A. Publication Ethics and Best Practices
1. General Ethical Commitment and Submission Policies
Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi is an international, peer-reviewed journal committed to the highest standards of academic and publication ethics. All stakeholders involved in the publication process (editors, authors, reviewers, and the publisher) are required to adhere to principles of ethical conduct. The journal upholds transparency, impartiality, scientific integrity, and accountability at every stage of the publication process.
Manuscripts submitted to the journal are considered original, unpublished, and not simultaneously submitted to or under consideration by another journal. If a related or similar work has been previously published or submitted, copies of the relevant documents must be provided to the journal during submission.
Each author’s primary affiliation should be the institution where the majority of the work was conducted. If an author has moved to another institution after completing the work, the current institutional address must also be provided. The journal remains neutral with regard to institutional affiliations and jurisdictional claims in published content.
If personal communications, interviews, or private data are included in the manuscript, written permission must be obtained from the relevant individual; permissions granted via e-mail are acceptable.
In line with its commitment to scientific integrity and publication policies, the journal reserves the right to reject manuscripts, even after acceptance, if major deficiencies in scientific content or ethical violations are identified.
2. Author Responsibilities and Authorship Criteria
The journal adopts the ICMJE authorship criteria. To qualify as an author, all of the following conditions must be met:
1. Making substantial contributions to the conception/design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
2. Drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.
3. Approving the final version to be published.
4. Agreeing to be accountable for all aspects of the work and ensuring the accuracy and integrity of any part of the work.
The author order is determined by mutual agreement; changes require written notification to the editor. After a manuscript has been accepted, changes to the authorship list (adding or removing authors), changes to the corresponding author, or changes in the author order are not permitted.
Journal editors are not authorized to adjudicate authorship disputes before or after publication. If such disputes cannot be resolved among the authors, they must be referred to the relevant institutional ethics committees or competent authorities.
All researchers must be clearly listed on the Ethics Committee approval document, and this list must be consistent with the author list in the manuscript. Contributors who do not fully meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section. In multicenter or regional collaborations, authorship eligibility, including for local researchers, must be carefully evaluated to support fair and equitable research collaboration.
3. Author Contribution Statement
For all submissions, each author’s contributions must be specified individually based on the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy). Clearly defining the roles of authors is mandatory to verify that authorship criteria have been met.
The main CRediT contribution categories include:
• Conceptualization
• Methodology
• Software
• Validation
• Formal analysis
• Investigation
• Resources
• Data curation
• Writing – Original Draft
• Writing – Review & Editing
• Visualization
• Supervision
• Project administration
• Funding acquisition
Author contributions must be presented under a separate heading at the end of the manuscript and must be approved by all authors.
Sample CRediT author statement:
ZS: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software. PS: Data curation, Writing – Original draft preparation. WW: Visualization, Investigation. JJ: Supervision. AK: Software, Validation. SQ: Writing – Reviewing and Editing. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
4. Author Name Changes
Authors who change their name due to gender transition, religious conversion, or similar personal reasons may request updates to their name, pronouns, and other biographical information in previously published articles. The author may request a silent update, in which no note is added to the PDF or HTML version. Alternatively, the author may request the publication of a formal Author Correction.
5. Duties and Responsibilities of the Corresponding Author
Pre-publication Responsibilities
The corresponding author is responsible for submitting the manuscript, managing all correspondence with the journal, and ensuring communication among all co-authors. Prior to submission, the corresponding author must ensure that:
• all eligible contributors are included in the author list,
• the author order is approved by all authors, and
• each author is aware of the submission.
After acceptance, the corresponding author must carefully check the proofs provided by the journal and verify the accuracy of all co-author information and manuscript content. All errors identified during proofing must be corrected by the corresponding author. Errors in proofs that were not shown to co-authors will not be automatically corrected by the journal after publication. The corresponding author is responsible for the accuracy of the entire content, including correct spelling of names and up-to-date affiliations and links.
