PUBLICATION ETHICS

İnönü University Journal of the Faculty of Education aims to adhere to the guidelines and core practices set forth by several organizations, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (joint statement by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, WAME). These guidelines and recommendations are designed to promote transparency, integrity, and best practices in scholarly publishing.

By adhering to these standards, the journal aims to ensure that the research it publishes is of high quality and meets the ethical standards of the scientific community.

PUBLICATION PRINCIPLES

• With the change made in the TR Dizin Journal Evaluation Criteria in 2020, "Ethics Committee Approval" is required for articles in all scientific fields, including Social Sciences. (See: https://trdizin.gov.tr/about#applicationAndCriterias TR Dizin Journal Evaluation Criteria Article 8).
• For works submitted to the İnönü University Faculty of Education Journal, the "Plagiarism Check" must be performed by the author, and the "Plagiarism Report" must be uploaded to the system along with the work. Works without the plagiarism report will not be included in the peer review process.
• Before submitting your work to our journal, please check if your work meets the journal's publication criteria and upload the "Cover Letter" file provided by our journal to the system.
• For the necessary processes to be initiated for works submitted to the İnönü University Faculty of Education Journal, our journal's "Copyright Agreement" must be uploaded to the system with a wet signature.
• Without regard to the author order, an author can only have one article published within the same year (same volume).
• Articles submitted without adapting to the journal template will be rejected (returned) by the editorial board.
• A work will not be published in the first issue following the submission date, even if the review process is completed. It will be published in the next issue if it meets all conditions.
• Based on the submission date, each issue will publish a maximum of 25 (twenty-five) works.
• No more than 20% of the work published in an issue can be by researchers at İnönü University.
• Articles are published in both Turkish and English. Authors are expected to submit the full text of their work in Turkish for the peer review process. Accepted works are submitted to the journal in Turkish and English full texts. A "Proofreading Certificate" (after acceptance) is required for the English full text of the works.

ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND PUBLICATION POLICY

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent Policy

1. Ethics Committee Approval

All research involving human participants must be reviewed and approved by a recognized ethics review board (e.g., Institutional Review Board [IRB], Ethics Committee) prior to the commencement of the study.

Authors must include in the Methods section:

• The name of the ethics committee.
• The approval number and date of approval.
• A copy of the ethics approval may be required during manuscript submission.

If a study was exempted from ethics approval, authors must:

• Provide a formal exemption letter from the ethics committee.
• Clearly explain the reason for exemption in the manuscript.

2. Handling Submissions Without Ethics Approval

If a manuscript is submitted without prior ethics approval, İnönü University Journal of the Faculty of Education will review it according to the COPE’s Research, Audit and Service Evaluations guideline to assess:

• Ethical risks
• Justification for absence of review.
• Compliance with accepted ethical standards.

The journal reserves the right to reject manuscripts lacking proper ethical oversight.

3. Informed Consent

For all studies involving human subjects, written informed consent must be obtained and documented. This includes:

General Research: Consent from all participants.

Research Involving Minors (under 18 years): Consent from a parent or legal guardian.

Surveys/Interviews:

• Confirmation that participants consented to participate.
• Consent for recording and use of personal data.

If direct quotes or identifiable data are included:

• Either data must be deidentified, or
• Explicit consent must be obtained to disclose identities.
• Consent details should be described in the Methods section of the manuscript.

4. Participant Anonymity and Image Publication

To protect participant privacy:

• Anonymity must be preserved, especially when personal data or images are published.

If photographs or images that may identify participants are included:

• Authors must obtain signed release forms from the individuals or their legal representatives.
• Releases must grant permission for publication and specify any restrictions.
• Publication consent for images must be stated in the Methods section.

PLAGIARISM AND ETHICAL MISCONDUCT

All submissions undergo multiple screenings during the peer review and/or production processes using similarity detection software. When citing previous works, ensure that all material is properly referenced. Copying text, tables, or illustrations from any source (journal articles, books, theses, electronic media, etc.) and presenting them as one's own is considered plagiarism, even if a reference is provided. Listing the source in the 'References' section does not absolve authors of responsibility for plagiarism.

Authors are strongly encouraged to avoid any form of plagiarism or ethical misconduct, as illustrated below:

• Citation Manipulation: Refers to inflating citation counts through self-citation, excessive citation of the same journal, or citation stacking, which distorts academic recognition.
• Self-Plagiarism (Text Recycling): Involves reusing sections or sentences from an author's prior work without proper citation, constituting a form of plagiarism.
• Salami Slicing: The unethical practice of publishing multiple articles using the same data set, hypotheses, and methods from a single study.
• Data Fabrication: The creation of false data not supported by actual research or experiments, considered a serious breach of research integrity.
• Data Manipulation/Falsification: Involves altering data, such as modifying images or removing outliers, to mislead or misrepresent findings.

