Ethical Principles and Publication Policy
Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed, scholarly, and open-access journal committed to the principles of research and publication ethics. The journal’s publication processes are conducted in accordance with the principles of scientific integrity, impartiality, transparency, accountability, editorial independence, academic quality, open access, and the free circulation of scholarly knowledge.
1. International Standards and Core Principles
The journal’s publication ethics and editorial practices are conducted with due consideration of the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), and relevant national and international principles of scholarly publishing.
All parties involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, field editors, editorial board members, and the publisher, are required to act in accordance with ethical principles.
2. Publication Policy
Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences aims to publish original studies of high academic quality that make a scientific contribution. Manuscripts submitted to the journal must not have been previously published, must not have been submitted to another journal for evaluation, and must be prepared in accordance with the principles of scientific research and publication ethics.
Studies to be published in the journal must comply with the journal’s aims and scope. Manuscripts that fall outside the journal’s scope, lack sufficient scientific quality, make only a limited original contribution, contain incomplete ethical declarations, or have not been prepared in accordance with the author guidelines may be rejected by the editorial board without being sent for peer review.
The scientific, ethical, legal, and linguistic responsibility for articles published in the journal rests with their authors.
3. Peer-Review Policy
Research and review articles submitted to Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences are evaluated through a double-blind peer-review system. Under the double-blind peer-review system, the identities of the authors are not disclosed to the reviewers, and the identities of the reviewers are not disclosed to the authors.
Manuscripts submitted to the journal are first subjected to a preliminary evaluation by the editorial office. At this stage, the manuscript is evaluated in terms of its compliance with the journal’s scope, author guidelines, completeness of ethical declarations, similarity rate, referencing practices, and scientific quality. Manuscripts that do not pass the preliminary evaluation may be returned to the authors or rejected without being sent for peer review.
Manuscripts that pass the preliminary evaluation are sent to at least two independent reviewers who are experts in the relevant field. Where one reviewer provides a positive opinion and the other provides a negative opinion, the editorial board may send the manuscript to a third reviewer or make a final decision by considering the grounds presented in the reviewer reports. The final publication decision is made by the editor-in-chief/editorial board on the basis of the reviewer reports and editorial evaluation.
The peer-review process is conducted in accordance with the principles of impartiality, confidentiality, scientific competence, and avoidance of conflicts of interest. Reviewers are expected to decline an invitation to review where they have any conflict of interest concerning the manuscript under evaluation.
Reviewers are not selected from among individuals employed at the same institution as the authors. Editors ensure that no institutional, academic, personal, or financial conflict of interest exists between authors and reviewers.
Manuscripts authored by an editor, editorial board member, or another individual affiliated with the journal are subjected to an independent peer-review and editorial evaluation process from which the person concerned is entirely excluded.
4. Research Ethics
All manuscripts submitted to the journal must be prepared in accordance with the principles of research ethics. Studies involving human participants and using surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, experiments, interventions, personal data, or similar methods must obtain approval from the relevant ethics committee.
For studies requiring ethics committee approval, the name of the ethics committee, the date of the decision, and the decision number must be clearly stated in the manuscript. Where ethics committee approval is not required, this must be stated in the manuscript together with the relevant justification.
Authors are responsible for obtaining the relevant permissions and fulfilling all ethical and legal responsibilities in studies involving archival documents, historical documents, visual materials, personal data, oral history records, private collections, or copyrighted materials.
Informed consent must be obtained in studies involving participants, and the privacy, personal data, and identifying information of participants must be protected. Personal data must be used in accordance with relevant legislation and ethical principles.
During manuscript submission, the Ethics Committee Approval Declaration Form, signed by all authors, must be uploaded to the system. Where the study falls within the scope of research requiring ethics committee approval, the relevant Ethics Committee Approval Document must also be included among the submission files. Detailed explanations concerning studies that require or do not require ethics committee approval are provided in the Ethics Committee Declaration Document. Authors are advised to review this document before submission.