Post-publication Responsibilities
After publication, the corresponding author is the primary contact person for the journal and readers regarding any questions about the article. The corresponding author must inform all co-authors about any emerging issues and ensure that necessary corrections are made in a timely manner. The corresponding author does not need to be the senior author or the author who provided materials; the role exists to ensure prompt and complete responses on behalf of all co-authors. The corresponding author’s name and e-mail address are published in the article.
6. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
Authors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest financial, commercial, personal, academic, or institutional using the ICMJE Disclosure Form at the time of submission. This includes, but is not limited to, funding support, consultancy, stock ownership, paid speaking engagements, personal relationships, affiliations with competing institutions, and any other interests that could influence evaluation.
If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should use the statement: "No conflict of interest declared."
Editors and reviewers should refrain from participating in the evaluation process when a conflict of interest is identified and must inform the editorial office. The journal evaluates conflict of interest disclosures in accordance with COPE guidance and may request additional clarification when necessary.
7. Transparency in Funding, Sponsorship, and Advertising
Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi adopts a principle of full transparency regarding research funding, sponsorship, advertising, and other forms of financial support. Authors must clearly disclose all funding sources, sponsorships, and contributions in the manuscript. Funders or sponsors must not influence the research design, data collection, analysis, manuscript preparation, or publication decisions.
Advertising and sponsorship content is kept completely separate from editorial content and may not interfere with peer review or editorial decisions. Editors make decisions solely on scientific quality, ethical compliance, and originality. Any influence of funders or sponsors on editorial processes is strictly prohibited.
8. Double-Blind Peer Review Policy
All manuscripts are evaluated using a double-blind peer review system to ensure impartial and objective scientific assessment. In this process, authors’ identities are concealed from reviewers, and reviewers’ identities are concealed from authors. Reviewers must keep all information obtained during the review process confidential and must not share it with third parties. Reviewer reports should provide constructive, scientifically grounded feedback and are managed by the editors.
9. Principles of Reviewer Conduct
Reviewers must adhere to confidentiality, impartiality, scientific rigor, timely review, and constructive feedback. Submitted manuscripts must not be shared with third parties or used for personal purposes. Reviewers must not accept review assignments when conflicts of interest exist and should immediately inform the editors.
If generative AI tools are used during the peer review process, this use must be limited to review notes and must be explicitly disclosed in the review report. The full manuscript text must never be uploaded to generative AI tools.
10. Principles of Editor Conduct
Editors uphold high ethical standards when evaluating manuscripts submitted to the journal. Editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific quality, originality, and contribution to the field, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs, political views, or institutional affiliations. All information related to submitted manuscripts is kept confidential and is not shared with third parties.
Editors maintain impartiality, conduct the process professionally, fairly, and in a timely manner, and communicate with reviewers and authors respectfully and ethically. Reviewer comments are shared with authors while preserving anonymity, and editors access information only for evaluation purposes.
11. Editorial Independence
Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi operates fully independently from the publisher, institutions, and sponsors. Editorial decisions rely solely on scientific quality, ethical compliance, originality, and expert assessments. Commercial, institutional, or political pressures cannot interfere with editorial processes. Editors do not take part in handling manuscripts that may create conflicts of interest.
12. Publisher Responsibilities
The publisher is responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the scientific publishing process and maintaining high ethical standards. The publisher ensures that editorial decisions are made solely on scientific merit, originality, and academic contribution and does not allow commercial concerns or conflicts of interest to influence the process. In accordance with COPE and international publishing principles, the publisher supports the implementation of research and publication ethics standards and carries out investigations, corrections, retractions, or notifications when ethical breaches are suspected.
The publisher also presents the journal’s editorial policies, review processes, fee structure, and archiving strategies clearly and accessibly, protects the confidentiality of reviewer and author information, implements digital archiving policies for long-term preservation, and manages licensing transparently while offering appropriate open access options.
