Articles submitted to Kalemname Journal are published only after they have passed through three fundamental stages of evaluation. These stages are as follows: Pre-Review Process, Scientific Evaluation Process, and Publication Preparation Process. The planning and execution of these processes are the responsibility of the editor and co-editors.

1. Pre-Review Process

1.1. Editorial Board Review

Articles submitted to the journal are first reviewed by the editor in chief. Articles deemed appropriate are submitted by the editor to the editorial board to initiate the evaluation process. Articles considered inadequate by the editorial board or the editor, or those falling outside the scope of the journal, are returned to the author without being subjected to any further evaluation.

1.2. Formatting Check

In the pre-review stage, the pre-control editors of Kalemname Journal evaluate the article’s scope; the similarity report; the ethics statement; the copyright transfer form; the AI usage declaration; adherence to the required templates; conformity with the Kalemname Journal Article Template; the accuracy and consistency of in-text citations and references; and compliance with the adopted citation system.

Articles that do not comply with the journal’s writing guidelines and template are not considered for review and are returned to the authors for revision within 14 days. Accordingly, in order to ensure that articles are prepared in accordance with the journal’s writing guidelines, authors should review the submission rules in advance and use the Kalemname Journal Article Template.

Based on the results of the formatting check, articles that are found insufficient or inappropriate may be rejected or returned to the authors for revision. During the pre-review process, articles are examined once for compliance with the journal’s writing guidelines; if the requested revisions are not made, the article is rejected and not processed within the same publication period.

Articles that meet the writing guidelines and formatting requirements proceed to the next stage, where their similarity reports are reviewed. It is important that authors carefully review the information text regarding the similarity report. Authors submitting an article are required to upload the similarity report obtained through plagiarism detection software together with the article. In addition, the assigned editor independently performs a similarity check using plagiarism detection software, and the resulting report is compared with the one uploaded by the responsible author. In our journal, the maximum acceptable similarity rate is set at 15%. During this process, all identified matches in the article are examined in detail.

1.3. Language Review

Articles are reviewed by the language and writing editors of Kalemname Journal in terms of academic writing standards and the correct use of language, based on the language in which they were submitted. As a result of this review, articles may either be rejected or returned for revision.

1.4. Editorial Pre-Review Process

Articles that comply with the journal’s writing guidelines and publication policy and fall within the acceptable similarity threshold are subjected to editorial pre-review. At this stage, the introduction, methodology, findings, and discussion sections of the article are evaluated by the editors in terms of their alignment with the journal’s scope, objectives, and research standards. As a result of the pre-review process, articles that are found to be incompatible with the journal’s writing guidelines, publication policy, or scope, or that are flawed or lack originality, are rejected without being sent for peer-review.

Following the pre-review:

• The similarity report requested from the authors is reviewed and compared by the editor, and the similarity rate it contains is evaluated to confirm whether the article is suitable for the publication process.
• Whether the article has been formatted in accordance with the article writing template is checked in conjunction with the evaluation results provided by the language and writing editors.
• The article’s conformity with the journal’s scope and subject areas is evaluated.
• The citations and bibliography included in the article are evaluated for compliance with the ISNAD Citation System.
• Whether the article submission files (Full Text, Copyright Transfer Agreement Form, Ethical Statement Form, Similarity Report, AI Usage Declaration Form, Conflict of Interest and Author Contribution Statement Form) have been uploaded completely and correctly is evaluated. 