5. Publication Ethics
Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences does not tolerate unethical publishing practices such as plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, salami slicing, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, gift authorship, ghost authorship, unauthorised use of data, non-disclosure of conflicts of interest, or manipulative citation practices.
Manuscripts submitted to the journal must be original and must not have been published elsewhere. The same manuscript may not be submitted simultaneously to another journal. Studies previously presented as conference papers may be considered for evaluation, provided that they have been expanded and converted into article format; in such cases, the previous version of the study and the event at which it was presented must be clearly stated in the manuscript.
Authors must cite all sources used in their studies accurately, completely, and in accordance with appropriate citation rules. Ideas, texts, data, images, tables, figures, or findings belonging to others may not be used without appropriate attribution.
6. Similarity and Plagiarism Policy
Manuscripts submitted to the journal are screened using the iThenticate or Turnitin similarity-detection software during the preliminary editorial evaluation or before publication. Similarity reports are evaluated not only on the basis of the numerical similarity rate but also by considering the nature of the similarity, citation practices, the appropriateness of direct quotations, and the principles of academic writing.
The journal expects the overall similarity rate not to exceed 25%. The similarity rate from any single source must not exceed 5%. The reference list is excluded when evaluating the similarity rate.
Manuscripts containing plagiarism, self-plagiarism, inappropriate quotation, unattributed use of sources, or manipulation of data or text are rejected. Where an ethical violation is identified after publication, procedures such as correction, clarification, expression of concern, or retraction may be initiated.
7. Authors’ Responsibilities
Authors acknowledge that the manuscript they submit to the journal is original, scholarly, and compliant with ethical principles. Authors are required to declare that the work has not previously been published and is not simultaneously under evaluation by another journal.
The principal responsibilities of authors are as follows:
To prepare the study in accordance with the principles of scientific research and publication ethics;
To cite all sources used accurately and completely;
To obtain the necessary ethics committee approvals and legal permissions;
To disclose conflicts of interest, financial support, and author contributions;
To assume responsibility for the accuracy of the data included in the study;
To respond to reviewers’ and editors’ recommendations in a scientific and constructive manner;
To inform the editorial office without delay where an error is identified in the manuscript;
Not to submit the manuscript to another journal before the evaluation process has been completed.
All authors share responsibility for the content of the manuscript. The order of authors and author contributions must be agreed upon among the authors before manuscript submission is completed. Following submission, requests to add or remove authors or to change the order of authors may be considered only with the written consent of all authors and the approval of the editorial board.
8. Authorship and Contribution Statement
Individuals listed as authors must have made a meaningful academic contribution to the study. Individuals who have not contributed to the design of the study, data collection, analysis, interpretation, writing, critical review, or final approval processes must not be listed as authors.
Gift authorship, honorary authorship, and ghost authorship are not accepted. Individuals who contributed to the study but do not meet the criteria for authorship may be acknowledged in the acknowledgements section.
In multi-authored studies, each author’s contribution rate or type of contribution must be clearly stated in the manuscript. Authors are jointly responsible for the published version of the article and for its ethical integrity.
9. Conflict of Interest Policy
Authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any existing or potential conflict of interest that may influence the evaluation, interpretation, or publication of the study.
Conflicts of interest may be financial, institutional, academic, personal, professional, or of another nature. Authors must explicitly state in the manuscript where no conflict of interest exists.
Reviewers must withdraw from the evaluation process where they believe that they have a conflict of interest concerning the manuscript they have been invited to review. Editors may not participate in decision-making processes concerning manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.
10. Funding and Support Statement
Authors must clearly disclose in the manuscript all financial support received for the study, including project numbers and support provided by institutions or organisations. Where no financial support has been received, this must also be stated in the manuscript.
Where a funding institution or organisation has played a role in the design of the research, data collection and analysis, interpretation, writing, or the decision to publish, this role must be clearly explained.
11. Ethics Committee Approval and Permissions
Information concerning ethics committee approval must be included in manuscripts reporting studies that require such approval. This information must include, at a minimum, the name of the ethics committee, the date of the decision, and the decision number.