In cases of suspected misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, citation manipulation, or data falsification), the Editorial Board will follow COPE guidelines to ensure fair, transparent, and consistent handling of allegations.

ADVERTISING POLICY

İnönü University Journal of the Faculty of Education accepts digital advertisements on its website, provided they are approved by the journal's Editorial Board and management. All advertisements must be clearly labeled as such. Advertisers have no influence on editorial decisions or advertising policies.

For advertising inquiries, please contact the Editorial Office (inueditorial@inonu.edu.tr).

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

İnönü University Journal of the Faculty of Education employs a rigorous and transparent double-anonymized peer review process to uphold the highest standards of scholarly quality, academic integrity, and ethical publishing. In this model, the identities of both authors and reviewers remain concealed from one another throughout the review process.

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening to assess their alignment with the journal’s scope and basic quality criteria. Submissions deemed suitable are then forwarded to at least two independent external reviewers with recognized expertise in the relevant subject area.

Although authors may suggest potential reviewers during submission, the final selection rests solely with the editorial team. The Editor-in-Chief or designated Associate Editors ensure that reviewers are appropriately qualified, experienced, and free from any conflicts of interest.

Reviewers are expected to:

• Provide timely, impartial, and evidence-based assessments of the manuscript’s originality, methodology, clarity, and overall contribution to the field.
• Offer constructive feedback to help authors improve the quality and rigor of their work.
• Maintain strict confidentiality, refraining from sharing or discussing the manuscript without explicit editorial approval.
• Disclose any conflicts of interest prior to accepting a review assignment.
• Report any suspected ethical violations or academic misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, or unethical research practices) confidentially to the editorial office.
• Adhere to the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers, which outline best practices for maintaining professionalism, fairness, and objectivity in the review process.

To ensure fairness and eliminate bias, manuscripts submitted by editorial board members are handled by external or guest editors with no competing interests. These editors follow the same rigorous peer review protocols.

All communication between editors and reviewers is considered strictly confidential and must not be shared with third parties. In cases where a manuscript undergoes a non-standard or alternative peer review model (e.g., open or post-publication peer review), the details of the process will be clearly stated in the published article to ensure full transparency.

The Editor-in-Chief retains the final decision-making authority on all manuscripts—acceptance, revision, or rejection—based on the evaluations and recommendations provided by reviewers and Associate Editors. Key peer review metrics (e.g., acceptance rates, average time to decision, and review duration) are published regularly to support transparency and ongoing editorial improvement.

REVISION PROCESS

Manuscripts that receive a decision of “Minor Revision” or “Major Revision” must be revised and resubmitted in accordance with the feedback provided by the reviewers and editors. Authors will receive a decision letter from the Editor-in-Chief, summarizing the required changes and specifying a deadline for resubmission.

Authors are required to submit the following documents as part of their revision:

Revised Manuscript – A clean version of the manuscript incorporating the requested revisions.

Response to Reviewers Document – A detailed point-by-point response addressing each reviewer and editor comment. Authors should:

Indicate how each issue was addressed.

Provide clear references to line numbers in the revised manuscript.

Justify any suggestions not implemented.

Annotated Manuscript (Marked Version) – A version of the manuscript with tracked changes or highlighted edits to facilitate comparison between the original and revised submissions.

Timely resubmission is essential. Authors who are unable to meet the revision deadline must request an extension in advance. Failure to submit within the specified timeframe, without prior communication, may result in the automatic rejection of the manuscript.

Following resubmission, the revised manuscript may be subject to a second round of peer review, particularly in cases of major revisions. The final publication decision remains the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief, who considers the reviewers’ recommendations and the quality of the authors’ responses.

AUTHORSHIP CRITERIA

Authors of submissions reporting research findings must meet all four criteria established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE):

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work;
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content;
3. Final approval of the version to be published;
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Before submission, authors should determine who qualifies for authorship and in what order authors will be listed. The editors of the İnönü University Journal of the Faculty of Education do not resolve authorship disputes.

Any changes to the number or order of authors after the initial submission must be explained in writing to the Editor-in-Chief. The editors reserve the right to refer any authorship irregularities to the research officer or appropriate academic ethics authority at the institution or employer of the first or corresponding author.

Authors may use CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) to provide information about individual contributions at the time of submission.

GENERATIVE AI AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) USE POLICY

İnönü University Journal of the Faculty of Education supports transparency and accountability in the use of AI tools during manuscript preparation, in line with best practices recommended by international publishing standards, including COPE , ICMJE, and WAME. Authors must comply with the following principles when using AI technologies:

1. Use of AI Tools in Manuscript Preparation

Authors must disclose any use of generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) in the preparation of their manuscripts. This includes specifying the name, version, and purpose of the AI tool in the appropriate section (e.g., Acknowledgments for language support, or Methods for data processing). Authors remain fully responsible for the integrity, accuracy, and originality of their work.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

2. Authorship and Accountability

By COPE’s guidelines, authorship implies human responsibility and decision-making. While AI can be employed for language corrections during the article writing process (and this should be explicitly stated in the article), it cannot be included as an author, as it is essential to maintain the originality and quality of the article. As such, AI tools cannot fulfill authorship criteria and should never be listed as authors or co-authors.