When errors or ethical concerns are identified, the publisher issues corrections, retractions, or explanatory notices in a timely and transparent manner, supports open science principles, and encourages data sharing and research transparency.
13. Reader Responsibilities
Readers are responsible for accurately understanding, ethically using, and evaluating the scientific content published by Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi in line with academic integrity. Articles may be used only for scientific, educational, or personal research purposes and in accordance with copyright. Any quotations or transfers from published content must include appropriate academic citation; out-of-context interpretation or misleading use is not acceptable.
If readers identify potential ethical violations, data inconsistencies, methodological errors, or suspected plagiarism, they should report these concerns to the Editorial Board. The journal considers reader feedback an important quality assurance mechanism.
Readers should also be aware that personal, academic, or financial interests may influence their evaluations and should shape their interpretations accordingly. In addition, readers are expected to evaluate reported ethics approvals responsibly, recognizing the importance of ethical standards related to human participants and animal subjects.
The journal encourages readers to contribute to publication quality through constructive criticism, scientific input, and questions. Reader feedback should be polite, evidence-based, and consistent with academic communication norms.
14. Inclusive Language
Authors are required to use inclusive, respectful, and non-discriminatory language in all submissions. Manuscripts must not contain expressions or approaches that imply superiority, discrimination, or bias based on race, gender, cultural background, sexual orientation, or any similar characteristic.
Gender-based assumptions should be avoided. Where appropriate, gender-neutral language and singular “they/them” pronouns may be used. Compliance with this principle is an integral part of the journal’s ethical publishing standards and is binding for all authors.
15. Special Issue Publication Policy
Upon the request of the Editorial Board, the journal may publish one special issue per year. Manuscripts submitted for special issues are first evaluated by the Editorial Board for compliance with the journal’s principles. Eligible submissions are then checked for conformity with the journal’s writing rules and screened for similarity to prevent plagiarism. Manuscripts that successfully complete these steps enter the peer review process under the double-blind method. All manuscripts submitted to special issues are evaluated in accordance with the principles announced on the journal’s review process page.
16. Artificial Intelligence Use Policy
Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi closely monitors developments in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and updates this policy when necessary.
AI and Authorship
Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and similar systems do not meet authorship criteria and cannot be listed as authors. If AI tools were used to generate scientific content (idea generation, text generation, data analysis, or image generation), this use must be clearly stated in the Cover Letter.
AI-assisted text editing limited to grammar, language, and style corrections does not require disclosure. Authors remain fully responsible for the scientific content and accuracy of the manuscript.
Images Generated with Generative AI
For reasons related to copyright, verifiability, and research integrity, images, illustrations, or videos generated by generative AI are generally not accepted for publication.
Exceptionally acceptable cases may include:
• Content obtained from licensed and legally compliant visual providers,
• Images presented within studies directly examining AI technologies (subject to editorial assessment),
• Materials generated by tools trained on verifiable scientific datasets.
In such cases, it must be clearly labeled that the image was generated by AI. The use of non-generative machine learning tools to process or enhance existing images must also be disclosed at submission.
AI Use by Reviewers
Reviewers are fully responsible for their opinions, suggestions, and comments in peer review. Due to manuscript confidentiality, reviewers must never upload manuscript content to generative AI tools. If an AI tool is used at any stage of the review process, this must be transparently disclosed in the reviewer report.
Editorial Use
Editors may use internal AI tools only for preparing supplementary content (editorial messages, plain-language summaries, social media text, etc.) in accordance with the above standards. All AI outputs are checked and verified by editors. If AI is used substantially in the main manuscript content, this use must be declared in the relevant section of the article.
B. Research Ethics
Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi encourages authors to distinguish clearly between sex (biological attributes) and gender (social and cultural roles) in research reporting. In studies involving humans (sex + gender), vertebrate animals (sex), and cell lines (e.g., male/female stem cells), authors must take care not to conflate these concepts. Authors should follow the SAGER (Sex and Gender Equity in Research) guidelines and report sex- and gender-related information accurately and transparently.
