The Kafkas University Journal of Management and Informatics is an academic publication that upholds the principle of conducting scientific research in accordance with impartiality, transparency, and ethical standards. The journal’s publication policy is based on publishing scientific studies that comply with academic integrity, intellectual property rights, and ethical standards. Within this framework, the ethical responsibilities of the publisher, editorial board, reviewers, authors, and advisory board are defined below.
The journal adopts and adheres to the principles published by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics), which can be accessed at https://publicationethics.org/. Our journal strictly complies with the principles of Research and Publication Ethics.
1. Responsibilities of the Publisher
1.1. Editorial Independence
The Kafkas University Journal of Management and Informatics is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions are made solely on scientific grounds and are not influenced by any individual, institution, or commercial interest group.
1.2. Intellectual Property and Copyright
All intellectual property and copyright rights of the articles published in the journal are protected. The originality, integrity, and accessibility of each published work are guaranteed by the journal.
1.3. Scientific Misconduct
The journal maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or unethical publication practices. In such cases, the journal reserves the right to issue corrections, retractions, or apply necessary sanctions.
2. Ethical Responsibilities of the Editorial Board
2.1. Transparency and Impartiality in the Publication Process
The Editorial Board ensures that all manuscripts submitted to the journal are evaluated fairly, transparently, and according to scientific criteria. Members are obliged to make decisions free from the influence of any person, institution, or interest group.
2.2. Development of Publication Policies
The Editorial Board is responsible for developing the journal’s publication policies and ethical standards. It strives to enhance scientific quality, follow international publishing standards, and align journal practices with these standards.
2.3. Supervision of Compliance with Publication Ethics
Board members oversee the ethical compliance of all processes among authors, reviewers, and editors. When potential ethical violations are detected, corrective or sanctioning actions are taken in accordance with COPE guidelines.
2.4. Avoidance of Conflicts of Interest
Editorial Board members do not participate in the evaluation of their own research or that of close associates. They refrain from involvement in processes that may lead to conflicts of interest.
2.5. Promotion of Scientific Diversity
The Board supports scientific diversity, innovation, and inclusivity by encouraging research from different disciplines, methodologies, and institutional representations.
2.6. Confidentiality
The Editorial Board does not share any information regarding manuscripts with anyone outside of the authors, reviewers, and editorial team.
3. Responsibilities of Reviewers
3.1. Evaluation Process
Reviewers evaluate submitted manuscripts objectively in terms of academic content, methodology, originality, and scientific contribution. All evaluations are conducted through a double-blind peer-review system.
3.2. Confidentiality
Reviewers must treat all manuscripts received for review as confidential documents and must not share their content with third parties under any circumstances.
3.3. Impartiality and Objectivity
Review reports must be prepared based on scientific reasoning, free from personal opinions. Suggestions and criticisms should be constructive and aimed at improvement.
3.4. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest
If reviewers have any conflict of interest with the authors or the institutions related to the manuscript, they must decline the review assignment.
3.5. Verification of References and Plagiarism Notification
Reviewers are responsible for informing the editor if they detect any similarity between the submitted manuscript and previously published works, missing citations, or possible plagiarism.
3.6. Support to the Editor
Throughout the evaluation process, reviewers provide scientific guidance to the editors and contribute to improving the quality of the manuscript.
4. Responsibilities of Authors
4.1. Originality and Scientific Contribution
Authors must guarantee that the submitted work is original and has not been previously published. All research data must be presented accurately, honestly, completely, and in compliance with ethical principles.
4.2. Citation
All sources used must be properly cited in accordance with the referencing system. Quotations from other works must be appropriately acknowledged.
4.3. Multiple Submissions
Authors must not submit the same work to more than one journal simultaneously, as such behavior constitutes an ethical violation.
4.4. Authorship Rights
Only individuals who have made a significant contribution to the research should be listed as authors. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors have approved the final version of the manuscript.
4.5. Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
All funding sources and potential conflicts of interest that may influence the research should be clearly disclosed.
4.6. Correction of Errors
If authors discover a significant error in their published work, they must promptly inform the editor and cooperate in publishing corrections or retractions when necessary.
5. Responsibilities of the Advisory Board
5.1. Scientific Guidance
Members of the Advisory Board contribute to the scientific orientation of the journal. They advise the Editorial Board on developing publication policies, defining new thematic areas, and enhancing international visibility.
5.2. Oversight of Ethical and Academic Standards
The Advisory Board supports the journal’s adherence to national and international ethical standards and provides assistance to the Editorial Board on ethical matters when required.
5.3. Strengthening Academic Reputation
The Board offers recommendations to enhance the journal’s academic reputation through international collaborations, reviewer networks, and improvements in publication quality.
5.4. Impartiality and Avoidance of Conflicts of Interest
Members of the Advisory Board provide their opinions and recommendations independently of personal or institutional interests and are expected to disclose any potential conflicts of interest to the editor.