Gephyra is an Open Access journal and offers its content directly to open access. The journal aims to contribute to the support and development of science with the Open Access policy. All stakeholders of the journal (authors, readers and researchers, publisher, reviewers and editors) are expected to be aware of the journal's "Open Access and Copyright Policy". After being published online, the journal is also published in print by Phoibos Verlag. Gephyra does not charge any fees for article submission, evaluation, publication or other editorial activities. The journal also does not accept sponsorship and advertising offers.

The publication processes applied in Gephyra journal constitute the basis for the impartial and reputable development and distribution of knowledge, scientific research and approaches. Each process applied in this direction directly reflects on the quality of the work of the authors and the institutions supporting the authors. Peer-reviewed publications are works that embody and support the scientific method. At this point, it is important that all stakeholders comply with the standards for ethical principles. Within the scope of Gephyra's journal publication ethics, all stakeholders are expected to carry the following ethical responsibilities. The editors of Gephyra Journal have prepared the ethical principles based on the "COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors" published as open access by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

A. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Author(s) submitting manuscripts for publication in the journal Gephyra are expected to comply with the following ethical responsibilities as well as the "Author Guidelines" of the journal:

• The work submitted by the author(s) is expected to be original. In case the author(s) benefit from or use other works, they are required to cite and/or quote fully and accurately. Each manuscript submitted to Gephyra is checked within the framework of the "Plagiarism Policy".
• Persons who do not contribute scientifically and intellectually to the content of the work should not be indicated as authors.
• All manuscripts submitted for publication must disclose any conflicts of interest and relationships, if any.
• The author(s) may be asked for raw data on their manuscripts within the framework of the evaluation processes, in such a case, the author(s) should be ready to present the expected data and information to the editorial and scientific boards.
• The author(s) should undertake that they have the rights to use the data in the manuscript, the necessary permissions related to the research/analyses, or have a document showing that the consent of the experimental subjects has been obtained.
• In the event that the author(s) becomes aware of an inaccuracy or error in the published, early view or under review manuscript, the author(s) has/have the obligation to notify the journal editor or publisher and to co-operate with the editor in correcting or withdrawing the manuscript.
• Authors may not submit manuscripts, which they have submitted to Gephyra, to another journal, nor may they submit manuscripts, which are in the submission process in another journal, to Gephyra. Each application can be started after the completion of the previous application. Manuscripts published in another journal cannot be submitted to Gephyra Journal.
• It cannot be proposed to change the author responsibilities (such as adding an author, changing the author order, removing an author) of a submission, whose evaluation process has started.
• Authors should observe the copyrights of items such as tables, images, maps, etc. that they use in their manuscripts and do not belong to them, and should correctly show the necessary attribution or permission.

B. Ethical Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

1. General duties and responsibilities

Editors are responsible for all kinds of articles published in Gephyra. In the context of this responsibility, the editors have the following roles and obligations:

• To endeavour to meet the information needs of readers and authors within the framework of the methods and requirements of the fields addressed by the journal
  
• To ensure the scientific development of the journal by following current developments within the framework of established principles in the field
• To carry out processes to continuously improve the quality of the papers published in the journal and to provide them with the necessary support
• To support the freedom of scientific thought in manuscripts and to ensure that reasons that may be personal or contrary to scientific methodology do not affect the publication of manuscripts
• Not compromising on intellectual property rights and ethical principles while managing all processes
• To take the necessary responsibility by showing openness and transparency when situations requiring correction and explanation occur.

2. Relations with journal users

• in the process of publishing the articles, editors should make decisions by taking into account the expectations of the readers, researchers and practitioners that the journal addresses.
• They should take care that the published works contribute to these expectations and scientific development and have original qualities.
• Editors are obliged to provide explanatory and informative responses by taking into account the feedback about the journal or published articles.

