1. General Writing Principles

• Manuscripts must comply with the APA 7 (7th Edition) writing and citation guidelines.
• The language of the manuscript must be consistent with the publication language of the journal (Turkish/English).
• The text should be written in a clear, comprehensible, scientific, and consistent language.
• The manuscript must not have been previously published or be under review elsewhere.
• Ethical principles must be observed; where required, ethics committee approval must be stated and uploaded to the DergiPark System together with the manuscript as a separate file.

2. Page and Word Limits

• Research articles submitted to the journal must be between 5,000 and 8,000 words, including the references.
• This word limit corresponds to approximately 15–25 pages for manuscripts prepared in accordance with the APA 7 guidelines.
• The word limit for review articles may range between 6,000 and 10,000 words.
• Manuscripts exceeding the specified page and word limits may be returned to the author by the editor during the preliminary evaluation stage.
• The Editorial Board may, in exceptional cases, allow flexibility in the page and word limits based on the quality and originality of the manuscript.

3. Page Layout

• Paper size: A4
• Margins:
  • Top: 2.5 cm
  • Bottom: 2.5 cm
  • Right: 2.5 cm
  • Left: 2.5 cm
• Line spacing: 1.5 (justified)
• Paragraph indent: 1.27 cm
• Page number: Upper right corner

4. Font and Font Size

• Times New Roman – 12 pt

The same font must be used throughout the manuscript.

5. Article Title

• The title should be concise, clear, and reflective of the content of the manuscript.
• It should be written in bold and centered on the page.
• The title should not be written entirely in uppercase letters.

6. Headings Within the Text

• Level 1 Heading: Centered, bold
• Level 2 Heading: Left-aligned, bold
• Level 3 Heading: Left-aligned, bold, italic
• Level 4 Heading: Indented, bold, sentence case, text continues on the same line
• Level 5 Heading: Indented, bold, italic, text continues on the same line

Level 1 Heading

• Centered
• Bold
• Title Case
• The text begins on a new line after the heading.

Example:

Current Approaches to Social Policy

The text begins here…

Level 2 Heading

• Left-aligned
• Bold
• Title Case
• The text begins on a new line after the heading.

Example:

Social Policy Practices in Türkiye

The text begins here…

Level 3 Heading

• Left-aligned
• Bold and italic
• Title Case
• The text begins on a new line after the heading.

Example:

Social Assistance Mechanisms

The text begins here…

Level 4 Heading

• Indented by 1.27 cm (paragraph indent)
• Bold
• Sentence case (only the first word begins with a capital letter)
• A period is placed at the end of the heading, and the text continues on the same line.

Example:

Types of social assistance. This section discusses social assistance…

Level 5 Heading

• Indented by 1.27 cm
• Bold and italic
• Sentence case (only the first word begins with a capital letter)
• A period is placed at the end of the heading, and the text continues on the same line.

Example:

The role of local governments. Local governments' social policy…

Example of Article Heading Structure (APA 7)

Introduction

Theoretical Framework of Social Policy

Welfare State Models

Social policy practices in Türkiye.

The role of local governments.

7. Author Information (Title Page)

The title page must be uploaded to the system as a separate file. It must not be included in the manuscript.

• The title page should be prepared as a separate page containing the full name(s) of the author(s), institutional affiliation(s), ORCID, contact information (correspondence address, telephone number, and e-mail address), and the article title (in Turkish and English).
• Academic titles should not be included.
• Institutional affiliation (university/institution name, faculty/unit) should be provided.
• The ORCID ID should be included, if available.
• The corresponding author should be identified.

Example:

Full Name

Istanbul University, Institute of Social Sciences

ORCID: 0000-0000-0000-0000

8. Abstract and Öz

• The manuscript must include both a Turkish Öz and an English Abstract.
• Each should be between 150 and 200 words.
• Each should be written as a single paragraph.
• Citations, tables, and figures should not be included.

9. Keywords

• Keywords should be provided below the Öz/Abstract.
• A minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 keywords should be included.
• Keywords should be listed in alphabetical order.

10. In-Text Citations

• Single author:
  • (Yılmaz, 2023)
• Two authors:
  • (Yılmaz & Kaya, 2022)
• Three or more authors:
  • (Yılmaz et al., 2021)
• Direct quotations of fewer than 40 words should be enclosed in quotation marks and accompanied by a page number.

11. Tables and Figures

11.1. General Principles

• Tables and figures should be placed in the text immediately after their first mention.
• Table titles should appear above the table, and figure titles should appear below the figure.
• Titles should be italicized.
• Where a source citation is required, it should be presented in accordance with APA 7.
• A single font should be used throughout all tables and figures.
• Text should be in black and provide sufficient contrast with the background.
• The use of excessively small or large font sizes is contrary to the principles of scientific presentation.
• Tables and figures should be arranged so that they do not extend beyond the page margins or impair readability.

11.2. Font Sizes in Tables, Graphs, and Figures

• The font used in tables, graphs, and figures should be consistent with the font used in the main text.
• The font size should be 9 pt.
• Readability should be prioritized; excessively small font sizes should be avoided.

11.3. Table Text

• Text within tables: 9 pt
• Table title:
  • Italic
  • 12 pt
• Table notes (Note. ...):
  • 10 pt
  • Placed below the table.