1. Ethical Approval for the Use of Experimental Animals and Human Participants
Animal studies must comply with the ARRIVE guideline (PLoS Biol 8(6), e1000412, 2010), OIE/WOAH animal welfare standards, and national regulations of the National Animal Experiments Ethics Committee (HADYEK).
Manuscripts using anesthesia or euthanasia methods that are inconsistent with current best practices and safety standards in veterinary medicine (e.g., chloral hydrate, ether, or chloroform) cannot be submitted to the journal. The AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals (2020) must be followed for anesthesia and euthanasia practices. In addition, authors are required to fully comply with the IUCN Policy Statement on Research Involving Threatened Species and the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
All studies involving human participants (e.g., veterinarians, breeders, students, animal owners, or other stakeholders) that include surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, or the collection of personal data require ethics committee approval in accordance with national legislation and the Declaration of Helsinki. The name of the ethics committee, approval number and date, and how informed consent was obtained must be clearly stated in the manuscript.
Any identifying information must be removed from all parts of the manuscript, including text, tables, figures, and supplementary materials. Manuscripts without ethics approval will not be evaluated. The ethics approval document must clearly list the names of all researchers involved in the study.
Reporting Standards
All submissions must be prepared in accordance with internationally recognized reporting guidelines relevant to the study design. Authors must specify the reporting guideline used in the Methods section and, where possible, upload the relevant checklist as a supplementary file.
Key reporting guidelines include:
• Clinical and experimental animal studies: ARRIVE 2.0
• Epidemiological research: STROBE-Vet
• Randomized clinical trials: CONSORT-Vet
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses: PRISMA
Compliance with these guidelines is essential for ensuring the scientific integrity and transparency of the manuscript and is taken into consideration as part of the peer review process.
The ARRIVE Guidelines 2.0 aim to ensure that experimental animal research is reported with a level of detail and transparency that allows meaningful contribution to the scientific literature. This transparency enables readers and reviewers to adequately understand the research, assess methodological rigor, and reproduce the methods or findings.
Arrive Accessible URL for the Checklist: https://arriveguidelines.org/sites/arrive/files/documents/ARRIVE%202.0%20Z-card%20inside%20%28Turkish%29%20-%20Website%20FINAL_0.pdf
Sample Statements for Reporting Ethics Approval in the Manuscript
For studies with ethics approval:
• “This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of [Committee Name] (Approval No: XXXX, Date: DD.MM.YYYY) and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.”
• “Ethical approval for this research was obtained from the [Committee Name] (Protocol No: XXXX). All procedures complied with national regulations and the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.”
For informed consent:
• “All participants provided written informed consent prior to data collection.”
• “Informed consent was obtained verbally from all participants, as approved by the ethics committee.”
• “Online informed consent was obtained through an electronic form before participants accessed the survey.”
For exempt studies (where applicable):
• “This study involved anonymous questionnaire data and was exempt from full ethical review according to the policies of the [Committee Name] (Exemption No: XXXX).”
For multi-country studies:
• “Ethical approval was obtained in all participating countries, and the research adhered to local regulations and the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.”
2. Biosafety and Bioethics Policy
Studies involving genetic materials, pathogenic agents, toxic chemicals, or other biological materials posing biosafety risks must fully comply with national regulations and international biosafety standards (WOAH/OIE, WHO, FAO, etc.). Authors must clearly describe the risk assessment, protective measures, laboratory biosafety levels (e.g., BSL-2, BSL-3), and safety protocols applied. Where required, institutional Biosafety Committee approval and/or relevant official permits must be obtained.
C. Publication Process Policies
1. Data Sharing Policy
All manuscripts submitted to Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi must include a clear statement regarding data sharing under the heading “Data Availability Statement.” Authors must indicate whether the data are publicly available, can be provided upon reasonable request, or are restricted due to confidentiality/ethical reasons.
