The publication procedures followed in Kent Academy are designed to ensure the objective and reputable development and dissemination of knowledge. These procedures directly reflect the quality of the work of the authors and their supporting institutions. Peer-reviewed studies are essential as they embody and support the scientific method. It is crucial that all parties involved in this process (authors, readers, researchers, publishers, reviewers and editors) adhere to ethical standards.
In accordance with publication ethics, Kent Academy expects all participants to fulfill the ethical responsibilities described below. These responsibilities are based on the Open Access policies and the principles issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
In certain matters beyond the scope of the COPE Ethical Principles and the Press Ethical Principles, final authority rests with the ICAM NETWORK Ethics Board, the editorial body of our journal.
A. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
Authors submitting papers to Kent Academy must adhere to the following ethical responsibilities:
1. Originality: Submitted manuscripts must be original. If previous studies or sources are used, proper and accurate citations and references are mandatory. Methods such as paraphrasing without citing sources are considered ethical violations.
2. Integrity of authorship: Individuals who do not make an intellectual contribution to the content should not be listed as authors.
3. Order of authorship: The author who makes the greatest contribution to the work must be listed as the first author. Academic titles alone should not determine authorship priority.
4. Conflict of Interest: Any potential conflicts of interest or relationships that may influence the manuscript should be disclosed.
5. Data Requests: Authors must be willing to provide raw data on their work if requested during the review process.
6. Permission and Consent: Authors must have the necessary rights or permissions for the data and research analyzes used, as well as documented consent from participants in experiments or surveys, even if the journal does not specifically request these documents.
7. Correction and Retraction: Authors are required to notify the editor or publisher immediately if they discover an error in their published, early-view, or peer-reviewed paper and must cooperate with correction or retraction procedures.
8. Exclusive Submission: Manuscripts submitted to Urban Academy should not be simultaneously reviewed by any other journal. Previously published manuscripts cannot be resubmitted to Urban Academy.
9. Author Changes: No authorship changes (adding, removing, or rearranging authors) can be proposed after submission unless the corresponding author submits a request signed by all authors to the Editor through DergiPark.
B. Ethical responsibilities of the editors
Editors and associate (field) editors of Urban Academy are expected to adhere to the COPE Code of Conduct and the COPE Guidelines for Best Practices for Journal Editors and the "COPE Guidelines for Best Practices for Journal Editors".
Editors are responsible for every publication in the journal. In this context, the editors have the following duties and responsibilities:
1. Editors should endeavor to meet the information needs of readers and authors.
2. Editors must continuously work to improve the journal and consider its growth and development.
3. Editors should actively participate in improving the quality of published articles without delay.
4. Editors should support freedom of thought and work diligently to incorporate national and overseas research into the articles.
5. Editors must continue editorial processes without compromising intellectual property rights or ethical standards.
6. Editors must ensure transparency and clarity in publications regarding issues that require correction or explanation.
7. Editors should offer supportive guidance to the Associate Editors, helping to direct them through phone and online support.
8. Editors are responsible for taking feedback from readers, researchers, and practitioners and providing clear and informative responses.
9. Editors should not disregard positive recommendations from reviewers unless there is a serious problem with the paper.
10. New editors should not change decisions made by previous editors unless there is a serious problem.
11. Editors should support field editors in carefully managing the double-blind process, informing them of potential violations and warning them if necessary.
12. Editors responsible for the publication process should ensure the effective and efficient use of the peer review and editorial processes.
13. Encourage local editors to contribute to the development of the peer review pool.
14. Editors are responsible for protecting the intellectual property rights of all published articles and defending the rights of the journal and authors in the event of infringement. They are also responsible for ensuring that the content of published articles does not infringe the intellectual property rights of other publications.
15. Editors should consider persuasive criticism of work published in the journal and adopt a constructive attitude towards such criticism.
16. Authors should be given the right to respond to criticism of their work.
17. Editors should carefully consider complaints from authors, reviewers, or readers and respond in a clear and explanatory manner.
18. The journal owner, publisher, or other political or commercial factors should not influence the editors’ independent decision-making process.
19. Editors should ensure that errors, inconsistencies, or misleading assessments in articles are corrected promptly.
C. Associate (Section) Editors’ Ethical Responsibilities
1. Reviewers should be selected in accordance with the topic of the study
2. The journal is responsible for providing reviewers with the information and guidelines necessary for the review process
3. The journal must proactively identify and address any potential conflicts of interest between authors and reviewers.
4. In accordance with the double-blind peer review system, the journal must ensure the confidentiality of the reviewers' identities and carefully check that no identifying information, such as names or personal details, is included in the review forms or manuscript content
5. The journal should use methods that encourage reviewers to evaluate submissions impartially, scientifically, and objectively.
