Journal of Suleyman Demirel University Institute of Social Sciences

Süleyman Demirel University Journal of Social Sciences Institute (SDU-JS) is a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal published by a non-profit public university. The journal is dedicated to advancing knowledge in the social sciences by publishing original research articles, both qualitative and quantitative, as well as comprehensive review studies. In addition to its primary mission, the journal strives to enhance the visibility and impact of scholarly work by ensuring its inclusion in national and international academic indexes. By fostering a platform for high-quality research, the journal aims to contribute to the global scientific community, inspire scholars in the field, and support the advancement of social sciences through rigorous academic publishing.

The Süleyman Demirel University Journal of Social Sciences Institute (SDU-JS) focuses on topics within the social and human sciences, with a particular emphasis on communication, economics, political science, and sociology.

In addition to these core areas, the journal also includes studies that align with the academic disciplines of the Social Sciences Institute at Süleyman Demirel University and are related to the aforementioned subjects.

Language: Turkish and English
Article Format: MS Word Template
Visual Format: JPEG Minimum 300 dpi
Citation Style: APA 7.0 Citation System
Author Change: Processed only before article acceptance. Authors must carefully review the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscripts and provide the definitive author list at the time of original submission.

• Süleyman Demirel University Social Sciences Journal (SDÜ-SD) publishes research, review, and conceptual articles that examine fundamental problems in the social sciences from a scientific perspective and propose solutions to these problems. The journal aims to share studies that provide original contributions to social science disciplines and comply with academic standards with the scientific community.
• You can submit your articles online through the address on the DergiPark system.
• For article publication, authors must upload the copyright notification text with wet signature and similarity report to the system.
• Click here for Copyright Notification Contract Text.
• Click here for Article Template.
• Articles can be written using the journal article template or existing text can be transferred to the template. Studies that do not use the article template will not be considered for evaluation.

ARTICLE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES (TEMPLATE SPECIFICATIONS)

1. Page Layout:

• Paper Size: Vertical A4
• Top Margin: 3 cm
• Bottom Margin: 2.5 cm
  
• Left Margin: 2.5 cm
  
• Right Margin: 2.5 cm
  
• Font: Helvetica (Times New Roman if Helvetica is unavailable)
  
• Font Size (normal text): 11 pt
  
• Font Size (headings): 12 pt (bold)
  
• Font Size (footnote text): 8 pt

2. Paragraph Layout:

• Alignment: Justified
  
• Left Indent: 0 cm
  
• Right Indent: 0 cm
  
• Special (First Line) Indent: None
  
• Spacing Before: 0 pt
  
• Spacing After: 8 pt
  
• Line Spacing: 1.15x

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Article page size should be A4, page layout should be normal.
2. Articles should be written in this template and should be between 3,000-8,000 words including everything (cover, footnotes, etc.). In some cases, 8,000 words may be exceeded with editor approval.
3. Author names and information should not be written in the article text. They should only be on the first page, which is the cover section.
4. Header and footer entries should not be made.
5. Page numbers should be located in the upper left next to journal and issue information.
6. The latest edition of the Turkish Language Association Writing Guide should be the basis for spelling rules.

Article Element Arrangement

Articles should follow the sequence below:

1. Turkish Title (Should be between 10-12 words maximum)
2. Abstract (Should be between 150-250 words)
3. Keywords (Should consist of at least 5, maximum 8 words, with the first word being the field name)
4. English Title
5. Abstract
6. Keywords
7. Introduction
8. Conceptual Background
9. Research Method
10. Findings
11. Discussion and Conclusion
12. References
13. Extended Abstract (English)
14. Appendices

This element arrangement can be changed according to the nature and content of the study when necessary.

Similarity Report:

The following criteria are considered in the similarity report:

1. The similarity rate of the article should be at most 20%
2. The similarity rate of the article with another study - including the author's own studies - should be at most 2%
3. The similarity report should be obtained from similarity programs provided by universities such as iThenticate, Turnitin, intihal.net and uploaded to the system by the author during article submission.

Foreign Language Articles:

Süleyman Demirel University Social Sciences Journal accepts articles in Turkish and English. Articles written in foreign languages must include Turkish title, abstract, and keywords.

Title and Author Information

Title:

Turkish and English titles should be written in 24 pt, left-aligned with only the first letter of the first word capitalized, above the Turkish and English abstract section lines, with single line spacing and 8 pt spacing after. Titles should not exceed 20 words.

Author Information:

Article author information should be placed below the title separation line in 12 pt with initial letters capitalized. Author information should be indicated with footnotes and arranged in 8 pt to include title, institutional information, country, email address, and ORCID number in order.

