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MetaZihin Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Philosophy of Mind (MetaZihin for short) is committed to practicing the highest standards of publication ethics and adhering to the ethical principles adopted below. These principles are based on the guidelines and recommendations developed for journal editors by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Council of Science Editors (CSE), World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Within the scope of publication ethics, all stakeholders of MetaZihin are expected to carry ethical responsibilities. In this context, MetaZihin is committed to following the Code of Conduct and Principles of Transparency and Best Practice prepared by COPE. Following the COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors is the responsibility of the editors and following the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers is the responsibility of the journal reviewers.

The publication processes implemented at MetaZihin aim to develop and disseminate knowledge in an impartial and reputable manner. The processes implemented in this direction are expected to directly improve the quality of the work produced by the authors and the institutions supporting the authors. Peer-reviewed studies are studies that embody and support the scientific method. At this point, all stakeholders of the process (publishers, editors, reviewers, authors, readers and researchers) are expected to strictly comply with the standards for ethical principles.

1. ACTIONS AGAINST SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION ETHICS

A. Major Violations
(1) Plagiarism: Representing the original ideas, methods, data or works of others as one's own work in whole or in part without citation in accordance with scientific rules.
(2) Forgery: Using non-existent or falsified data in scientific research.
(3) Distortion: Falsifying research records or data obtained, showing devices or materials not used in the research as if they were used, falsifying or shaping the results of the research in line with the interests of the persons and organizations receiving support.
(4) Repeated Publication: Presenting duplicate publications as separate publications in academic appointments and promotions.
(5) Slicing: Dividing the results of a research into parts in a way that disrupts the integrity of the research and inappropriately and publishing them more than once and presenting these publications as separate publications in academic appointments and promotions.
(6) Unfair Authorship: Including people who have not made active contributions among the authors or not including people who have made active contributions, changing the author ranking in an unjustified and inappropriate manner, removing the names of those who have made active contributions from the work in subsequent editions, using his/her influence to have his/her name included among the authors even though he/she has not made active contributions.

B. Other Violations
(1) Not specifying the persons, institutions or organizations that provide support and their contributions in publications made as a result of research conducted with support.
(2) Using theses or studies that have not yet been submitted or defended and accepted as a source without the permission of the owner.
(3) Failing to comply with ethical rules in research on humans and animals, and failing to respect patient rights in publications.
(4) Violating the provisions of the relevant legislation in human biomedical research and other clinical research.
(5) Sharing the information contained in a work that he/she is assigned to review with others before publication without the express permission of the author.
(6) To misuse the resources, spaces, facilities and devices provided or allocated for scientific research.
(7) Making baseless, unwarranted and intentional allegations of ethical violations.
(8) In surveys and attitude surveys conducted within the scope of a scientific study, publishing the data obtained without obtaining the explicit consent of the participants or, if the research is to be conducted in an institution, without obtaining the permission of the institution.
(9) In research and experiments, harming animal health and ecological balance.
(10) In research and experiments, not obtaining the permissions required to be obtained before starting the studies in writing from the authorized units.
(11) Conducting research and experiments in violation of the provisions of the legislation or international conventions to which Turkey is a party regarding relevant research and experiments.
(12) Failing to comply with the obligation to inform and warn those concerned about possible harmful practices related to the scientific research conducted by researchers and authorities.
(13) Not using the data and information obtained from other persons and institutions in scientific studies to the extent and in the manner permitted, not respecting the confidentiality of this information and not ensuring its protection.
(14) Making false or misleading statements regarding scientific research and publications in academic appointments and promotions.
(YÖK Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive, Article 4).

C. Studies Requiring Ethics Committee Approval for Publication in MetaZihin
(1) All kinds of research conducted with qualitative or quantitative approaches that require data collection from participants using questionnaires, interviews, focus group studies, observations, experiments, and interview techniques.
(2) Research in which humans and animals (including materials and data) are used for experimental or other scientific purposes.
(3) Clinical research conducted on humans.
(4) Research conducted on animals.
(5) Retrospective studies in accordance with the personal data protection law.

D. Related Obligations of the Studies to be Evaluated in MetaZihin
(1) Stating that the Informed Consent Form has been obtained in case presentations.
(2) Obtaining and indicating permission from the owners for the use of scales, questionnaires and photographs belonging to others.
(3) Stating that copyright regulations are complied with for the intellectual and artistic works used.
(4) In studies requiring ethics committee permission, information about the permission (name of the committee, date and number of permission) should be included in the method section and also on the first/last page of the study. In addition, in case presentations, information on the signature of the informed consent/assent form should be included in the study.

2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF STAKEHOLDERS
Stakeholders and readers are welcomed to report any issues regarding scientific research and publication ethics that they see in the studies published in MetaZihin to the e-mail address metazihindergisi@gmail.com.