3. Image Generation and Copyright

İnönü University Journal of the Faculty of Education is committed to adhering to current copyright laws and established best practices in publication ethics. Due to ongoing legal and ethical uncertainties surrounding AI-generated visual content, the use of such material in submissions is generally not permitted, except under the following specific conditions:

Licensed Content from Agencies: Images or artwork obtained from agencies with which the journal holds valid licensing agreements, provided that the content was created in a legally and ethically responsible manner.

Content Related to AI Research: Visual or video content that is directly discussed or analyzed within a manuscript focused on artificial intelligence. These submissions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

All approved AI-generated content must be clearly labeled as “AI-generated” in the image or figure captions.

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, appropriateness, and ethical use of any AI-generated images. Additionally, the methodology and tools used for generating such content must be transparently described within the manuscript. All submitted content must comply with scientific standards and ethical guidelines.

POST-PUBLICATION CORRECTION REQUESTS AND RETRACTIONS POLICY

All post-publication correction requests are subject to editorial review. The Editorial Board evaluates the necessity and appropriateness of corrections based on the nature of the error, its impact on the article, and the supporting evidence. If approved, the correction will be made in the journal’s archive. The journal follows the ICMJE and COPE guidelines.

Article Withdrawal (Pre-Publication)

Withdrawal applies only to articles in press, which are early versions of articles that may contain errors, accidental duplicate submissions, or ethical violations (e.g., multiple submissions, fraudulent data, or plagiarism). Withdrawn articles will have their HTML and PDF content removed, replaced by a statement indicating the withdrawal and linking to the journal’s withdrawal policy.

Article Retraction (Post-Publication)

Retractions are issued for serious ethical violations, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, authorship fraud, or publication without co-author consent. Retraction notices include:

• A formal retraction note titled “Retraction: [Article Title],” published in a subsequent issue.
• A watermark on the PDF of the original article, marking it as "Retracted."
• A removal of the HTML version, ensuring transparency in corrections while preserving academic integrity.

Article Removal (Legal & Safety Concerns)

In rare cases, an article may need to be permanently removed from the journal’s online database due to legal issues, court orders, defamation, or significant health risks. While the metadata (title and authors) will be retained, the article content will be replaced with a legal notice explaining the removal.

Article Replacement

If an article poses a serious health risk, authors may request a replacement with a corrected version. In such cases, a retraction notice will be published with a link to the revised article, ensuring a transparent record of updates.

İnönü University Journal of the Faculty of Education adheres to international editorial standards, including those set by ICMJE, COPE, WAME, and other organizations, to ensure transparency and integrity in the publication process.

A conflict of interest arises when an author, reviewer, or editor has competing interests—such as financial, personal, political, or academic—that could unduly influence their objectivity in manuscript submission, review, or editorial decisions.

Disclosure Requirements:

• Reviewers and editors must disclose any conflicts that could affect their impartiality. If a reviewer or editor has a conflict of interest, they must recuse themselves from the manuscript's evaluation.
• Editors (including the Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Section Editors) may submit their own manuscripts but are excluded from the editorial decision-making process for their work. Final acceptance of such manuscripts requires approval from at least two external reviewers.
• To maintain a fair and unbiased peer-review process, authors must not contact section editors regarding their manuscripts. All inquiries should be directed to the editorial office. The journal follows a double-anonymized peer review, ensuring that authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other.
• Any potential conflicts of interest involving editors, authors, or reviewers will be addressed following COPE flowcharts and ICMJE recommendations.

Financial Disclosure

İnönü University Journal of the Faculty of Education requires authors to disclose any financial support received for their research. This information must be included in the Financial Disclosure when submitting the manuscript.

The funding statement should specify:

• The names of funding agencies,
• Grant numbers (if applicable),
• The role of each funder in the research,

If a funder had no involvement in the research, this must also be clearly stated. Providing this information ensures transparency and helps readers assess potential biases or conflicts of interest.

Self-Archiving Policy

Authors are permitted to self-archive their published work on institutional or personal websites, as well as in open-access repositories. When sharing their articles, they must appropriately cite the original publication and include the DOI number. Additionally, authors are encouraged to provide a link to the publisher’s official website, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the scientific record. The version published on the publisher’s website is considered the definitive version of record.

DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions expressed in published manuscripts belong solely to the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, editorial board, or publisher. The editors, editorial board, and publisher are not responsible for the content of published manuscripts and do not endorse the views expressed within them.

Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy and integrity of their work. While the journal serves as a platform for disseminating research to the scientific community, it does not guarantee the validity of the content.