In all cases, provided that author privacy is protected and legal rights regarding proprietary data are not violated, authors are responsible for ensuring that the data remain accessible to authorized professionals for at least 10 years after publication, preferably through an institutional or discipline-specific repository or another data center.
Sample statements:
• “All datasets and analyses are publicly available at [repository name, DOI or URL].”
• “The data are available from the authors upon reasonable request after publication. Contact: [e-mail address].”
• “Due to ethical and confidentiality restrictions, the data are not publicly available; however, access may be granted to qualified researchers upon obtaining appropriate permissions. Contact: [e-mail address].”
2. Data Verification Policy
To ensure scientific integrity, Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi conducts a comprehensive data verification process. This process goes beyond similarity/plagiarism checks and may include assessment of the accuracy and reliability of research data.
The journal may apply the following verification steps during the editorial process:
• Similarity and plagiarism screening: All submissions may be screened using iThenticate or equivalent software.
• Assessment of data integrity: Editors or reviewers may request additional explanations if there is suspicion of inconsistency, unusual conformity, fabrication, or falsification.
• Requests for raw data: Authors may be asked to provide raw data, laboratory outputs, survey forms, statistical files, or original datasets.
• Image and figure verification: Supplementary files may be requested and digital examination may be conducted if manipulation is suspected.
• Verification of ethical documentation: Animal study permits, human participant consent, and ethics committee approvals may be verified.
This policy is implemented in accordance with COPE and ICMJE guidance. Authors are responsible for declaring that all data presented are genuine, accurate, and complete.
The journal complies with the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive. Click here for the directive.
Click here for the TÜBİTAK Research and Publication Ethics Committee Regulation.
3. Post-publication Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retraction Policy
Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi evaluates all post-publication errors and ethical concerns in accordance with COPE guidelines. Corrections and retractions are handled under the following categories:
• Erratum: Issued to correct technical errors originating from editorial or production processes that do not affect the scientific conclusions.
• Corrigendum: Issued to correct significant author-related errors affecting presentation or clarity of data without changing the study’s conclusions.
• Retraction: Applied in cases of plagiarism, data fabrication/falsification, major methodological error, ethical violations, or other issues that invalidate the reliability of the work.
4. Expression of Concern
When an investigation is ongoing and there is insufficient evidence to reach a definitive conclusion, the editor may publish an Expression of Concern after appropriate assessment and, when necessary, consultation with the Editorial Board.
The Expression of Concern becomes part of the permanent scholarly record and is not removed. Once the investigation is concluded, the editor publishes a notice (correction, retraction, or editorial note) according to the outcome and updates the Expression of Concern accordingly; however, the original Expression of Concern remains archived.
The journal prioritizes transparency, research integrity, and academic ethical principles throughout all correction and retraction processes.
D. Publication Integrity
1. Plagiarism Policy
Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi uses professional similarity analysis tools such as Turnitin or iThenticate to detect plagiarism in all manuscripts submitted for publication. Authors are required to upload the similarity report to the system during submission.
If the similarity rate exceeds 20%, editors review the manuscript carefully. The similarity rate is not assessed solely as a numeric indicator; the nature of overlap is also considered. Uncited quotations, close paraphrasing without attribution, excessive self-citation, and other situations raising plagiarism concerns are evaluated in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Serious violations may result in rejection during peer review or, if already published, retraction.
2. Data Manipulation and Image Manipulation Policy
All submissions must contain verifiable, genuine, and unmanipulated data. The following actions are considered ethical violations:
• Data fabrication and falsification
• Image manipulation (e.g., splicing microscopy images, altering results, adding/removing intensity, lane shifting, etc.)
• Failure to provide raw data or non-transparent data processing
Editors may request raw data, analysis code, experimental records, or original images when necessary.