A. Responsibilities of the Editors
Journal editors and associate editors assume the following responsibilities by following the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors prepared by COPE. In possible cases of misuse or violation of publication ethics, they follow the Publication Ethics Flowcharts developed by COPE and carry out the processes.
(1) Impartiality and Publisher's Freedom: The editors evaluate the submitted study proposals by taking into account their relevance to the scope of the journal and the importance and originality of the study. The editors do not take into account the race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality or political views of the authors submitting the manuscript. The decision to revise or publish cannot be influenced by institutions other than the editorial board of the journal. The editors take care to ensure that the published issues contribute to the reader, researcher, practitioner and scientific field and are of original quality.
(2) Independence: Editors have full responsibility and authority to accept or reject a manuscript. The editor-in-chief does not allow any conflict of interest between authors, editors and reviewers. He/she has full authority to appoint reviewers and is responsible for making the final decision on the manuscripts to be published in the journal. The relationship between the editors (Editor and Associate Editors) and the publisher is based on the principle of editorial independence. According to the written agreement between the editors and the publisher, all editorial decisions are independent of the publisher and the journal owner. The editors reject incomplete and erroneous research that does not comply with the journal policy, publication rules and level without any influence.
(3) Confidentiality: The editors do not share information about a submitted manuscript with anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and editorial board. They ensure that the studies evaluated by at least two reviewers are evaluated according to the double blind review system and keep the reviewers confidential.
(4) Disclosure and Differences of Opinion: Editors and editorial board members do not use unpublished information in a study submitted for their own research purposes without the express written permission of the authors. Editors cannot be in conflict of interest in connection with the studies they accept or reject.
(5) Publication Decision: The editors ensure that all manuscripts accepted for publication are peer-reviewed by at least two referees who are experts in their fields. Editors are responsible for deciding which manuscript to publish from the manuscripts submitted to the journal based on the validity of the manuscript in question, its importance for researchers and readers, the comments of the referees, and the relevant legal conditions. Editors have the responsibility and authority to accept or reject manuscripts. Therefore, they must use their responsibility and authority appropriately and in a timely manner.

(6) Ethical Concerns: Editors take precautions when ethical concerns arise regarding a work submitted to MetaZihin for publication or already published, and continue their work processes without compromising intellectual property rights and ethical standards. Editors review any reported unethical publishing behavior, even if it occurs years after publication. When ethical concerns arise, editors follow the relevant Publication Ethics Flowchart established by COPE. If the ethical concerns are significant, a correction or retraction may be applied or the concerns may be published in the journal.

(7) Collaboration with Journal Boards: The editorial board consists of editors, associate editors, and field editors. Editors ensure that all members of the editorial board and advisory board carry out the processes in accordance with the editorial policies and guidelines. They inform the editorial board and advisory board members about the publication policies. Ensure that editorial board and advisory board members evaluate the work independently. Contribute to the evaluation of new board members and ensure that decisions are made appropriately. Sends manuscripts appropriate to their expertise to field editors, advisory board members and reviewers for evaluation. Communicates regularly with the editorial board and advisory board members. Regular meetings are held with the editorial board for editorial policies and journal development.

B. Responsibilities of Authors
(1) Reporting Standards: It is the authors' responsibility to ensure that the study complies with ethical guidelines. The authors ensure that the study and results are presented accurately, followed by an objective discussion of the significance of the study. The study should include sufficient details and references.
(2) Data Access and Storage: Authors must retain the raw data of the study. When necessary, these data should be made available for editorial review if requested by the journal.
(3) Originality and Plagiarism: Authors should submit completely original work. If authors have used the work or words of others in their work, this should be properly cited. Authors may not be biased, incomplete and/or inaccurate in their use of data, references and citation. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. For this reason, a similarity rate report is required for all studies submitted to MetaZihin. Copyrighted materials such as tables, diagrams, images and figures are published in MetaZihin only with valid permission and copyright approval; the responsibility of obtaining this permission and copyright approval belongs to the authors. In the bibliography section of the study, a source that is not cited in the study should not be included. It is the responsibility of the author to indicate all the sources used in the study both in the text and in the bibliography in an accurate and truthful manner.
(4) Multiple, Repeated, Redundant or Simultaneous Submission / Publication: Authors must ensure the originality of the submitted work. They should declare that the manuscript has not been previously published or under consideration for publication anywhere, in any language. Authors should not submit for consideration a manuscript that has already been published in another journal. Simultaneous submission of a manuscript to more than one journal is unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

(5) Authorship Criteria
(a) Only individuals who fulfill the criteria for authorship should be listed as authors in the authors' section of the study. The criteria for authorship are as follows: (i) contributing to the design, implementation, data collection or analysis, (ii) drafting or making a substantial intellectual contribution to or critically revising the study, (iii) seeing and approving the final version of the study and agreeing to its submission for publication. The corresponding author should ensure that all authors (individuals who meet all three criteria) are included in the author list and that they have seen the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission for publication. The order of authors' names in the authors' section of the manuscript should be a collective decision.
(b) All individuals who did not meet the criteria for authorship but contributed to the study should be listed in the “acknowledgments” section. Examples include only those who provided technical support, helped with writing, provided financial or material support.
(6) Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors should point out any conflicts of interest at the earliest possible stage (usually by submitting a disclosure form at the time of manuscript submission and attaching a statement to the manuscript). All sources of financial support (including grant/funding numbers or other reference numbers, if any) used in the production of the work should be declared.
(9) Major Errors Found in Published Works: Authors are obliged to notify the journal editors immediately if they find a significant content inaccuracy or typographical error in their published work, and to cooperate fully with the journal editors to correct the content inaccuracy or typographical error or, if necessary, to remove the work from publication. The same obligation applies in the event of third-party disclosure of a content inaccuracy or a typographical error.