Studies requiring ethics committee approval but failing to provide the relevant approval information may not be considered for evaluation or may be returned to the authors. Where ethics committee approval is not required, this must be explicitly stated in the manuscript.
Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to use copyrighted images, tables, figures, archival documents, photographs, translated texts, or other materials.
12. Data Sharing and Research Integrity
Authors are responsible for the accuracy and reliability of the data used in their studies and for ensuring that such data have been obtained in accordance with ethical principles. Where necessary, the editorial office may request information from authors regarding research data, analysis files, permission documents, or additional explanations during the manuscript evaluation process.
The fabrication, alteration, falsification, selective reporting, or misleading presentation of data or research findings is regarded as an ethical violation.
Personal data, sensitive information, and data concerning the privacy of third parties must be protected in accordance with relevant legislation and ethical principles.
13. Reviewers’ Responsibilities
Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts submitted to them in accordance with the principles of confidentiality, impartiality, and scientific objectivity. Reviewers must accept only manuscripts that fall within their areas of expertise.
The principal responsibilities expected of reviewers are as follows:
To conduct the evaluation in accordance with scientific criteria;
To avoid personal, derogatory, or offensive comments directed at the author;
To maintain confidentiality throughout the evaluation process;
Not to share the content of the manuscript with third parties;
Not to use information obtained from the manuscript for personal or academic benefit;
To inform the editor where similarity, an ethical violation, missing references, or a scientific problem is identified;
Not to evaluate manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest;
To submit the review report within the prescribed period and provide reasoned comments.
14. Editors’ Responsibilities
Editors are responsible for maintaining the scientific quality of the journal and conducting publication processes in accordance with the principles of impartiality and transparency. Editors evaluate manuscripts solely according to scientific criteria, irrespective of the authors’ identity, institution, academic title, gender, language, religion, ethnic origin, nationality, political views, or personal characteristics.
The principal responsibilities of editors are as follows:
To evaluate manuscripts submitted to the journal in terms of their aims and scope, originality, scientific quality, and ethical compliance;
To appoint appropriate reviewers and conduct the peer-review process impartially;
To make the final decision by considering reviewer reports and editorial evaluations;
To manage conflicts of interest;
To protect editorial independence;
To examine allegations of ethical misconduct carefully;
To initiate correction, clarification, expression of concern, or retraction procedures where necessary;
To evaluate complaints from authors, reviewers, and readers fairly.
Editors base their decisions on scientific quality, research ethics, relevance to the journal’s scope, and the contribution of the manuscript to readers.
15. Editorial Board and Field Editors
The editorial board and field editors contribute to the development of the journal’s academic quality. In accordance with the journal’s aims and scope, board members support scientific evaluation processes, may recommend reviewers, and contribute to the development of publication policies.
Editorial board members may submit manuscripts to the journal; however, such manuscripts are subjected to an independent evaluation process from which the relevant board member is entirely excluded from all editorial decision-making.
16. Editorial Independence
Publication decisions at Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences are made solely on the basis of the manuscript’s scientific quality, originality, ethical compliance, contribution to the journal’s scope, and peer-review reports.
The publisher, institutional administrators, sponsors, or third parties may not interfere with editorial decision-making processes. The editorial board has the authority to make independent decisions in accordance with the principles of scholarly publishing.
17. Correction, Retraction, and Expression of Concern Policy
Where a significant error affecting the scientific content, accuracy of data, author information, ethical declarations, or bibliographic information of a published article is identified, a correction may be published.
Where serious ethical misconduct, plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, unauthorised use, duplicate publication, or another issue that undermines the scientific reliability of the article is identified, the article may be retracted.
An expression of concern may be published where no definitive conclusion has been reached during the investigation of allegations but serious concerns remain regarding the reliability of the article.
Correction, retraction, and expression of concern procedures are evaluated by the editorial board. Where necessary, additional information may be requested from the relevant institution, author, reviewer, or reader.
