. Guidelines provided by COPE are consulted in determining the appropriate course of action regarding corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

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 that involve collecting data 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 ethics committee approvals must have been obtained and clearly stated in the article text.

Editorial Duty of Confidentiality
The editors of the Journal of Religious Studies treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents, which means they will not divulge information about a manuscript to anyone without the authors' permission. During the manuscript review process, the following people may also have access to manuscripts: Editors and editorial staff at the Journal of Religious Studies. The only occasion when details about a manuscript might be passed to a third party without the authors’ permission is if the editor suspects serious research misconduct.

Procedure for Complaints
This procedure applies to complaints regarding content, procedures, or policies that are the responsibility of the Journal of Religious Studies or our editorial staff. Complaints can provide an opportunity and incentive for improvement, and we aim to respond quickly, courteously and constructively.
The complaint must be related to the content, procedures or policies that are the responsibility of the Journal of Religious Studies or our editorial team. Complaints should be emailed directly to diniarastirmalar98@gmail.com and will be treated confidentially. The editor responds to complaints immediately. The editor follows the procedure outlined in the COPE flowchart regarding complaints.
Complaints are reviewed by the relevant member of the editorial team and if they cannot be resolved, the following processes are followed:
• If this initial response is deemed inadequate, the complainant may request that their complaint be referred to a more senior member of the journal.
• If the complainant is dissatisfied, complaints can be forwarded to the editor-in-chief.
• A full response will be given within two weeks if possible.
COPE publishes a code of practice for editors of scientific journals. This will facilitate the resolution of disputes with editors, journals and publishers, but can only be submitted after the journal's own complaints procedures have been exhausted.

Appeal Process
Peer review by editors and external reviewers is usually based on a mix of evidence and opinion, and some decisions to reject may be close calls. We welcome serious appeals. If you believe that we have rejected your article wrongly, perhaps because we have misunderstood its scientific content, please submit an appeal (rebuttal) letter to our editorial team at diniarastirmalar98@gmail.com. Do not try to submit a revised version of your article at this stage. If we agree that your appeal is warranted, we may invite you to submit a revised version of your article. Then, we can go through our peer review process again. Lastly, we can consider only one appeal per manuscript, so please spend as much time and effort on writing the appeal letter as you think necessary to put the case clearly - you have one chance, so use it well. We have found that prolonged negotiation over rejected papers are usually unsatisfactory for both authors and editors, so we no longer engage in this.

Conflicts of Interest
Conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest may be influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain or personal rivalry). We believe that, to make the best decision on how to deal with an article, we should know about any competing interests that authors may have, and that if we publish the article readers should know about them too.
Conflict of Interest is any financial or other interest that may conflict with one's work, significantly impair objectivity, or provide an unfair advantage to any person or organization. All authors must disclose in their writing any financial and personal relationships with individuals or organizations that may be seen to improperly influence their work. All financial support resources and the role of sponsors in the study should be explained during the conduct of the research and the preparation of the article. If there is no source of funding, this should also be stated. Examples of potential conflicts of interest that need to be disclosed include consultations, hiring, grants. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed at the earliest possible stage.
The Journal of Religious Studies has a declared process for handling submissions from the editors, employees or members of the editorial board to ensure unbiased review. Such manuscripts are primarily directed to other journals. If this is not possible, the author's role in the journal will be temporarily terminated. These submissions are reviewed through a double-blind process.
The editor must not be involved in decisions about papers which s/he has written him/herself or have been written by family members. Further, any such submission must be subject to all of the journal’s usual procedures. The editor shall apply the COPE guidelines relating to the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest by authors and reviewers.

