The publication processes adopted by the Journal of Music and Folklore Studies (JMFS) are founded upon the principles of academic integrity, transparency, scientific rigor, and ethical responsibility in scholarly publishing. These processes contribute to the reliable production, dissemination, and preservation of knowledge within the international academic community. All stakeholders involved in the publication process — including authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and the publisher — are expected to comply with internationally recognized standards of publication ethics.

JMFS is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research and publication ethics and adheres to national and international ethical guidelines and regulations. The journal follows the principles and recommendations established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). In addition, JMFS complies with relevant legislation concerning intellectual property rights, scientific research ethics, and academic publishing standards.

1. Ethical Principles

1.1. Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant scholarly contributions to the conception, design, execution, interpretation, or writing of the study. All individuals who have made substantial contributions must be listed as co-authors, while those with limited contributions should be acknowledged appropriately. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all listed authors approve the final version of the manuscript and consent to its submission and publication.

1.2. Conflict of Interest

Authors are required to disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence the interpretation or evaluation of their work. All sources of financial support must be clearly stated.

Reviewers must decline the review process if a conflict of interest exists and should immediately inform the editorial office in such cases. To preserve the integrity of the double-blind review process, reviewers affiliated with the same institution as the author(s) may not be assigned to evaluate the manuscript.

Editors must avoid all forms of conflicts of interest and ensure that editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, originality, academic relevance, and ethical standards.

1.3. Data Access and Preservation

Authors may be requested to provide raw research data for editorial evaluation and should retain such data for a reasonable period following publication. JMFS encourages responsible data sharing practices in accordance with ethical, legal, and privacy considerations.

1.4. Fabrication and Falsification

Fabricated, manipulated, or falsified data, findings, images, citations, or research results are strictly prohibited.

1.5. Multiple or Redundant Publication

Manuscripts submitted to JMFS must not be simultaneously submitted to another journal or previously published elsewhere. Authors are required to properly cite and acknowledge any prior publications related to the submitted work and clearly explain the original scholarly contribution of the manuscript.

1.6. Intellectual Property and Copyright

Authors retain the copyright of their published work within the licensing framework adopted by the journal. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that the work is original, does not infringe upon third-party rights, and does not contain plagiarism, falsification, manipulated citations, or unethical content.

All manuscripts and peer-review reports are treated confidentially throughout the editorial and review process.

1.7. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

JMFS follows COPE guidelines regarding corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern.

• Minor errors that do not affect the scholarly integrity of the publication may be corrected through an official correction notice.
• Articles containing serious ethical violations or major inaccuracies may be retracted.
• An expression of concern may be issued when there is credible evidence of research or publication misconduct requiring further investigation.

1.8. Ethical Approval for Research Involving Human Participants

In order to ensure ethical integrity in scholarly publishing, JMFS adopts and follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and the Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers.

Research involving surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, experiments, or other forms of human participation must receive approval from an authorized ethics committee where required by institutional or national regulations. Relevant ethical approval information, including committee name, approval date, and approval number, must be clearly stated in the manuscript.

Authors are also responsible for obtaining informed consent from participants and securing permissions for the use of copyrighted materials, scales, questionnaires, images, or other proprietary content.

1.9. Special Issue Policy

JMFS may publish special or supplementary issues upon the decision of the Editorial Board. All submissions to special issues undergo the same editorial and peer-review procedures as regular submissions and must comply with the journal’s ethical and academic standards.

1.10. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

JMFS encourages authors to support transparency and reproducibility by sharing supplementary materials, datasets, and research documentation whenever ethically and legally possible. Authors are also encouraged to include a data availability statement in their manuscripts.

Publication Ethics Violations

The following practices constitute serious ethical violations:

• Plagiarism
• Fabrication or falsification of data
• Manipulation or distortion of research findings
• Duplicate publication
• Salami slicing
• Unjustified authorship practices
• Misrepresentation of scientific contributions
• Unauthorized use of confidential data or unpublished work
• Failure to disclose conflicts of interest
• Violations of participant rights or research ethics

Any suspected ethical misconduct will be evaluated in accordance with COPE guidelines and may result in manuscript rejection, retraction, or notification to relevant institutions.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to JMFS are expected to:

• Submit original and unpublished research;
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of all data and citations;
• Properly acknowledge all sources and contributions;
• Avoid plagiarism, data manipulation, and unethical research practices;
• Comply with the journal’s submission and formatting guidelines;
• Disclose conflicts of interest and sources of funding;
• Ensure that all co-authors have approved the submitted version.

JMFS uses plagiarism detection software during the preliminary evaluation process. Manuscripts with unacceptable similarity rates or unethical citation practices may be rejected without peer review.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

• Conduct objective, constructive, and confidential evaluations;
• Accept review assignments only within their area of expertise;
• Avoid personal criticism or discriminatory language;
• Inform the editors of any ethical concerns or conflicts of interest;
• Complete evaluations within the designated review period.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, impartial, and confidential review process. Editorial decisions are based exclusively on scholarly quality, originality, relevance, and ethical compliance.

Editors must:

• Maintain editorial independence;
• Protect reviewer and author anonymity;
• Prevent conflicts of interest;
• Ensure timely processing of submissions;
• Address ethical concerns in accordance with COPE principles;
• Promote academic quality and international scholarly standards.

2. Publication Policy

JMFS publishes original, high-quality scholarly studies that contribute to academic discussions in musicology, ethnomusicology, folklore, and interdisciplinary music studies.

Submissions are evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Originality and scholarly contribution;
• Methodological rigor;
• Ethical compliance;
• Academic relevance;
• Conceptual coherence and clarity;
• Contribution to international scholarly dialogue.

All submissions undergo a preliminary editorial evaluation, plagiarism screening, and a double-blind peer-review process conducted by at least two independent reviewers. For more information, please visit the Referee Guide page.

Submission and Evaluation Process

All manuscript submissions to JMFS must be completed through the journal’s online Article Management System. Manuscripts submitted via e-mail or outside the official submission system will not be considered for evaluation.

Language Policy

JMFS publishes articles in Turkish and English.

• Turkish-language articles must include an English abstract.
• Manuscripts written in languages other than English must include an extended English abstract between 750–1000 words.
• All accepted manuscripts undergo Turkish and/or English language editing before publication.

Author Changes

JMFS accepts the list and order of authors as declared on the title page submitted by the corresponding author at the time of manuscript submission. Therefore, authors are responsible for ensuring that the final and complete authorship information is accurate prior to submission.

Requests for authorship changes after submission — including the addition or removal of authors, changes in author order, or modifications to corresponding authorship — are subject to editorial approval. Such requests are evaluated by the Editorial Board in accordance with the relevant COPE flowcharts and ethical publishing guidelines.

Requests for authorship changes must be submitted to the Editor through an official written statement clearly explaining the reason for the requested change. The request must include the signed approval of all listed authors confirming their consent to the modification.

If the request is approved by the Editorial Board, authors may be required to submit an updated Copyright Agreement Form reflecting the revised authorship information.

Complaints and Appeals

JMFS evaluates complaints and appeals concerning editorial decisions, publication ethics, or review processes in accordance with COPE recommendations. Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, when necessary, by the Editorial Board. Final decisions are communicated transparently to the relevant parties. If you have any complaints or objections, please contact jmfs@sakarya.edu.tr. 

Disclaimer

The opinions and views expressed in articles published in JMFS are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, editorial board, publisher, or affiliated institutions. Authors bear full responsibility for the content of their published work.