18. Complaints and Appeals Process
Authors, reviewers, readers, and other interested parties may submit complaints or appeals concerning the publication process, editorial decisions, allegations of ethical misconduct, or published content to the journal’s editorial office in writing.
Complaints and appeals are examined impartially. Where necessary, the editorial board, publication board, or independent subject specialists may be consulted. The appeals process is conducted within the framework of the scientific grounds underlying peer-review decisions and the principles of editorial evaluation.
19. Artificial Intelligence Use Policy
Authors may use generative artificial intelligence tools in a limited and responsible manner solely for purposes such as language editing, spelling and grammar checking, translation support, idea development, or technical assistance. Generative artificial intelligence tools may not be listed as authors because authorship entails scientific responsibility, ethical accountability, and copyright obligations.
Where artificial intelligence tools have been used, the purpose and scope of their use must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript. Authors are responsible for the accuracy, originality, attribution, and ethical appropriateness of all content produced with the support of artificial intelligence.
Reviewers and editors may not upload confidential manuscript content under evaluation to third-party artificial intelligence tools. Confidentiality is an essential principle of the peer-review process.
https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/jonas/page/21432
20. Open Access, Copyright, and Licensing Policy
Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences is an open-access journal. All articles published in the journal are made available to all readers immediately upon publication, without any subscription requirement, access fee, registration requirement, or embargo period.
The full texts of articles published in the journal may be read, downloaded, copied, distributed, printed, and searched free of charge and may be used for academic, educational, and scientific purposes, provided that appropriate attribution is given.
Articles published in Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License — CC BY-NC 4.0. This license permits the work to be shared and used for non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author and the source in which the work was first published.
Authors retain the copyright to their published works. By submitting their manuscripts to the journal, authors grant Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences the right of first publication and a non-exclusive right to publish, archive, index, and distribute the published version of the work in accordance with open-access principles.
Authors must complete the Copyright and Publication Agreement Form when submitting a manuscript to the journal.
21. Fee Policy
Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences does not charge authors or readers any fees. The journal does not charge submission fees, editorial processing fees, peer-review fees, article processing charges, page charges, colour figure charges, DOI fees, language-editing fees, withdrawal fees, or any other fees.
All publication processes of the journal are free of charge. The absence of fees does not affect the scientific independence of the peer-review and editorial evaluation processes.
22. Archiving and Preservation Policy
Articles published in Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences are made accessible and digitally archived through the DergiPark system. The journal supports digital preservation and archiving principles to ensure the long-term accessibility of its published content.
Authors may share the published version of their articles on personal websites, in institutional repositories, on academic networking platforms, and through other open-access platforms, provided that appropriate acknowledgement and a link to the article’s first publication in the journal are included.
23. Privacy Statement
Names, email addresses, institutional information, and other personal information entered into the journal system are used exclusively for the journal’s scholarly publication processes. Such information is not shared with third parties except where required by law.
Manuscripts under evaluation, reviewer reports, and editorial correspondence are treated as confidential. Editors, reviewers, and editorial board members may not disclose this information to third parties.
24. Reporting Ethical Misconduct
The editorial office may be notified where there is a suspicion of ethical misconduct concerning a manuscript published in the journal or currently under evaluation. Reports of ethical misconduct are carefully examined by the editorial board.
The principles of impartiality, confidentiality, and fair investigation are observed when evaluating allegations. Where necessary, explanations may be requested from authors, the opinions of reviewers or subject specialists may be obtained, and the relevant institutions may be contacted.
25. Final Provisions
Authors who submit manuscripts to Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences are deemed to have accepted the journal’s ethical principles, publication policy, open-access policy, and copyright and licensing conditions.
The editorial office reserves the right to update the ethical principles and publication policy in response to developments in national and international publishing standards. Updated policies take effect from the date on which they are published on the journal’s website.
If you identify a significant error or inaccuracy in a published article or encounter any conduct or content that does not comply with the ethical responsibilities set out above, please notify the journal by email at jonas@bartin.edu.tr
Bartın University International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences