ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

The ethical principles and publication policy of our journal have been prepared in accordance with the guidelines and policies published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Guidelines (Guidelines).

Actions Contrary to Scientific Research and Publication Ethics
a) Plagiarism: Presenting the ideas, methods, data, applications, writings, figures, or works of others as one's own, either partially or entirely, without properly citing the original authors in accordance with scientific rules,
b) Fabrication: Producing data that is not based on research, arranging or altering a presented or published work based on false data, reporting or publishing such data, presenting research that has not been conducted as if it had been conducted,
c) Distortion: Tampering with research records and obtained data, presenting methods, devices, and materials not used in the research as if they had been used, excluding data that does not fit the research hypothesis from evaluation, manipulating data and/or results to fit relevant theories or assumptions, distorting or shaping research results in line with the interests of the persons and organisations providing support,
ç) Duplicate publication: Presenting multiple works containing the same results of a research as separate works in associate professorship examination evaluations and academic promotions,
d) Salami slicing: Presenting the results of a study as separate works in associate professorship examination evaluations and academic promotions by dividing them into parts in an inappropriate manner that disrupts the integrity of the study and publishing them in numerous publications without cross-referencing each other,
e) Unfair authorship: Including individuals who have not made an active contribution among the authors, not including individuals who have made an active contribution among the authors, changing the order of authors without justification and in an inappropriate manner, removing the names of those who have made an active contribution from the work during publication or in subsequent editions, 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-based publications,
b) Using theses or studies that have not yet been submitted or defended as sources without the owner's permission,
c) Sharing information contained in a work assigned for review with others prior to publication without the express permission of the author,
ç) Using resources, premises, facilities, and equipment provided or allocated for scientific research for purposes other than those intended,
d) Making unfounded, inappropriate, and deliberate allegations of ethical violations,
e) Publishing data obtained without the explicit consent of participants in surveys and attitude studies conducted as part of scientific work, or without the additional permission of the institution if the research is to be conducted at an institution,
f) Failure to comply with the obligation to inform and warn those concerned about possible harmful practices related to scientific research conducted by researchers and officials,
g) In scientific studies, failing to use data and information obtained from other persons and institutions to the extent and in the manner authorised, failing to respect the confidentiality of this information and failing to ensure its protection,
h) Making false or misleading statements regarding scientific research and publications in academic appointments and promotions,

Principles of Research Ethics
• In the stages of designing research processes, establishing the methodological framework, conducting ethical evaluations, and carrying out research activities, scientific integrity, a holistic approach, quality, and transparency must serve as the foundation. All stages of the research must be systematically documented and made available for review when necessary.
• The research team and individuals participating in the study must be informed in a clear, understandable, and comprehensive manner about the research’s purpose, scope, methodology, data collection techniques, analysis processes, and the intended uses of the findings. Participants must be clearly informed about the responsibilities, potential risks, and expected contributions associated with participating in the research.
• The confidentiality of all data obtained from participants must be protected; necessary technical and administrative measures must be taken to prevent the disclosure of identifying information. The principles of anonymity and privacy must be upheld, and data processing procedures must comply with applicable data protection legislation. The research design must be structured to safeguard individuals’ autonomy, human dignity, and fundamental rights.
• Participation in research must be entirely voluntary; participants must not be subjected to any form of pressure, coercion, or expectation of benefit. It must be clearly stated that participants have the right to withdraw from the study at any stage without facing any penalties or adverse consequences.
• All necessary measures must be taken to ensure that participants do not suffer physical, psychological, social, or economic harm during the research process. In this context, a risk assessment must be conducted in advance, and the research must be planned to minimize potential harm. In particular, when children, individuals with disabilities, or those with limited decision-making capacity are involved, consent must be obtained from legal guardians, and approval from the relevant ethics committees must be secured.
• Researchers are obligated to maintain their scientific independence. Any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the study design, data analysis, or results must be disclosed in a clear and transparent manner. Additionally, financial support, sponsorships, and institutional relationships related to the research must be clearly stated.
• If the research is conducted within a public institution, private organization, or university, the necessary official permissions must be obtained from the relevant institutions; where deemed necessary, the process must be conducted within this framework after obtaining ethics committee approval.

Ethics Committee Approval
For all research conducted in all scientific disciplines requiring ethics committee approval, an ethics committee decision must have been obtained, and information regarding the decision must be stated in the article text. Our journal does not consider studies that do not have an ethics committee decision. In studies requiring ethics committee approval, information about the approval (committee name, date, and number) must be included in the article text. In accordance with the decisions taken by Ulakbim TR Index, Ethics Committee Approval is required for studies to be published from 2020 onwards.

