DEU Law Journal is committed to upholding the highest academic and ethical standards in accordance with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The journal adheres to these international guidelines to ensure the quality, integrity, and continuity of its peer-reviewed publications.

As specified in the Copyright Transfer Form, authors certify:

a) That the submitted article is the original work of the author(s) and does not involve plagiarism;
b) That all listed authors have individually participated in the preparation of the article and accept full responsibility for it;
c) That all authors have reviewed and approved the final submitted version of the article;
d) That the article has not been previously published nor submitted elsewhere for publication;
e) That the article’s text, figures, and documents do not infringe upon the copyrights held by other individuals;
f) That articles may be reproduced and disseminated with appropriate citation, without charge, and solely for non-commercial purposes.

Responsibilities of the Authors
Submitted manuscripts shall be the original work of the author(s).
All authors listed in the article shall bear equal responsibility for the submitted and published work.
Submitted manuscripts shall not have been previously published, nor shall they be under consideration for publication elsewhere, either in the original language of the article or in any other language.
Any potential conflicts of interest shall be clearly disclosed by the author(s).
Plagiarism and other violations of research and publication ethics shall be strictly avoided.
Copyright regulations shall be observed with respect to all intellectual and artistic works used in the manuscript.
All submissions shall include a statement confirming that Research and Publication Ethics have been followed.

Ethics Committee Approval
DEU Law Journal requires that studies conducted in any scientific field that necessitate ethics committee approval must be supported by an official ethics committee decision. Accordingly, authors must clearly state the date and approval number of the ethics committee decision on either the first or last page of the manuscript.
In accordance with the directives by ULAKBİM TRDizin, manuscripts lacking necessary ethics committee approval will not be considered for evaluation by the journal.
The following types of research are subject to ethics committee approval requirements:
• All qualitative or quantitative studies involving data collection from participants through methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, or experiments,
• Studies involving the use of humans or animals (including materials or data) for experimental or other scientific purposes,
• Clinical research conducted on human subjects,
• Scientific research involving animals,
• Retrospective studies conducted within the scope of the Personal Data Protection Law.
For such studies to be eligible for review and publication, the relevant ethics committee approval must be obtained prior to submission and explicitly stated within the article text.

Plagiarism and other Ethical Violations
Authors are obliged to adhere to the standards of research and publication ethics.
All submissions are screened multiple times for similarity using plagiarism detection software during the peer review and/or production stages. When referring to previous works, authors must ensure that all source material is accurately and properly cited. Copying text, tables, or figures from any source (including journal articles, books, theses, or electronic media) and presenting them as one’s own work - even when a citation is provided- constitutes plagiarism. Merely listing a source in the References section does not exempt authors from responsibility for plagiarism.
The following actions are considered serious breaches of academic and research ethics and are strictly prohibited within the scope of DEU Law Journal’s publication policy:
a) Plagiarism: Presenting the ideas, methods, data, applications, writings, figures, or works of others, in whole or in part, as one’s own, without proper acknowledgment in accordance with academic citation standards.
b) Forgery: Fabricating data that are not based on actual research; editing, altering, or presenting work derived from false or fabricated data as genuine; reporting or publishing such data; or presenting a study as if it were conducted when no such research took place.
c) Falsification: Manipulating or distorting research records or data; falsifying methods, instruments, or materials that were not used; excluding data inconsistent with the research hypothesis; manipulating results to align with a specific theory or with the interests of individuals or funding institutions; or reshaping outcomes to mislead.
ç) Republishing (Duplicate Publication): Presenting multiple works that contain the same research results as separate publications, particularly in the context of academic promotion or evaluation.
d) Slicing (“Salami Publication”): Fragmenting the results of a single study into several separate publications in a way that undermines the integrity of the research, without proper cross-referencing between them, especially for the purpose of increasing publication count.
e) Unfair Authorship:
Including individuals who did not actively contribute among the listed authors; excluding individuals who made significant contributions; unjustifiably changing author order; removing contributors’ names during or after publication; or exerting influence to be listed as an author without having made an active contribution.
f) Other Forms of Ethical Misconduct:
Failure to disclose the contributions or funding provided by supporting individuals, institutions, or organizations; failure to comply with ethical standards in research involving humans or animals; failure to respect patient rights in publications; sharing confidential information from a manuscript under review; misuse of research resources, facilities, or equipment; and making unfounded or malicious allegations of ethical violations.

Responsibilities of the Referees
All manuscripts must be evaluated fairly and impartially, based solely on their scholarly content, without regard to the author’s gender, ethnicity, race, religion, nationality, or political views.
If the subject matter of a manuscript falls outside the referee’s field of expertise or if the referee is unable to complete the review within the requested timeframe, the Editor should be notified immediately, and the review invitation should be declined.
Referees must maintain the confidentiality of the peer review process. Information regarding the manuscript under review or any aspect of the review and decision process must not be disclosed to third parties.
Reviews should be conducted in an objective, constructive, and respectful manner. Personal criticism of the author and hostile or provocative language should be avoided.
If a conflict of interest arises at any stage of the review process, the referee must promptly inform the Editor.
Any information, data, or ideas obtained through the review process must be treated as confidential and must not be used for personal gain or research advantage.
If the referee becomes aware of any ethical concerns, plagiarism, or substantial issues that could affect the publication decision, these should be reported to the Editor immediately.
For further guidance, referees are encouraged to consult the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers.
Editor’s Responsibilities
The Editor shall have full responsibility and authority for making publication decisions regarding submitted manuscripts, including acceptance or rejection.
All manuscripts shall be evaluated fairly and impartially, based solely on their scholarly merit and relevance to the journal’s scope, without regard to the author’s gender, ethnicity, race, religion, nationality, or political affiliation.
The Editor shall ensure that no conflicts of interest influence editorial decisions and shall disclose any potential conflicts when they arise.
Only original, high-quality manuscripts that make a meaningful contribution to the academic field shall be accepted for publication.
Each submitted manuscript shall be reviewed by at least two independent refereesunder the double-blind peer review system, and the identities of both authors and referees shall remain confidential.
All information concerning submitted manuscripts, including their content, reviewers, and correspondence, shall be treated as strictly confidential and shall not be shared beyond those directly involved in the editorial process.
Manuscripts that are incomplete, inaccurate, or inconsistent with the journal’s publication policies or ethical standards shall be rejected without external influence.
The Editorial Board and Editors of DEU Law Journal are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all manuscripts submitted to the journal, except in cases of suspected plagiarism or concurrent submission to multiple publications. Manuscripts that are not accepted for publication shall remain confidential, and no information about them shall be disclosed to anyone other than their authors. The journal’s editorial bodies are also responsible for ensuring that such manuscripts are not used for any purpose other than the editorial evaluation process.

PUBLICATION POLICY
Similarity Policy
During submission, authors are required to screen their manuscripts through one of the accepted programs (such as iThenticate, Turnitin, or İntihal.Net). The Editorial Board can at anytime screen the manuscript through these programs at anytime.

Additionally, the following sentence must be added to the first footnote of each article: "The author certifies that this article complies with the scientific ethical principles established by this Journal."

The following principles apply in assessing similarity reports:
(a) The overall similarity index must be 15% or below. Manuscripts exceeding 20% overall similarity are returned to the author(s) without entering the peer-review process.
(b) If the similarity rate falls between 15% and 20% due to bibliographic information, headers, or footers, authors may be requested to resubmit the text after these sections are excluded from the analysis to ensure compliance with the 15% threshold. For legal research articles based on legislative materials or statutory analysis, the maximum overall similarity rate is 15%, with a 2% limit per individual source.
(c) The similarity to any single source within the overall report must not exceed 2%.
(d) Bibliographic materials (such as references, quotations, and citation lists) are excluded from the similarity calculation.
(e) The Editor retains the right to perform additional similarity checks at any stage of the editorial or publication process.
(f) Submission of a manuscript implies that all authors accept and agree to comply with the above rules.

Peer Review and Evaluation Process

All submissions to DEU Law Journal shall first undergo a preliminary review by the Managing Editors. Manuscripts that do not pass this initial evaluation shall be rejected at this stage.
Rejection at this stage may occur for various reasons, including but not limited to: the manuscript being outside the scope of the journal; non-compliance with the journal’s publication ethics or editorial principles; failure to adhere to the journal’s author guidelines; insufficient academic quality for publication; or the journal having received more submissions than can be reasonably evaluated within a given period.
For manuscripts that pass the initial editorial screening, a Field Editor shall be assigned to conduct a detailed evaluation. At this stage, a submission may still be rejected, for reasons including but not limited to: the manuscript being outside the journal’s scope; non-compliance with the journal’s publication ethics or editorial principles; failure to conform to the journal’s author guidelines; or insufficient quality for referral to peer review.
Manuscripts that successfully pass the Assistant Editor’s evaluation shall proceed to the peer review stage, where they are sent to two referees who are experts in the relevant field. The selection of referees shall be made in consultation with the Editors and the Editorial Board.
DEU Law Journal employs a double-blind peer review system to ensure the impartial and rigorous evaluation of all submissions. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent reviewers -all of whom hold a doctoral degree in the relevant field- along with the field editors and members of the Editorial Board.
If one reviewer recommends acceptance while the other recommends rejection, the Editorial Commission reviews both reports and may decide either to appoint a third referee or to return the manuscript to the author(s). For publication, a minimum of two positive reviewer reports is required.
Manuscripts submitted to the journal must be prepared in accordance with the author guidelines, must not have been previously published elsewhere, and must not be under review by another journal at the time of submission.
If one reviewer recommends acceptance while the other recommends rejection, the Editorial Commission reviews both reports and may decide either to appoint a third referee or to return the manuscript to the author(s). For publication, a minimum of two positive reviewer reports is required.
Manuscripts submitted to the journal must be prepared in accordance with the author guidelines, must not have been previously published elsewhere, and must not be under review by another journal at the time of submission.
The responsibility for the scientific content and language quality of published articles rests solely with the author(s). Neither Dokuz Eylül University, nor the Faculty of Law, nor the Editorial Board can be held liable for any views expressed in the published articles. Material published in the journal may be cited or quoted, provided that proper reference is given to DEU Law Journal.
The journal operates through the DergiPark online platform, which provides free editorial and technical infrastructure. The evaluation process proceeds according to the steps outlined below
1. The manuscript is submitted by the corresponding author via the DergiPark system.
2. The Chief Editor is assigned to the manuscript within the system.
3. The Chief Editor determines whether the submission will enter the review process. If unsuitable, proceed to Step 4; if suitable, proceed to Step 5.
4. The manuscript is returned to the author with a rejection or revision decision from the Chief Editor.
5. A Field Editor is assigned.
6. The Field Editor conducts a preliminary evaluation of the manuscript’s scientific and formal quality. If unsuitable, proceed to Step 7; if suitable, proceed to Step 9.
7. If the manuscript is found unsuitable, the Field Editor submits a rejection or revision recommendation to the Chief Editor.
8. The Chief Editor returns the manuscript to the author based on the Field Editor’s decision.
9. The Field Editor proposes at least two independent referees for the peer review.
10. The Chief Editor appoints the referees, considering the Field Editor’s recommendations. If replacement is needed, the Chief Editor may assign new referees.
11. Upon completion of the review process:
 •If the decision is Rejection, proceed to Step 12.
 •If Revision is requested, proceed to Step 13.
 •If Acceptance is recommended, proceed to Step 14.
12. The rejection decision and its rationale are communicated to the author, and the manuscript is returned.
13. A revision decision is communicated to the author by the Chief Editor. After the revised manuscript is uploaded, the process resumes from Step 11.
14. A Language Editor is assigned. If language corrections are required, proceed to Step 15; if approved, proceed to Step 16.
15. The manuscript is returned to the author for language corrections. After revisions are uploaded, proceed to Step 14.
16. A Layout Editor is assigned. If layout corrections are required, proceed to Step 17; if approved, proceed to Step 18.
17. The manuscript is returned to the author for layout corrections. After revisions are uploaded, proceed to Step 16.
18. The manuscript is assigned to the upcoming issue for publication.

Indexing and Archiving Policy
DEU Law Journal, which adheres to an open access policy, is indexed in the databases listed at https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/deulj/indexes.
The journal is published exclusively in digital format, and all copies are hosted on the DergiPark platform. In addition, electronic copies are also shared within the indexing databases specified at the link above to ensure long-term accessibility and preservation.

Conflict of Interest Policy
Authors
In accordance with its publication policy, DEU Law Journal requires that only individuals who have made a genuine scholarly contribution to the submitted work be listed as authors. The author(s) must declare that there are no personal or financial conflicts of interest related to the study.
This declaration must be completed prior to publication using the form available under the “Documents” menu on the journal’s website and uploaded in PDF format with the signature of the author(s).
Reviewers
If reviewers suspect a potential conflict of interest while evaluating a manuscript, they must notify the Editorial Office immediately and, if necessary, withdraw from the review process.
To prevent conflicts of interest, individuals affiliated with the same institution as the author(s) are not permitted to act as reviewers for that manuscript.
Editors
Editors must not have any personal or financial conflicts of interest regarding the manuscripts under consideration.

Submissions by the Editors

DEU Law Journal allows its editors to submit manuscripts to the journal, with high regard to impartiality and transparency, in order to prevent any real or perceived conflict of interest.
In such cases, the editorial process shall be conducted in accordance with the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Editors.
An editor who submits an article to an issue of the journal shall not act as editor for that submission. The manuscript shall be assigned to another editor from the outset, who shall independently manage all stages of the process. The submitting editor shall not intervene at any stage, including referee selection or editorial decision-making.
Other members of the Editorial or Advisory Boards who submit a manuscript to the journal shall likewise be excluded from all stages of the editorial and review process related to their submission.
To ensure transparency and adherence to ethical standards, a note describing the editorial handling process and the conflict of interest declaration shall be included on the final page of the published article.

Article Retraction and Correction Policy
In accordance with its publication policies, DEU Law Journal outlines below the respective duties and responsibilities of authors and the Editorial Board concerning the withdrawal of manuscripts and corrections to published content.

A. Responsibilities of the Authors
A.1. Author Responsibilities in the Article Withdrawal Process
If the author(s) identify an error or inaccuracy in a manuscript that has been submitted, is under review, in early view, or already published, they are obliged to cooperate with the Editor in the withdrawal process.
Authors who wish to withdraw their manuscript during submission or review must complete the Article Withdrawal Form, sign it with the signature of each author, scan it, and send it via email to deulj@deu.edu.tr.
The Editor and Editorial Board will process the request in accordance with the procedures set out in Section B.2. Editorial Responsibilities Regarding Author Withdrawal Requests.
A.2. Author Responsibilities in Article Correction Requests
If the author(s) identify an error or inaccuracy in a published article, they are required to cooperate with the Editor in the correction process.
Authors requesting a correction must complete the Correction Request Form (available here), sign it with the wet signature of each author, scan it, and submit it via email to ije@deu.edu.tr.
The Editor and Editorial Board will handle such requests according to the procedures detailed in Section B.3. Editorial Responsibilities Regarding Author Correction Requests.
B. Responsibilities of the Editor and Editorial Board
B.1. Responsibilities Concerning Copyright and Ethical Violations
The Editor and Editorial Board of DEU Law Journal are responsible for initiating an investigation when potential violations of the journal’s publication and research ethic policy are identified. This obligation applies to all manuscripts whether under review, in early view, or published.
If plagiarism or copyright infringement is detected during the review process, the manuscript is withdrawn from evaluation, and the authors are informed in writing, including detailed references to the identified sources.
If a copyright or plagiarism violation is found in a published or early view article, the Editorial Board must, within 15 days, complete the following retraction and notification procedures:
1. The article title on the journal’s website is prefixed with “Retracted:”.
2. The abstract and full text are replaced with a retraction statement outlining the reasons for retraction, detailed evidence, and, where applicable, institutional statements from the authors’ affiliated organizations.
3. A retraction notice is published on the journal’s homepage.
4. From the date of retraction, the first issue published thereafter includes the retracted work in its Table of Contents under the heading “Retracted: [Article Title]”, and the retraction statement is published on the first page, including referenced sources and justification.
5. The retraction notice is sent to the authors’ affiliated institutions.
6. The same notice is forwarded to indexing databases and the National Library of Türkiye for catalog and index updates.
Additionally, the Editorial Board may inform the publishers or editorial boards of other journals in which the same author(s) have published previous works, recommending a review or retraction to ensure the reliability of the academic record.
B.2. Editorial Responsibilities Regarding Author Withdrawal Requests
B.2.1. Withdrawal Before Publication
The Editorial Board reviews author withdrawal requests submitted in accordance with Section A.1 and provides a written response within 15 days.
If the copyright for a manuscript has already been transferred to DEU Law Journal during submission, the author(s) may not submit the same work to another journal unless the withdrawal request has been formally approved by the Editorial Board.
B.2.2. Withdrawal After Publication
Upon receiving a withdrawal request concerning a published article, the Editorial Board initiates an assessment in accordance with Section A.1. If the reasons provided are found to be justified, the retraction process is carried out according to the following steps:
1. The title of the article in the electronic archive is prefixed with “Retracted:”.
2. The abstract and full text are replaced with a statement detailing the reasons for withdrawal and, if applicable, institutional statements from the authors’ affiliated bodies.
3. A retraction notice is posted on the journal’s homepage.
4. The next published issue includes the entry “Retracted: [Article Title]” in its Table of Contents, accompanied by a detailed retraction explanation on the first page.
5. Retraction notices are sent to indexing databases and to the National Library of Türkiye for inclusion in catalog systems.
6. The authors’ affiliated institutions are notified of the retraction.
During the assessment process, the Editorial Board may also seek expert opinion when necessary.
B.3. Editorial Responsibilities Regarding Author Correction Requests
The online version of a published article is considered the final and complete version. Although it is technically possible to make changes, DEU Law Journal permits corrections only in limited cases, such as when a significant scientific error is identified or when an issue may affect the reputation of the author(s) or the journal.
If the Editorial Board deems the correction request justified, the revised article is published in the next issue of the journal under a separate section titled “Corrected Articles.”

Pricing Policy
DEU Law Journal is an open-access journal. All articles are made freely available online immediately upon publication. The journal does not impose any access restrictions, ensuring that its content can be read, downloaded, and cited without charge. There are no submission, evaluation, or publication fees for manuscripts submitted to the journal. DEU Law Journal follows a fully open-access model to facilitate the dissemination of legal scholarship without financial barriers for authors or readers.