PUBLICATION ETHICS

1. Ethics Committee Approval

Ethics Committee approval is mandatory for all studies involving data collection methods such as questionnaires, scales, interviews, observations, and the use of documents, photographs, surveys, or similar materials. Research involving human participants or animals, including studies in the social sciences, must obtain approval from an appropriate Ethics Committee, and such approval must be documented. Manuscripts submitted without the required Ethics Committee approval will be returned to the authors without entering the review process.

2. Information on Ethics Committee Approval

Details of the Ethics Committee approval, including the name of the committee, approval date, and approval number, must be stated in the Method section of the manuscript as well as on either the first or the last page of the manuscript. For case reports, authors must indicate that informed consent was obtained from the participants.

3. Copyright

Authors are responsible for complying with copyright regulations regarding all copyrighted intellectual and artistic works used in their manuscripts.

4. Availability of Raw Data

During the peer-review process, reviewers may request access to the raw data supporting the findings of the study. Authors are also expected to retain the research data after publication for verification purposes, when necessary.

5. Similarity Index Policy

Submitted manuscripts must be accompanied by an originality report generated by an academic plagiarism detection software (e.g., iThenticate, Turnitin, or equivalent). The maximum acceptable similarity index is 15%, excluding the reference list. Manuscripts exceeding this limit will be returned to the authors during the preliminary evaluation process. However, manuscripts derived from graduate theses or based on document analysis may be accepted with a similarity index of up to 20%, provided that the overlap is justified.

6. Ethical Principles for Authors

6.1. Originality and Citation

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their work is original. When using the ideas, language, figures, graphics, tables, or other intellectual contributions of others, appropriate citation and referencing must be provided. Any use of another person's work without proper acknowledgment constitutes plagiarism.

6.2. Authorship Responsibility

All responsibility for the content of the manuscript rests with the authors. Individuals who have not made a significant scholarly contribution to the study should not be listed as authors, and contributors who have made substantial contributions should not be omitted from the list of authors.

6.3. Integrity of Data and Findings

Authors must not fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or selectively omit research data. Any unethical practices, including data alteration, deletion, modification, or misrepresentation, are strictly prohibited.

6.4. Simultaneous Submission and Duplicate Publication

A manuscript must not be submitted simultaneously to more than one journal. Likewise, a manuscript that has already been published, in whole or in part, must not be submitted for publication elsewhere.

7. Ethical Principles for Reviewers

7.1. Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat all manuscripts and related review materials as confidential and must not disclose or discuss them with unauthorized third parties.

7.2. Objectivity and Timeliness

Reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and constructively, and to complete their reviews within the specified review period.

7.3. Scope of the Review

Review reports should provide clear, objective, and constructive evaluations of the manuscript, including comments on the originality of the topic, the appropriateness of the methodology, the adequacy of the literature review, and the scientific quality of the study. Any criticism or recommendation should be supported by a clear explanation.

7.4. Plagiarism and Prior Publication

If reviewers identify possible plagiarism or become aware that a manuscript has been previously published or submitted elsewhere, they should immediately notify the handling editor.

8. Statements to Be Included at the End of the Manuscript

8.1. Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors should declare whether they have any actual or potential conflicts of interest related to the preparation and/or publication of the manuscript.

8.2. Funding Statement

Authors should disclose any financial support or funding received for conducting the research and/or preparing the manuscript.

8.3. Ethics Committee Approval Statement

Authors must clearly state whether Ethics Committee approval was required for their research and, where applicable, provide the relevant approval information.

8.4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Disclosure Statement

The responsibility for disclosing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools belongs to the authors. Authors must declare whether AI tools were used during the preparation, analysis, writing, editing, or revision of the manuscript. If AI tools were used, authors should clearly state the name of the tool(s), the purpose of their use, and the extent of their contribution to the manuscript. The use of AI tools does not replace the authors’ responsibility for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of the published work.