Abstract and Keywords
Abstract: The abstract section of the study should be presented in a segmented structure including Purpose, Methodology, Findings, and Originality values. Abstract and Abstract sections should be written in "Helvetica" or "Helvetica Light Italic" fonts, in "Italic" format, justified, in 9 pt size with single spacing and 3 pt spacing after. The abstract (Turkish/English) should not exceed 300 words.

Extended English Abstract:

The extended English abstract in Turkish-written articles must be at least 500 words. Extended abstract section has been mandatory since issue 53.

Keywords:

At least 3, maximum 6 keywords should be placed under the abstract and Abstract texts, and the type of study should be specified. The first letter of each word in keywords should be capitalized and commas should be used between them. Should be written in 9 pt size; justified; single line spacing and without indentation.

Headings

Section Headings:

First-level headings should be in "Helvetica" font, bold and 12 pt, with single line spacing and 8 pt spacing after. Second and third-level headings should be written in "Italic" using "Helvetica" or "Helvetica Light Italic" fonts in the same manner.

In heading numbers, numbers should be given starting from the introduction section and numbered in decimal system (1., 1.1, 1.1.1, etc.). Only the first letters of words in headings should be capitalized and written in bold.

Main Text

Paragraphs in the main text should be written in "Helvetica" font in 11 pt size. Prepared main texts should be prepared justified with line spacing after 8 pt and 1.15x without indentation.

Tables and Figures

Table headings should be prepared in 8-11 pt range so as not to exceed table boundaries, and the points used in tables should be selected to be as uniform as possible and prepared to include all borders in white color within the table.

In table headings, Figure/Table/Graph/Map/Picture numbers should be written in 11 pt size in white on black font, and the heading should be written in the same point size with initial letters capitalized on gray font. Tables should be prepared justified with 1.15 line spacing between the table and table heading.

Each table should be given a serial number (Table 1, Table 2.). Source declarations of tables should be written in 8 pt immediately below the table. Tables and Figures should be arranged in accordance with APA 7.0 Citation System.

Footnotes and Citation System

All citations and References should be made in accordance with current APA 7.0 Footnoted Citation System. Explanatory notes should be expressed as footnotes at the bottom of the page in 8 pt. Explanatory footnotes should be arranged as 1, 2, 3, etc.

In-text citations should be made in APA 7.0 format with author(s) surname, source year, and page number. If there is no author name, the institution name should be used instead of the author.

Discussion and Conclusion

Should be written in Helvetica font in 11 pt size; justified; line spacing should be 1.15. The conclusion reached by the study or the solution proposal it presents should be clearly expressed. The conclusion should not be a summary of the study.

References

References should begin immediately after the Conclusion section. The References heading should be written in bold "Helvetica" font style in 11 pt, left-aligned without indentation, with all letters capitalized. The References heading should be set with 6 pt spacing before and after and written with single line spacing.

References should be written in single line spacing with 10 pt "Helvetica" font style. Each reference should be aligned justified, with single and 6 pt spacing after, and with hanging 0.5 indent.
If multiple works by the same author are included in the references, the author's name should be written again for each work. References should be arranged according to current APA 7.0 Citation System.

Documents Required for Submission

1. Main Text (3000-8000 words)
2. Author Identity Information Form
3. Copyright Notification Contract
4. Ethics Committee Report (mandatory only for studies requiring a report)
5. Similarity Report (Should not exceed 2% for a single work - 20% in total)

Ethics Committee Decision

• It is mandatory for studies/articles that require data collection from individuals using scales, questionnaires, interviews, and other data collection tools.
• The author must have received approval from the Ethics Committee of the university they are affiliated with or the institution where the study was conducted.
• Committee approval should be indicated on the first page of the article with committee name, date, and number. It should also be clearly stated in the Methodology/Method section. Care should be taken that the study name in ethics committee reports is at least 80% compatible with the article title.
• Data collection start and end dates should be written in the method section of the article.
• Ethics Committee Approval document should be added to DergiPark as an additional file.
• For studies that do not require Ethics Committee decision, the author must upload a wet-signed statement that ethics committee decision is not required instead of the "Ethics Committee Decision" document.
• For TR Index's view on Ethics Committee approval, see: (click here)

Writing Language and Editing Policy

• Articles published in SDÜ-SD should be written in Turkish or English. Studies submitted in Turkish should include English abstract and English extended abstract.

• Authors should carefully read the final form of the draft before submitting their articles. Submitted articles should have quality language (simple/understandable/clear) that complies with grammar rules and is familiar with scientific literature according to the writing language (Turkish and English).