3. Salami Slicing and Redundant Publication Policy
Unnecessary fragmentation of the same research into multiple publications (“salami slicing”) is considered an ethical violation by Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi. Redundant publication, resubmission without proper citation, and simultaneous submission to more than one journal are strictly prohibited.
Authors must clearly inform the editor if there is partial overlap with their previous work.
4. Gift Authorship / Ghost Authorship Policy
The journal follows ICMJE authorship criteria. The following are considered violations of authorship ethics:
• Gift authorship: adding individuals who did not make a scientific contribution
• Ghost authorship: omitting individuals who made substantial contributions
• Authorship order manipulation: adding/removing authors for interest-based reasons after the publication process has begun
All authors must complete the contribution declaration during submission, and each author’s responsibilities must be clearly stated. Individuals not listed on the ethics approval document cannot be included as authors.
5. Investigation of Ethical Misconduct and Sanctions
Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi evaluates all suspected ethical misconduct in accordance with COPE guidelines and flowcharts. Allegations such as plagiarism, fabrication/falsification, unethical authorship, missing ethics approvals, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and violations related to human/animal research ethics are subject to a formal investigation process.
Investigation Process
• Editors may request additional information, raw data, research records, or ethics approval documents.
• Authors have the right to respond.
• If findings cannot be verified or there is strong suspicion of serious misconduct, the process proceeds in line with COPE procedures.
Possible Sanctions
• Rejection during evaluation
• Correction, retraction, or publication of an Expression of Concern
• Temporary submission ban to Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi
• Formal notification to the author’s institution, funders, or relevant editors when necessary
All investigations are conducted under confidentiality, and final decisions fall within the authority of the Editorial Board.
Manuscript Evaluation Processes
1. Initial Screening
All submissions to Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi are first reviewed by editors for alignment with the journal’s aims and scope, language and writing quality, scientific validity, ethical compliance, and originality.
At this stage, manuscripts may be rejected if they:
• fall outside the journal’s scope,
• contain major English language and writing problems,
• have deficiencies in presentation or statistics, or
• have limited originality.
Authors of rejected manuscripts are notified in writing with the reasons within two weeks. Suitable manuscripts are forwarded to relevant section editors for detailed screening.
2. Detailed Screening
Section editors review all parts of the manuscript (abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and conclusion) for compliance with journal publication policies and scientific standards.
• Manuscripts deemed suitable are sent to reviewers.
• Manuscripts deemed unsuitable are returned to authors with a section editor report within five weeks at the latest.
3. Reviewer Assignment and Peer Review Process
Manuscripts are sent to at least two independent reviewers based on subject expertise and reviewer experience. When necessary, statistical or language editors may also be involved.
• Reviewers are selected to avoid the same institutional affiliation as the authors.
• Reviewers evaluate manuscripts objectively and maintain confidentiality of all documents.
• Reviewers may request more than one round of revision.
• Reviewer reports are reviewed by the section editor within two weeks and the final recommendation is forwarded to the Editor-in-Chief.
The final decision-making authority in all evaluation processes belongs to the Editor-in-Chief.
4. Double-Blind Peer Review
All manuscripts are evaluated under a double-blind peer review system in which author and reviewer identities are concealed. This system supports objective assessment and contributes to improving journal publication quality.
5. Manuscript Withdrawal
• Authors wishing to withdraw a manuscript under evaluation may submit a withdrawal request through the manuscript evaluation system with an acceptable justification. The withdrawal will be completed if the justification is accepted by the editor.
• The editorial office will respond to the request within one week at the latest.
• If errors or deficiencies are identified in published or under-review manuscripts, authors are responsible for cooperating with the editorial office to ensure timely corrections.
If a reader notices a significant error or inaccuracy in an article published in Kocatepe Veterinary Journal, or has any concerns regarding the editorial content (such as plagiarism, duplicate publications, etc.), they may report it by sending an email to kvj@aku.edu.tr. We welcome such notifications as they provide an opportunity for improvement, and we aim to respond promptly and constructively.
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