Publication Policy
JSTER is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes high-quality, original work that contributes to the research field. Submitted works must be original studies that have not been previously published and are not simultaneously under review in another journal.
All articles undergo editorial pre-review. Works deemed suitable in terms of aim and scope, originality, scientific contribution, methodological competence, ethical compliance, and adherence to writing rules are sent to peer review. Articles are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers using a double-blind peer review method.
The publication decision is made based on the reviewer reports, the field editor's evaluation, and the editor's final decision. In case of differing reviewer opinions, the editor may consult a third reviewer if deemed necessary. If authors respond to revision requests, they are expected to clearly indicate the responses to the reviewer comments and the changes made.
Published articles clearly show the submission, revision, and acceptance dates of the article.
JSTER supports the free access of scientific publications. Open access and licensing conditions are explained in the "Copyright and Licensing" section. The journal's publication policy is conducted in accordance with COPE principles and relevant national research and publication ethics regulations.
JSTER is strictly committed to the principles of editorial independence, impartiality, and the prevention of conflicts of interest. Articles submitted by the editor, field editor, editorial/advisory board members, or journal owner may be considered for evaluation. However, these individuals may not assume any editorial role or be appointed as reviewers in the evaluation process of works in which they are the author or co-author.
The proportion of articles belonging to editors and board members is limited to a maximum of 30% of the total number of publications in each issue of the journal. All evaluation processes are recorded and archived to document editorial independence.
Ethical Principles
JSTER conducts its publication processes in accordance with the principles of academic integrity, impartiality, transparency, confidentiality, and research ethics. The responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, and the editorial board in the journal's publication process are determined according to the following principles. Authors' Responsibilities
Authors are responsible for:
• the originality of their work,
• the accurate and complete citation of the sources used,
• the genuine and meaningful contribution of all authors to the work,
• the declaration of conflicts of interest,
• obtaining the necessary ethics committee and research permissions,
• the compliance of the data and materials used with the law and ethical rules,
• the accuracy of the data included in the article.
The same study cannot be submitted to more than one journal simultaneously.
Individuals who have not made a scientific contribution cannot be listed as authors; individuals who have made a scientific contribution cannot be excluded from authorship. Reviewers' Responsibilities
Reviewers;
• They should only evaluate studies related to their areas of expertise,
• They should conduct their evaluations in an impartial, scientific, and constructive manner,
• They should protect the confidentiality of the article,
• They should inform the editor if there is a conflict of interest,
• They should complete the evaluation within the given time frame,
• They should avoid personal and offensive comments,
• They should not use the information they obtain during the evaluation for personal or academic purposes. Peer reviews should not consist only of formal markings; they should include a reasoned scientific evaluation of the originality, method, scientific contribution, data, results, and relationship with the literature of the study. Editors' Responsibilities
Editors;
• should evaluate articles impartially according to their scientific quality,
• should not discriminate based on the personal characteristics of the authors,
• should withdraw from the process in studies where there is a conflict of interest,
• should appoint appropriate field editors and reviewers,
• should protect the confidentiality of the peer review process,
• should make publication decisions based on scientific evaluations.
Research Ethics and Ethics Committee Approval
In research requiring ethics committee approval, the relevant permission must be obtained before the research begins. In studies requiring ethics committee approval, the following information must be clearly stated in the article:
• Name of the ethics committee,
• Date of decision,
• Decision/number.
This information should be stated in the Methods section of the article and on the first or last page of the article. The ethics committee approval document should be uploaded to the system during the application process if required. In studies that do not require ethics committee approval, this should be clearly stated and justified in the article.
Conflict of Interest
Authors must declare any personal, academic, institutional, or financial conflicts of interest that may affect the conduct of the research or the interpretation of the results. Reviewers and editors should also not evaluate the study if a conflict of interest exists that may affect the evaluation process.
Plagiarism and Similarity
Submitted works may be subjected to a similarity scan. The similarity rate alone is not considered an indicator of plagiarism; the quality of the matches, the manner of referencing, and the originality of the text are evaluated together. Plagiarism, data fabrication, data distortion, falsification, duplicate publication, and unethical authorship practices are not permitted.
Post-Publication Correction and Retraction
If a significant error or ethical violation is identified in a published study, the journal may conduct the necessary review and carry out correction, clarification, or retraction procedures.