Research Ethics
The Journal of Religious Studies adheres to the highest standards in research ethics and follows the principles of international research ethics as defined below. The authors are responsible for the compliance of the manuscripts with the ethical rules.
• Principles of integrity, quality, and transparency should be sustained in designing the research, reviewing the design, and conducting the research.
• The research team and participants should be fully informed about the aim, methods, possible uses and requirements of the research, and risks of participation in research.
• The confidentiality of the information provided by the research participants and the confidentiality of the respondents should be ensured. The research should be designed to protect the autonomy and dignity of the participants.
• Research participants should participate in the research voluntarily, not under any coercion.
• Any possible harm to participants must be avoided. The research should be planned so that the participants are not at risk.
• The independence of research must be clear; any conflict of interest or must be disclosed.
• If the study is to be carried out in any institution or organization, approval must be obtained from this institution or organization.

STAKEHOLDERS' DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Publisher's Duties and Responsibilities
• Ensuring that publishing activities are conducted in accordance with national and international ethical, academic and legal standards.
• Protecting editorial independence and refraining from interfering in publishing decisions.
• Providing the necessary technical and administrative infrastructure for the sustainability of the publishing process.
• To ensure that publication policies are published in a transparent and accessible manner.
• To cooperate with the editorial board in investigating and resolving allegations of ethical violations.
• To ensure the accuracy and currency of information relating to the journal.
• To ensure that personal data is protected and that privacy principles are adhered to.
• To use appropriate archiving systems to ensure the long-term accessibility of published content.

Duties and Responsibilities of Editors
• To maintain the scientific quality, publication integrity and ethical standards of the journal.
• To make publication decisions based on the originality, scientific contribution, methodological adequacy and the aims and scope of the journal.
• To conduct a fair, impartial, and transparent evaluation process for all submissions.
• To pay attention to field expertise, independence, and the absence of conflicts of interest in the selection of referees.
• To meticulously implement the double-blind peer review process and ensure the confidentiality of the process.
• To evaluate submissions within reasonable timeframes and take necessary measures to prevent delays in the process.
• Not to grant privileges to any author, institution, country, belief or opinion.
• To determine the number and order of publication of works decided to be published within the framework of editorial planning.
• To carry out the necessary correction, retraction or notification processes for errors or ethical issues that arise after publication.

Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers
• Evaluate submitted works in accordance with the principles of impartiality, confidentiality, and scientific ethics.
• Treat works under review as confidential documents until publication and refrain from sharing them with third parties.
• Adhere to double-blind peer review principles and refrain from attempting to identify the author(s).
• To base the evaluation solely on the scientific quality, originality, and methodological adequacy of the work.
• To report to the journal management any conflicts of interest or situations where they are unable to evaluate.
• To prepare referee reports in a clear, reasoned, constructive, and academic language.
• To complete evaluations within the timeframes specified by the journal.
• Report any ethical violations, suspected plagiarism, or scientific misconduct identified during the review to the editorial board.
• Refrain from making coercive demands that authors cite specific sources.
• Refrain from using information and findings obtained during the review process for personal or academic gain.

Authors' Duties and Responsibilities
• Submissions to the journal must be original; they must not have been previously published or be under review by another journal.
• All authors listed in the article must have made a scientific and intellectual contribution to the work.
• The author order must be determined by mutual agreement among all authors, and no authors should be added, removed, or reordered after submission.
• Authors are deemed to have accepted that the data presented in the article is accurate, reliable, and compliant with ethical standards at the time of submission.
• The authors are responsible for the usage rights of the data, documents, tables, figures, and images used in the study.
• Any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could constitute a conflict of interest must be declared by the authors.
• If the study was prepared as part of a project, thesis, or scientific activity, this should be clearly stated in the article.
• Authors are responsible for ensuring that the sources used in the article are complete, accurate, and presented in accordance with scientific ethical rules.
• Manuscripts submitted to the journal are subject to the peer review and editorial evaluation process determined by the journal.
• Revisions requested based on referee reports must be completed in full by the authors within the specified time frame.
• Authors agree to respond to referee and editor comments in a scientific and constructive manner.
• Withdrawal of an article during the editorial process is only possible with a valid and justified request.
• The copyright and licensing terms of accepted works are regulated within the framework of the journal's publication policy.
• Authors are responsible for the content of published articles; the journal and editors cannot be held responsible for the views expressed in the articles.
• Authors are deemed to have accepted the journal's publication principles, ethical rules, and writing rules.
• Any errors or ethical issues that may arise after publication may be subject to correction, retraction, or notification processes deemed necessary by the journal.

PUBLICATION POLICIES

A) Article Evaluation Process
* In the manuscripts to be submitted; it is required to be an original article that will fill a gap in the field or a review that evaluates previously published studies and puts forward new and remarkable views on this subject.
* Our journal uses a double blind review system in which the identities of referees and authors are kept confidential to each other. For this reason, the names of the referees are not published. Authors and reviewers should endeavor to keep their identities confidential. For this purpose, authors, editors and referees who submit files to the system should pay attention to the following points regarding the text and files. Authors should delete their names and institutions in the text. Including side texts such as page footnotes etc. When storing Microsoft documents, personal information is also written in the file information. For this reason, either this personal information should be found and deleted from the document properties, or the document should be re-saved in a way that does not contain personal information.
* A special plagiarism detection program scans all submitted manuscripts to prevent plagiarism. The studies submitted for review are checked for plagiarism using Turnitin & Ithenticate software. The similarity rate is expected to be less than 20%. When the similarity rate exceeds this limit, the article is either returned to the author or rejected by the Editorial Board.
* The Editorial Board first examines the manuscripts submitted to the journal in terms of publication principles and the scope of the journal, scientific content and form.
* A Field Editor is appointed by the Editor for the works that pass the preliminary review. The Field Editor sends the work to at least 2 referees who are experts in their fields and independent from our journal for evaluation.
* Authors make the necessary edits in their articles in line with the suggestions from the referees and upload the updated version to the system again. The updates are first reviewed by the field editor and then submitted to the reviewers for evaluation.
* In order for the work to be accepted to the journal, it must receive a positive evaluation from 2 referees. If necessary, a 3rd referee may be asked to contribute to the evaluation process.
* The publication process of the accepted work takes an average of 3-4 months from the date of receipt of the work.
* Click here for detailed information about the article evaluation process.

B) Open Access Policy
Articles published in our journal are published as open access under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. Click here for detailed information.

C) Copyright Policy
Copyright of the authors on the works published in our journal is reserved. Click here for detailed information.

D) Archive Policy
Articles published in our journal are digitally archived in LOCKSS. Click here for detailed information.

E) Fee Policy
The publication of articles in the journal and the execution of article processes are not subject to any fee. No processing fee or submission fee is charged for articles submitted to the journal or accepted for publication. Click here for detailed information.

F) Special Issue Publication Policy
In accordance with the decision of the Editorial Board, our journal may publish a special issue once a year. All articles included in the special issue are subject to the same editorial and peer review processes applied to other issues of our journal.

1- Women Special Issue
Our journal's ‘Women Special Issue’ was made available to our readers on 24 November 2016. This issue was published under the editorship of Special Issue Editor Prof. Dr. Yıldız KIZILABDULLAH. Click here to access our special issue.

2- Religious Education: Prof. Dr. Beyza Bilgin Special Issue
Our journal's ‘Religious Education: Prof. Dr. Beyza Bilgin Special Issue’ was made available to our readers on 18 November 2020. This issue was published under the editorship of Special Issue Editor Prof. Dr. Cemal TOSUN. Click here to access our special issue.

G) Artificial Intelligence Usage Policy
The use of artificial intelligence tools is permitted in stages that do not directly affect the originality of the work, such as literature review, language checking, or similar tasks, in studies submitted to our journal. However, this use must be carried out in accordance with ethical principles. The use of artificial intelligence for unethical practices such as generating fabricated data, manipulating information, or similar activities is strictly unacceptable.
For studies that utilise artificial intelligence, it is mandatory to clearly state this during the article submission process. All responsibility regarding the use of artificial intelligence lies entirely with the authors.