• If the candidate article is accepted for publication, the final copy should be of high quality in terms of grammar and academic writing flow. The final copy is checked by Turkish and English full-text language editors.

The journal of Süleyman Demirel University Institute of Social Sciences follows the ethical principles, standards, and recommendations established by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Guidelines regarding publication ethics. The review of submitted works for publication begins with the editor's review phase, and works prepared in violation of ethical rules are rejected prior to peer review. Similarly, works found to be in violation of research and publication ethics at any stage of the editorial, peer review, publication committee, or publication process are not published and are rejected. If any behavior contrary to publication ethics is detected after the publication of the work, legal and administrative notifications are made in accordance with the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Guidelines, and an investigation process is initiated. Within the scope of publication ethics, all stakeholders are expected to fulfill the following ethical responsibilities, and all ethical cases are evaluated in accordance with COPE principles and recommendations, and the provisions of the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Guidelines.

Ethical Principles for Authors

• The primary responsibility of authors is to comply with general ethical principles, particularly the provisions of the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Guidelines, throughout the scientific research process that is the subject of the work they submit to the journal and during the writing and publication process of the research report.
• Authors submit their works for publication, acknowledging that the works are the result of their own research, are original, and do not contain any actions contrary to publication ethics, including plagiarism. They also acknowledge that they are solely responsible for any unethical behavior that may be detected and that the Journal of the Institute of Social Sciences at Süleyman Demirel University bears no responsibility in this regard.
• Authors must guarantee that they have made a scientific contribution to the work they submit for publication and that all authors have equal responsibility for the article.
• The corresponding author, as the author responsible for communicating with the journal editors during the review process, must guarantee that all co-authors listed in the work have consented to its publication and to being named as co-authors. Scientists who have contributed to the scientific research and research report writing process should be listed as co-authors in the articles, while the names of scientists who have not contributed should not be included. Unfair authorship practices should be avoided as inappropriate behavior. Those who have not contributed to the research and publication process but have provided support should be thanked appropriately in the works.
• Authors are required to declare in their works the organizations that support their scientific studies, financial resources, or any conflicts of interest, if any.
• Authors must not have published their works elsewhere or submitted them for publication elsewhere.
• Authors must cite all works they have quoted in their works, either in summary or verbatim, in accordance with APA citation rules.
• Authors must provide access to the datasets included in their works in accordance with copyright regulations if deemed necessary.
• Authors must prepare their works submitted for publication in the journal in accordance with research and publication ethics rules. Separate ethical committee approval must be obtained for studies requiring ethical committee approval, and this approval must be appropriately stated and documented in the work.

Ethical Principles for Editors

• It is the responsibility of the editorial board to accept or reject works submitted for publication in the journal in order to initiate the peer review process. When conducting a preliminary review of works submitted to the journal for publication, the editorial board must evaluate the authors' works without any discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political views and beliefs. 
• Decisions regarding the scientific evaluation of works must be made objectively and transparently, taking into account the journal's pre-determined and published publication and ethical principles, as well as the academic quality and validity of the article in line with the scope of the journal.
• Editors act in accordance with existing legal requirements regarding defamation, insults, copyright infringement, and research and publication ethics that may constitute a crime or offense in their review of works.
• Editors act in accordance with the principles and guidelines of the “blind peer review” process. Editors or any member of the editorial board should not disclose information about a work to the author, reviewers involved in the evaluation process, potential reviewers, or any other person.
• Unpublished materials disclosed in a work submitted to the journal should not be used in the research of the editor, editorial board, or any other person through the editors without the author's express written permission.

Ethical Principles for Reviewers

•  If a potential reviewer who has been invited to review a work does not consider themselves sufficiently qualified to evaluate the work in terms of their area of expertise, or if they consider it impossible to evaluate the work comprehensively and quickly, they should decline the offer or inform the editor of this situation and promptly notify them that they cannot fulfill the requirements of the review process.
• Reviewers are obligated to keep the works shared with them confidential and not to use any original information, methods, scales, or other original data obtained during the review process for personal gain.
• Reviewers should not share their reports or opinions on the article with third parties other than the journal editors in accordance with the principles and guidelines of “blind review.”
• Reviewers should be sensitive to the principles and guidelines of research and publication ethics when evaluating works and should bring any potential ethical violations they become aware of to the editor's attention. This includes cases of substantial similarity and inspiration between the work being evaluated and any other published or copyrighted work or works of which the reviewer has personal knowledge.
• Reviewers should act within the framework of scientific objectivity when evaluating works. They should not make subjective, discriminatory, derogatory, insulting, or personal opinions, beliefs, and judgments in their opinions and criticisms. They should take care to ensure that criticisms and opinions made within the framework of scientific objectivity are honest and polite within the bounds of courtesy.
• Reviewers who have contributed to the scientific research and writing process of the work sent to them for review by providing opinions, suggestions, and recommendations, or who have a conflict of interest due to being in competition or collaborating in other ways with the work or authors, must refrain from evaluating the work and report the situation to the editor or assistant editors.