2. Scientific Evaluation (Peer-Review) Process

Articles that successfully pass the pre-review stage are forwarded to at least two external reviewers who are experts in the relevant field, selected by the field editors based on the article’s scope, publication background, and independence criteria. The field editor conducts the process by maintaining mutual confidentiality between the reviewer and the author. Upon receiving the review invitation, reviewers are expected to respond within 14 days, indicating whether they accept or decline the request to evaluate the article. If reviewers do not respond within the specified time frame, a new reviewer is assigned in their place. Assigned reviewers are not permitted to share any information regarding the article they evaluate with third parties, nor may they use the content for their own benefit. Within this framework, reviewers are considered to have made a confidentiality commitment regarding the submitted article. Confidentiality is a fundamental principle in the scientific evaluation process of Kalemname Journal. The peer-review process is conducted with a focus on the double-blind review model, in accordance with the principle of confidentiality and ethical standards. Reviewers registered with Kalemname Journal are considered to have formally acknowledged and accepted the journal’s ethical and confidentiality commitments. Kalemname Journal employs a double-blind peer review system. In this system, reviewers and authors remain anonymous to each other. The double-blind peer review system means that the identities of both the reviewers and the authors are concealed from each other. Through this approach, the integrity of the review process is safeguarded by maintaining impartiality and independence. The opinions of reviewers constitute a primary and determining factor in the editorial decisions of Kalemname Journal. Articles are published only if they meet the required criteria after being reviewed by at least two external reviewers. For an article to be published, both reviewers must submit a positive evaluation. In cases where only one of the two reviewers submits a favourable opinion, the article is referred to a third reviewer for further evaluation. In cases where revisions are requested, and the reviewers indicate that they wish to re-evaluate the article after the revisions, the article is resubmitted to the reviewers. The final decision regarding the publication of articles rests with the editor in chief and co-editor.

Reviewers are granted a total of 14 days to complete the evaluation process. Reviewers may assess the revisions of an article and decide on its suitability, and if necessary, they may request multiple rounds of revision. When major or minor revisions are requested by the reviewers, authors are expected to complete the revisions and submit the updated version to the journal within 14 days at the latest. The revised article is re-evaluated by the reviewers who requested changes or corrections, if necessary. The editorial board and editors make the final publication decision in light of the reviewers’ reports. In cases where reviewer opinions conflict, the editors may, if deemed necessary, forward the article to an additional reviewer. In the event of conflicting opinions from the two reviewers, the acceptance decision is made either by the editor or in consultation with a third reviewer.

Reviewers evaluate the articles using the online “Reviewer Evaluation Form.” In addition, if deemed necessary, reviewers may also submit notes containing their suggestions and comments directly on the full text to the editor or the editorial board.

Reviewers may express their opinions on the articles in four different ways:

• Major revisions are required in the article. (Major Revision)
• Minor revisions are needed in the article. (Minor Revision)
• The article is not suitable for publication. (Rejection)
• The article can be published as it is. (Acceptance)

The final decision is made within the framework of editorial independence, taking the reviewers’ reports into account.

3. Publication Preparation Process

Articles that have successfully completed the peer-review process and have been revised accordingly are forwarded to the redaction stage by the editorial board and editors. In this stage, final checks are carried out on the text in terms of language, spelling, and semantic coherence. The redaction process is carried out by the language editors and writing editors of Kalemname Journal. Any potential inconsistencies in expression, typographical errors, and technical deficiencies in the revised articles are corrected. Following this process, the final proofreading is carried out by the final reader, and the article is prepared for publication. Each article accepted for publication is subjected to typesetting and page layout by the layout editor in accordance with the journal’s specific formatting structure. The order of articles is determined by the editorial board with consideration of the journal’s coherence, thematic diversity, and academic balance. Upon completion of all these stages, the articles are published in the corresponding issue of Kalemname Journal. 

Further Details on the Publication Evaluation Process

All articles and translations are submitted for peer review. Translations are sent to the reviewers along with their original texts. The publication of writings such as work evaluations, reviews, and similar content is subject to the decision of the editorial board and the editors.

The editorial board reserves the right to make minor spelling and punctuation edits in submitted texts in order to maintain the journal’s consistency in format and style. Board members, as well as language and writing editors, may offer suggestions to authors regarding language use and stylistic improvements.

A decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of submitted articles is made within a maximum of three months and communicated to the authors.

In matters not specified herein, the authority to make decisions rests with the editorial board and editors of Kalemname Journal.

All authors wishing to publish in Kalemname Journal, as well as all other parties involved in the journal’s processes, shall be deemed to have accepted the aforementioned provisions.