3. Relations with authors

• While evaluating the manuscripts to be published, the editors should decide according to the aims and objectives of the journal by taking into account the scientific quality, methodological approach, original value, current validity, and clarity of the manuscript.
• Submissions should be taken into the preliminary evaluation process, unless they have significant problems, provided that they are in accordance with the aim and scope of the journal.
• Editors should consider the recommendations of the reviewers, who give a favourable decision, unless the submission has a significant ethical or scientific problem.
• Editors should prevent any irregularities that may occur within the framework of the process and rules within the scope of the journal's "Peer Review Policy".
• They should provide explanatory and informative feedback for any technical or scientific problems that authors may experience.

4. Relations with reviewers

• Reviewers should be selected from among experts in the field of the work.
• All information and instructions necessary to evaluate the application should be provided to the reviewers.
• Editors should ensure objective peer review by paying attention to possible conflicts of interest between authors and reviewers.
• Identity and information pertaining to reviewers and author(s) should be kept confidential from one another.
• Reviewers should be encouraged to provide scientific and objective evaluations.
• Discourteous, non-scientific, inadequate or cursory evaluations should be prevented.
• Necessary steps should be taken to ensure that the reviewer pool consists of a wide range of competent scholars.
  

5. Relations with the advisory board

Editors should supervise that all members of the editorial board, from submission to publication, proceed in accordance with the journal's publication policies and guidelines. Editors should inform the members about the publication policies and any updates. Editors should also:

• Ensure that the members of the advisory board evaluate the submissions objectively and fairly.
• Ensure that the members to be included in the advisory board are able to contribute and have appropriate qualifications.
• Send submissions to the advisory board members for evaluation according to their field of expertise.

6. Relations with the journal owner and publisher

The relationship between the editors and the journal owner and publisher proceeds within the framework of editorial independence. Except for legal or technical issues that directly concern the journal owner and publisher, all decisions of the editors are independent from the publisher and journal owner, and the journal owner and publisher do not interfere with these decisions.

7. Editorial and blind review processes

Editors are obliged to implement the "Peer Review Policy" within the framework of journal policies. In this context, they ensure that each submission is evaluated in a fair and impartial manner in a timely manner.

8. Quality assurance

The editors ensure that each paper to be published in the journal is published in accordance with the journal policies and international criteria.

9. Protection of personal data

Editors are obliged to ensure the protection of personal data regarding the subjects or images included in the evaluated applications. Unless the explicit consent of the individuals used in the studies is documented, they will not accept the study. In addition, it is the responsibility of the editors to protect the personal data of authors, reviewers and readers.

10. Ethics committee, human and animal rights

Editors are responsible for ensuring the protection of human and animal rights included in the evaluated submissions. They are responsible for rejecting the submission in the absence of ethics committee approval for the subjects used in the work and permissions for experimental research.

11. Materials used in the work

In the case of the first publication of artefacts recovered during excavations or field surveys or preserved in museums, editors should obtain information about the authors' permission to work on the artefact(s) and whether there is any violation of rights and provide positive or negative notification to the authors accordingly.

12. Precautions against possible abuse and misconduct

Editors are obliged to take precautions against possible misconduct and abuse of office. It is among the responsibilities of the editor to conduct a rigorous and objective investigation in identifying and evaluating complaints about this situation, as well as sharing the findings on the subject.

13. Ensuring the integrity of academic publications

Editors should ensure that errors, inconsistencies or misleading judgements in manuscripts are corrected promptly.

14. Protection of intellectual property rights

Editors are responsible for protecting the intellectual property rights of all published papers and defending the rights of the journal and the author(s) in case of possible violations. In addition, editors are obliged to take the necessary measures to ensure that the contents of all published papers do not violate the intellectual property rights of other publications.

15. Constructivism and openness to discussion

Editors

• Should take into account the persuasive criticisms of the papers published in the journal and show a constructive attitude towards these criticisms.
• Should give the right of reply to the author(s) of the criticised works.
• Should not ignore or exclude works producing negative results.

16. Complaints

Editors are obliged to carefully examine complaints from authors, reviewers or readers and to respond in an enlightening and explanatory manner.

17. Political and commercial considerations

The journal owner, publisher or any other political or commercial motives do not influence the independent judgement of the editors.