11.4. Graph and Figure Text

• Axis labels, captions, and labels within graphs/figures: 9 pt
• Graph/Figure title:
  • Italic
  • 12 pt
  • Placed below the figure.
• Graph/Figure legends: 10 pt

12. REFERENCES

• The References section should begin on a new page at the end of the manuscript.
• The section heading should be written as "References", centered and bold.
• The References section should be prepared in accordance with the APA 7 (American Psychological Association) guidelines.
• Line spacing throughout the References section should be 2.0.
• A 1.27 cm (0.5 inch) hanging indent should be applied to each reference entry.
• References should be arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author.
• If there is more than one work by the same author, the works should be listed chronologically from the earliest to the most recent publication.
• Authors' given names should be abbreviated to initials, and an ampersand (&) should be used before the final author's name in works with multiple authors.
• Journal titles and volume numbers should be italicized, while issue numbers should appear in parentheses in regular font.
• For references with a DOI, the DOI must be included in the format https://doi.org/.
• For online sources without a DOI, the URL should be provided.
• All sources cited in the text must appear in the References section, and all sources listed in the References section must be cited in the text.

Reference Formatting Examples

1. Book

Single-author book

Surname, A. A. (Year). Book title. Publisher.

Example:

Giddens, A. (2018). Sociology. Kırmızı Publications.

Two-author book

Surname, A. A., & Surname, B. B. (Year). Book title. Publisher.

Example:

Buğra, A., & Keyder, Ç. (2017). Social policy and the welfare regime in Türkiye. İletişim Publications.

Edited book

Surname, A. A. (Ed.). (Year). Book title. Publisher.

Example:

Tekeli, İ. (Ed.). (2020). Social policy in Türkiye. İletişim Publications.

2. Book Chapter

Chapter author's surname, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. In A. A. Editor (Ed.), Book title (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.

Example:

Buğra, A. (2019). The transformation of the welfare state. In İ. Tekeli (Ed.), Social policy in Türkiye (pp. 85–110). İletişim Publications.

3. Peer-Reviewed Journal Article

Article with DOI

Surname, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example:

Esping-Andersen, G. (2015). Welfare regimes and social policy. Journal of Social Policy, 44(2), 233–251.

National peer-reviewed journal article

Surname, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx.

Example:

Yıldırım, K. (2021). The effects of social assistance on poverty. Journal of Social Policy Studies, 21(50), 123–145.

4. Theses

Unpublished thesis

Surname, A. A. (Year). Title of the thesis (Unpublished master's thesis/doctoral dissertation). University name.

Example:

Demir, S. (2020). Family policies in Türkiye (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Ankara University.

Thesis available through the National Thesis Center

Surname, A. A. (Year). Title of the thesis (Thesis No. xxxx) [Master's thesis/Doctoral dissertation, University]. Council of Higher Education (YÖK) National Thesis Center.

5. Institutional Reports

Institution Name. (Year). Report title. Publisher or URL

Example:

Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Family and Social Services. (2022). Türkiye Family Structure Survey.

6. International Organization Reports

Institution Name. (Year). Report title. URL

Example:

OECD. (2021). Social expenditure update. https://xxxxx

7. Legislation

Title of the Law, Law No. (Year). Official Gazette (Issue No., Day Month Year).

Example:

Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law, Law No. 5510. (2006). Official Gazette (26200, 16 June 2006).

8. Policy Documents / Strategy Documents

Institution Name. (Year). Document title. URL

Example:

Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye. (2019). Eleventh Development Plan (2019–2023). https://xxx

9. Conference Papers

Surname, A. A. (Year). Title of the paper. Conference Name, Location.

Example:

Kaya, M. (2021). Digitalization in the context of social policy. International Social Policy Congress, Ankara.

13. Ethics and Copyright

• Research and publication ethics must be observed.
• Authors are required to upload a plagiarism report together with their manuscript through the DergiPark System. An additional plagiarism report may also be requested upon editorial request.
• Authors are deemed to have accepted the copyright terms in accordance with the journal's policies. Accordingly, the Copyright Transfer Form must be completed and submitted through the DergiPark System.
• Authors are required to read the document entitled Ethical Principles and Publication Policy, available on the journal's homepage.

14. Similarity (Plagiarism) Rate

• All manuscripts submitted to the journal are subject to similarity screening through plagiarism detection software via the DergiPark System.
• Excluding the references, the overall similarity rate of the manuscript must not exceed 15%.
• The similarity rate from any single source must not exceed 3%.
• Quotations, citations, and sections that naturally contain similarity due to methodological requirements (e.g., scale items, legislative texts) are evaluated at the editor's discretion.
• Manuscripts exceeding the specified similarity thresholds will be returned to the author without being sent for peer review or may be returned for revision.
• Even if the similarity rate is within the acceptable limits, expressions used without proper citation may be considered plagiarism and the manuscript may be rejected.
• In cases of ethical violations identified during the publication process, the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Directive on Scientific Research and Publication Ethics, the TR Dizin Publication Ethics Principles, and the ULAKBİM regulations shall serve as the basis for evaluation.

Important Note

Manuscripts that do not comply with these guidelines will be returned to the authors and requested to be revised accordingly.

APPENDIX

In manuscripts written in English, certain expressions used in citations should also be written in English. The corresponding terms are provided in the table below.