Publication Policy

1) The Süleyman Demirel University Journal of the Social Sciences Institute (SDU-JS) is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal published electronically twice a year (in June and December), starting from 2026.

2) The journal accepts original research articles, review articles, and translations written in Turkish or English.

3) Süleyman Demirel University Journal of the Institute of Social Sciences adheres to the principles of open access publishing. No fees are charged to authors for the submission, evaluation, or publication of their work. Likewise, no remuneration is provided to authors or reviewers. Readers can access all published articles free of charge via the DergiPark system and the journal’s website. This policy aims to contribute to scientific progress and support a free academic environment.

4)As an open-access journal, the journal endorses the principles of the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), which ensures that scientific publications are freely accessible, readable, downloadable, copyable, distributable, printable, searchable, linkable, indexable, transferable as data into software, and usable for any lawful purpose without financial, legal, or technical barriers. Authors of published works accept that all users have free access to their articles.

5) Only research and review articles within the scope of the journal are accepted for publication. However, the proportion of review articles must not exceed 25% of the total content in any given issue.

6) Articles that are outside the scope of the journal are rejected during editorial review with justification. For interdisciplinary articles situated between covered and non-covered fields, decisions are made by consulting expert scholars and upon the proposal of the editorial board, followed by the decision of the publication board.

7) Final decisions regarding acceptance or rejection are made by the publication board based on the editorial board’s reasoned recommendations. In the event of rejection, authors are informed of the decision and the reasons via the DergiPark system or email.

8) Each issue of the Süleyman Demirel University Journal of the Institute of Social Sciences includes a maximum of 16 articles. In addition to research articles, if deemed appropriate by the publication board, translations and book reviews may also be included. Articles are listed according to the date on which their peer review processes are completed. If more than 16 articles are ready for publication within a given issue, subsequent articles are carried over to the next issue in chronological order. Adjustments made to publication schedules to ensure institutional and author diversity, as stipulated in the following articles, do not constitute a violation of the journal’s policy. For such articles, upon request, a document indicating the scheduled issue and publication date is provided. All processes are conducted transparently and traceably.

9) The journal emphasizes author diversity. To this end, within a calendar year, an author may have a maximum of two published articles: one single-authored and one co-authored. This period is calculated from the publication date of the author’s most recently published article. Authors submitting multiple manuscripts simultaneously are considered to have accepted this policy.

10) The journal also monitors institutional diversity. Measures are taken to ensure that the majority of published articles are not authored by individuals from the same institution. Relevant notifications and justifications are communicated to the authors if necessary.

11) Submitted articles are evaluated in accordance with scientific research and publication ethics. Prior to peer review, all manuscripts are checked for similarity using plagiarism detection tools (iThenticate and/or Turnitin and/or intihal.net). A similarity index above 20% results in automatic rejection. In cases where direct quotations are necessary due to the nature of the discipline, the editorial board may consult field experts before making a decision.

12) Authors retain the copyright of their published work, which is protected under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY). By submitting their manuscripts, authors are deemed to have accepted the protection of their rights within this framework. (For more information, see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.tr)

13) Manuscripts that do not comply with the Publication Policy and editorial principles of Süleyman Demirel University Journal of the Institute of Social Sciences will not be accepted. If noncompliance is detected at any stage of the editorial or peer-review process, the review is immediately terminated, and the manuscript is returned to the author.

14) In order to enrich author diversity, SDU-SJ publishes a maximum of two works by authors from the same institution in a single issue.

Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi yayıncılıkta açık erişim (Open Access) ilkelerini benimser. Bu kapsamda yayınlanacak eser hak sahiplerinden herhangi bir ücret talep edilmez, yayınlanacak eserlerin sahibi yazarlara herhangi bir telif ücreti ödenmez. Kör hakemlik sürecinde makale değerlendirmesi yapan hakemlere bir ücret ödenmezken dergi kullanıcısı okurlardan da herhangi bir ücret talep edilmez. Makaleler DergiPark sisteminden ve akabinde dergi web sitesinden ücretsiz olarak bilim camiasının kullanımına sunulur. Tüm bu süreçler ücretsiz olarak işletilir ve bu çalışmaların ve ücret politikasının amacı bilimsel ilerlemeye katkı sağlanması, özgür bilimsel ortamın yaratılmasıdır.

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