18. Conflicts of interest

The editors guarantee the independent and impartial completion of the publication process, taking into account conflicts of interest between the author(s), reviewers and other editors.

C. Authorship of Editors

As epigraphy is a highly specialised and relatively small field, there may be circumstances in which members of the editorial board of Gephyra submit manuscripts to the journal. Such submissions are neither encouraged nor prohibited in principle. In the event of such a submission, all ethical safeguards and the provisions set out below must be fully respected.

• Editorial recusal and independent handling: An editor submitting a manuscript to the journal must be entirely excluded from the editorial handling of that submission. The editor-author shall have no role whatsoever in the selection of reviewers, the peer-review process, editorial correspondence, evaluation, or the final publication decision.
• Assignment to another editor: The submitted manuscript must be assigned to another editor, who shall oversee the entire review and decision-making process independently and in accordance with the journal’s standard editorial procedures.
• Peer review and ethical standards: Manuscripts authored or co-authored by editors are subject to the same double-blind peer-review process and ethical standards as all other submissions. No preferential treatment is permitted at any stage of the evaluation.
• Conflict of interest management: The journal shall ensure that any potential conflicts of interest arising from editor authorship are properly managed, in line with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices. Transparency and impartiality must be maintained throughout the review process.
• Restriction on consecutive authorship: An editor of the journal may not appear as an author or co-author in two consecutive issues. Accordingly, a manuscript authored or co-authored by an editor—having successfully passed the double-blind peer-review process and been deemed suitable for publication in accordance with ethical guidelines—may only be published if the editor was not an author in the immediately preceding issue of the journal.
• Limitation on the total number of editor-authored articles per issue: In any single issue of the journal, the total number of articles in which any member of the editorial board appears as an author or co-author shall not exceed two. This limitation applies regardless of authorship position and is intended to safeguard editorial independence and to prevent any perception of editorial bias.
• Restriction on multiple authorships by the same editor within the same issue: Within a single issue of the journal, an individual editor may not appear as an author or co-author in more than one contribution.

D. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

It is very important for the reviewers to make all evaluations within the framework of the "Peer Review Policy" in terms of objective and independent evaluation of publication quality. The evaluation process of Gephyra is carried out with the principle of double-blind reviewing. Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two reviewers. The journal management provides the communication between the reviewers and the authors, and the evaluations and comments of the reviewers are communicated to the authors through the journal management system. In this context, reviewers evaluating applications for Gephyra are expected to comply with the following ethical responsibilities:

• They should only accept submissions related to their field of expertise for evaluation.
• They should maintain the principle of impartiality and confidentiality while evaluating.
• If they think that they are faced with a conflict of interest during the evaluation process, they should refuse to review the submission and inform the journal editor.
• Due to the principle of confidentiality, they cannot use the applications they have reviewed in any way and must destroy them after the evaluation process. They can only use the final versions of the applications they have reviewed only after publication.
• They should make the evaluation objectively only in relation to the content of the paper. They should not allow nationality, gender, religious beliefs, political thoughts and commercial concerns to influence the evaluation.
• They should make the evaluation in a constructive and courteous manner. They should not make derogatory personal comments containing hostility, slander and insult, in such cases, the editors may cancel the peer-review process.
• They should carry out the submission they accept for evaluation in a timely manner and with the above ethical responsibilities.

E. Ethical Responsibilities of the Publisher

Gephyra Journal Editors, Advisory and Editorial Boards act with the awareness of the following ethical responsibilities:

• Editors are responsible for all processes of the submissions submitted to Gephyra. In this context, editors are the decision-makers, regardless of economic or political gains.
• Publisher is committed to independent editorial judgement.
• Publisher protects the ownership and copyright of each paper published in Gephyra and undertakes the obligation to keep a record of each published copy.
• Publisher has the responsibility to take measures against all kinds of scientific misconduct, fraud and plagiarism related to editors.