6. Reviewers should be evaluated based on criteria such as timely responses and performance. The journal should use motivating and positive language when communicating with reviewers and avoid content debates.
7. Policies and practices to improve reviewer performance should be established and implemented.
8. Steps should be taken to ensure that the reviewer pool is dynamically updated.
9. If two reviewers give a negative review to a submission, but the article is considered to be of high value to the Urban Academy and the academic community, the journal may seek additional reviews from a third or fourth reviewer.
10. The journal should remain in regular contact with the author throughout the review process
11. The journal should respond politely and constructively to rejected manuscripts and provide authors with a clear, itemized list of reasons for rejection.
D. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers evaluating submissions for Urban Academy must adhere to the following:
1. The Urban Academy peer review process is based on the principle of double-blind review. Reviewers cannot communicate directly with authors, and their reviews and comments are submitted through the journal's administrative system. During this process, the reviewers’ comments on the evaluation forms and full texts are forwarded to the author(s) via the editor.
2. Reviewers should only review papers that fall within their area of expertise.
3. The review should be impartial and confidential.
4. If a reviewer believes that they may have a conflict of interest during the review process, they must decline to review the paper and notify the associate editor.
5. In accordance with the principles of confidentiality, reviewers must destroy the manuscripts they review after the review process. They may only use the final versions of the manuscripts once they have been published.
6. The reviews must be objective and based solely on the content of the manuscript. The reviewers must ensure that factors such as nationality, gender, religious beliefs, political views or commercial considerations do not influence their assessments.
7. Reviews must be constructive and written in a polite tone. Hostile, defamatory or derogatory personal comments should be strictly avoided.
8. Reviewers are expected to complete the assessment of accepted papers within the specified timeframe and to adhere to the ethical obligations outlined above.
9. Urban Academy ensures the protection of ownership and copyright for each published article and undertakes to keep records of all published copies.
10. The journal assumes responsibility for preventing and combating any form of scientific misconduct, citation manipulation or plagiarism in scientific publications.
E. Responsibilities of the Publication Committee
The Publications Committee is responsible for ensuring that all published manuscripts comply with the journal’s policies and international standards. The Committee:
1. The Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors, Technical Editors and Language Editors.
2- The journal's shortcomings in terms of content, technology and appearance should not be overlooked. Any problems identified should first be reported to the person or department responsible.
3- The Editorial Board must actively express its views and opinions in virtual or in-person meetings.
4- The Editorial Board should meet regularly to review the publication policy and contribute to the development of the journal.
5- The publisher or its representative must not interfere with the content of the journal or disrupt the smooth functioning of the processes in any way.
6- The Editorial Board is responsible for supervising all processes related to the articles submitted to the journal. The editors are the final decision makers in these matters, regardless of economic or political considerations.
F. Protection of Personal Data
1. Urban Academy is responsible for protecting the personal data of the subjects or images included in the peer-reviewed studies. The journal may reject work in which there is no documented consent from the subjects involved.
2. Urban Academy is committed to protecting the personal data of associate editors, reviewers, authors and readers
3. Urban Academy is committed to ensuring the protection of human and animal rights in peer-reviewed studies. The journal is authorized to reject work that does not have ethical approval for studies involving human subjects or proper permissions for experimental research.
G. Dealing with Misconduct and Abuse of Authority
Urban Academy is responsible for taking action against possible misconduct and malpractice. This includes the thorough and objective investigation of complaints, careful evaluation and disclosure of relevant findings. These tasks are the responsibility of the publisher.
H. Research and Publication Ethics
Research ethics aims to address concerns about neglecting the health, well-being, and rights of individuals. It ensures that scientific research is conducted according to high ethical and scientific standards. Research ethics includes the realistic and needs-based design of studies, safeguarding the integrity of participants, the proper completion of research, and the honest publication of results. Today, these requirements are based on fundamental ethical principles. Principles such as autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice provide a solid framework to ensure compliance with ethical standards throughout the research process.
For articles published in Urban Academy, ethical issues, challenges, and disputes that may arise — including potential conflicts of interest between authors and third parties during the editorial process, publication, or afterwards — are evaluated within the framework of universal international legal principles, ethical standards, and general ethical regulations in Turkey. The final decisions on these matters are made by the ICAM Network Ethics Committee.
I. Reporting Ethical Concerns
In the event that any ethical violation, misconduct, or content inconsistent with the ethical responsibilities outlined above is identified, the procedures set forth in Article 7, Paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) of the ICAM Network Publishing Group Ethics Committee Regulation on Organization and Operational Procedures shall be applied. Such cases must also be reported to ethic@icamnetwork.net. Submissions will be reviewed and adjudicated by the ICAM NETWORK Ethics Board.