Research Requiring Ethics Committee Approval
In our journal, research requiring ethics committee approval includes the following studies:
• All research conducted using qualitative or quantitative approaches involving data collection 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 these approvals must be clearly stated in the article text.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Our journal adheres to the principles of transparency, accountability, and academic integrity regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automated content generation tools in scientific publication processes. In this context, the following rules regarding the use of artificial intelligence in submissions to the journal apply:
Artificial intelligence tools may only be used in a supportive capacity. These tools cannot be used in a manner that replaces the human researcher in the design, data generation, analysis, or interpretation of the research.
AI systems cannot be listed as authors. Authorship belongs solely to the individuals who have made an intellectual contribution to the work. Ethical, scientific, and legal responsibility for the entire content of the work rests with the authors. Necessary checks must be conducted to ensure that text generated by AI does not contain plagiarism, misinformation, or misleading content.
If authors have utilized artificial intelligence tools in their work, they are required to disclose this fact in a clear and transparent manner.
Reviewers and editors are obligated to protect the confidentiality of the works submitted to them during the evaluation process. Therefore, manuscripts under review may not be uploaded to artificial intelligence tools or shared with third-party systems.

Relationships with the Journal Owner and Publisher
The relationship between the editor and the publisher is based on the principle of editorial independence. Pursuant to the written agreement between the editor and the publisher, all decisions made by the editor are independent of the publisher and the journal owner.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
Editors may consider publishing a correction if minor errors are identified in a published article that do not affect the findings, interpretations, or conclusions. Editors should consider retracting the article when major errors or violations that invalidate the findings and conclusions are present. COPE guidelines are followed regarding corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

Protection of Intellectual Property Rights
Our journal is obligated to protect the intellectual property rights of all published articles and to defend the rights of the journal and the author(s) in the event of potential infringements.

Protection of Participants’ Personal Data
All personal data submitted to our journal is protected in accordance with legal regulations and ethical guidelines.

Plagiarism Check
Manuscripts submitted to our journal for publication are screened using the İntihal.net program to prevent plagiarism. The acceptable similarity rate for manuscripts submitted to our journal is a maximum of 15%. Manuscripts exceeding this rate are returned to the authors during the preliminary review stage. If plagiarism is detected in a submitted or published article, our journal acts in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Author Changes
Requests for changes to the author list are considered only before the article is accepted. Authors must carefully determine the author list and order before submitting the article and upload the final version to the system.

Conflicts of Interest
Authors are required to disclose all potential conflicts of interest—whether institutional, financial, personal, or academic—in a clear and transparent manner at the time of manuscript submission.
If reviewers identify any situation (institutional, financial, personal, or academic) that could lead to a conflict of interest during the review process, they must notify the editor and recuse themselves from the review of the relevant article.
To prevent potential conflicts of interest, the journal ensures that reviewers and authors do not work at the same institution.
To prevent conflicts of interest in manuscripts submitted by members of the journal’s editorial board, access to and duties related to the journal’s editorial processes for such members are temporarily suspended until the review process for the relevant manuscript is completed.
Editors do not participate in editorial decision-making processes regarding works prepared by themselves or their first-degree relatives; in such cases, the review process is conducted by independent editors.

Complaints
If any unethical conduct is identified in our journal, it should be reported to saimgndgn@gmail.com. Complaints are evaluated in accordance with COPE flowcharts.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF STAKEHOLDERS

1. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors
• Editors evaluate all submitted manuscripts impartially according to scientific standards.
• Editors must not withhold any information that could lead to a conflict of interest among authors or reviewers.
• They are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the double-blind peer review system and ensuring the impartiality of the process.
• They ensure that the review process is conducted fairly and in a timely manner by selecting appropriate reviewers.
• They are obligated to initiate the necessary procedures upon identifying any violations of publication ethics.
• Decisions to accept or reject a manuscript are based on the work’s originality and scientific contribution.
• Ensures that similarity and plagiarism checks are conducted on submitted works.

2. Authors’ Ethical Responsibilities
• Authors must submit only original, previously unpublished works that are not currently under review elsewhere.
• Each author must have made a meaningful academic contribution to the work.
• On the first page of the article, it must be clearly stated whether the work was presented as a thesis, project, or conference paper.
• Any support, contributions, or potential conflicts of interest must be transparently disclosed.
• Authors must maintain open, honest, and transparent communication with editors throughout the review process.
• If artificial intelligence tools were used, the stage at which they were employed must be clearly stated. 

3. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
• Reviewers are obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the works they evaluate.
• They must conduct their reviews with an impartial, objective, and constructive approach.
• Personal, offensive, or derogatory language must be avoided during the review process.
• If a potential conflict of interest arises, they must notify the editor and decline the review.
• They must adhere to the specified review deadline and inform the editor in case of any delay.
• They should only accept reviews of works within their own field of expertise.

DECLARATION ON PUBLICATION ETHICS AND PUBLICATION MISUSE OF THE HAKKARİ THEOLOGY JOURNAL
The abbreviation “HİD” in this declaration refers to the Hakkari Theology Journal. HİD is an academic journal published by the Faculty of Theology at Hakkari University. The content of a published article does not necessarily reflect the views of the Faculty of Theology at Hakkari University or HID.
An author’s multiple works of the same type will not be considered for evaluation in the same issue of the journal.