F. Corrections, Retractions, and Withdrawals

• Corrections (Errata): If minor errors are identified in a published article that do not affect the overall results, interpretations, or conclusions, the editorial team maypublish a correction notice. The notice will be linked to the original article and will remain permanently accessible.
• Retractions: If serious issues are discovered after publication—such as plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, unethical research practices, or major errors that invalidate the findings—the editors, in consultation with the publisher, reserve the right to retract the article. A retraction notice will clearly state the reasons for the retraction and will remain permanently accessible in place of the original article.
• Withdrawals: In rare cases, an article that has been accepted but not yet formally published may be withdrawn at the request of the authors or by the editors. A withdrawal notice will be issued explaining the reason for removal.
• Responsibilities: Authors are obliged to promptly notify the editors if they discover significant errors in their work. The editors and the publisher bear the responsibility to take appropriate corrective actions to ensure transparency, fairness, and the reliability of the academic record.

G. Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

Gephyra adopts the following policy on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in line with the general principles and best-practice guidelines established by Elsevier. The purpose of this policy is to ensure transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the scholarly record throughout the submission, peer-review, and editorial decision-making processes.

1. Purpose and Scope

This policy defines Gephyra’s expectations for the responsible use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the preparation, review, and editorial evaluation of manuscripts submitted to the journal.

2. Definitions

• Generative AI / AI-Assisted Technologies: Software tools capable of generating or modifying content (such as text, figures, or data), including large language models and similar systems.
• AI Tools: Any system used to assist in drafting, revising, summarising, or enhancing material that contributes to a manuscript.

3. Policy for Authors

Authors may use generative AI tools for limited and specific purposes, such as improving language, grammar, or readability. However, the following principles must be strictly observed:

• Human Oversight and Responsibility: Generative AI tools must not replace human scholarly expertise, interpretation, or critical judgement. Authors remain fully responsible and accountable for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the entire content of their work.
• Disclosure of AI Use: Any use of generative AI tools must be transparently disclosed in the manuscript. The disclosure should specify the tool used, the purpose of its use, and the extent of human oversight.
• Authorship: Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors, as authorship implies responsibility and accountability that can only be assumed by human researchers.
• Accuracy and Verification: Authors must carefully review and verify all AI-generated outputs to ensure they do not contain factual errors, fabricated data, or incorrect or incomplete references.
• Original Scholarly Contribution: The final manuscript must reflect the authors’ own original analysis, interpretation, and conclusions. AI tools must not be used to generate core scientific or scholarly content.
• Data Protection and Confidentiality: Authors are responsible for ensuring that the use of AI tools does not compromise confidentiality, data protection, or intellectual property rights.
• Images and Figures: The use of generative AI tools to create or manipulate images, figures, or graphical material is not permitted, unless such use is an explicit and documented part of the research methodology and is clearly described in the manuscript.

4. Policy for Reviewers

• Confidentiality: Manuscripts under review are confidential documents. Reviewers must not upload any part of a manuscript, review report, or related materials into generative AI tools.
• Use of AI in Peer Review: Reviewers must not use generative AI tools to assist in the scientific or scholarly evaluation of a manuscript.
• Reviewer Accountability: Reviewers remain fully responsible for the content, accuracy, and fairness of their evaluations.

5. Policy for Editors

• Confidentiality: Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts and editorial communications as strictly confidential and must not upload them into generative AI tools.
• Editorial Judgement: Generative AI tools must not be used to support or replace editorial decision-making. Editorial decisions must rely solely on human scholarly judgement.
• Editorial Responsibility: Editors remain fully accountable for all editorial decisions and communications.

6. Compliance and Enforcement

Failure to comply with this policy may result in editorial actions in accordance with the journal’s ethical principles, including rejection, correction, retraction, or other appropriate measures.

7. AI Use within the Editorial Workflow

Gephyra may employ internally managed and licence-protected AI-assisted tools for technical editorial checks (such as plagiarism screening or completeness checks), provided these tools are used under strict human oversight and in compliance with data protection and ethical standards.

If You Encounter an Unethical Situation

If you encounter a violation of the above-mentioned ethical responsibilities, unethical behaviour or content in Gephyra, please report it via e-mail to gephyra.adkam@gmail.com.