C. Responsibilities of Reviewers
Journal reviewers assume the following responsibilities by following the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers prepared by COPE.
(1) Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers help editors make the right decision with their evaluations. They report all ethical violations such as copyright infringement, plagiarism, etc. to the editors without delay.
(2) Speed: Reviewers complete their evaluations within the time given to them. Referees who request additional time may be given additional time to the extent of the urgency of the journal's publication. Referees who think that they cannot complete their evaluation within the allotted time or who do not think that they are not the appropriate person to evaluate the manuscript will notify the editor without delay, so that the editor can assign a new referee to the manuscript.
(3) Confidentiality: Reviewers recognize that a manuscript submitted to them is a confidential document and will keep all information about the manuscript confidential. They do not share or discuss any content of the manuscript with third parties unless authorized by the editor. This also applies to reviewers who decline the invitation to review.
(4) Impartiality Standards: Reviewers follow a one hundred percent impartial attitude in their evaluations. They take care to ensure that their evaluations are of a scientific nature and prioritize the author's ability to improve the manuscript. Reviewers only evaluate the work itself; they do not comment on the personalities or professional qualifications of the authors.
(5) Acceptance of References: Reviewers point to sources that are directly related to the study but not cited by the study in their evaluations. They also inform the editors of the existence of other studies that are remarkably similar to the study.
(6) Conflicts of Interest: In the event of a conflict of interest between the reviewer and the stakeholders of the manuscript under review, the reviewer shall notify the editor without delay and withdraw from the review of the manuscript.

3. PLAGIARISM POLICY
(a) MetaZihin checks the manuscripts submitted for publication through plagiarism programs. Studies with a plagiarism rate (excluding references) above 15 percent are not evaluated and returned to the author. If deemed necessary at any stage of the process, the work may be checked again. If it is determined that a study published in the journal contains plagiarism, the editorial board reserves the right to withdraw the study from publication, notify the relevant authorities at the institution where the author works, and initiate other related procedures.
(b) Studies containing copyright infringement, forgery (use of falsified or manipulated data), falsification (use of falsified data), use of inappropriate human and animal material, republication, unfair authorship, etc. will not be published in the journal. If such violations are detected after publication, the editorial board reserves the right to withdraw the manuscript from publication; it is also responsible for reporting the situation to the relevant authorities.

4. QUALITY ASSURANCE
Editors ensure that each study published in the journal is published in accordance with the journal's publication policies and international academic journal publishing standards. In this context, any work that does not comply with ethical principles and cannot be brought into compliance is removed from all processes. This includes studies that contain irregularities, ethical violations and similar types of nonconformities detected after publication.

5. PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA
Editors ensure that all personal data, including audio and visual materials, contained in a work submitted to MetaZihin are protected. Contributors to the journal (editors, referees and authors) are provided with documents showing their contributions upon request.

6. PRECAUTIONS AGAINST POSSIBLE ABUSE AND MISCONDUCT
Editors take precautions against possible misconduct and abusive behavior. It is among the responsibilities of the editors to conduct a rigorous and objective investigation in the detection and evaluation of complaints regarding this situation, as well as to share the relevant findings with the competent authorities.

7. ENSURING ACADEMIC PUBLICATION INTEGRITY
Editors shall ensure that errors, inconsistencies or misleading decisions in the works are promptly corrected.

8. PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
The editors are obliged to protect the intellectual property rights of all published works, to defend the rights of the journal and authors in case of possible violations, and to take the necessary measures to ensure that the content of all published works does not violate the intellectual property rights of other publications.

9. CONSTRUCTIVISM AND OPENNESS TO DISCUSSION
The editors take into account the criticisms against the works published in the journal and show a constructive attitude towards these criticisms in line with the purpose and scope of the journal. The authors of the criticized works have the right to reply. After the criticism and response processes, necessary measures are taken regarding the studies that are understood to contain negative results.

10. COMPLAINTS
The editors are obliged to review complaints carefully and respond to authors, reviewers or readers in an informative and explanatory manner.

11. POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL CONCERNS
The journal's owner, publisher and no other political or commercial factors can influence the independent judgment of the editors.

12. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The editors guarantee and ensure to authors and reviewers that the publication process of the journal is conducted in an independent and impartial manner.