The publication processes implemented in the Trabzon Journal of Theology constitute the foundation for the objective and reputable development and dissemination of knowledge. In this regard, these processes directly reflect the quality of the studies conducted by authors and the institutions supporting them. Peer-reviewed studies are works that embody and support scientific methodology. Therefore, it is essential that all stakeholders involved in the publication process (authors, readers and researchers, publisher, reviewers, and editors) comply with ethical standards. Within the scope of its publication ethics, the Trabzon Journal of Theology expects all stakeholders to fulfill the following ethical responsibilities.

The ethical duties and responsibilities stated below have been prepared by taking into consideration the guidelines and policies published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) as open access resources (see COPE Guidelines in Turkish).

See also: Decisions of the Workshop of Editors of Theology Journals (20/01/2018)

The publication of an article in a peer-reviewed journal is an essential element in the development of a coherent and respected knowledge network. It directly reflects the quality of the work of authors and the institutions supporting them. Peer-reviewed articles support and shape scientific methods. Therefore, reaching an agreement on standards of expected ethical behavior is important for all parties involved in publishing, including authors, journal editors, reviewers, and publishing organizations.

Responsibilities of Authors

1. Accurate and Transparent Reporting of Research

Authors are responsible for presenting the research process and findings accurately, clearly, and completely. The purpose, methodology, findings, and conclusions of the study should be presented in accordance with scientific integrity principles, and the contribution of the research to the field should be evaluated objectively. Sufficient details should be provided in articles to ensure the reproducibility of the methods used, and all sources utilized must be properly cited.

2. Preservation and Accessibility of Research Data

Authors should retain the raw data used in their research securely for an appropriate period of time. If requested by the editorial office or deemed necessary during the peer-review process, authors may be required to provide these data for examination. Authors are responsible for responding to such requests within a reasonable period.

3. Originality and Avoidance of Plagiarism

All studies submitted to the journal must be original. When using ideas, data, tables, figures, or texts belonging to other researchers, appropriate citations must be provided according to academic standards. Any form of plagiarism, fabrication of data, falsification of data, or similar ethical violations is unacceptable. In this context, authors may be required to submit a similarity report during the article submission process.

4. Duplicate and Simultaneous Submissions

Submitting a study that has already been published or is under review by another journal to the Trabzon Journal of Theology is incompatible with ethical publishing principles. Authors must not submit the same study to another journal before the evaluation process has been completed and must not present a previously published article as a new study.

5. Authorship Criteria

Only individuals who have made significant scientific contributions to the research should be included in the list of authors. Contributions to the planning, execution, data collection, or analysis of the research; contributing to the preparation of the manuscript or improving its intellectual content; approving the final version and accepting its submission for publication are fundamental criteria for authorship. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors meet these criteria and approve the final version of the manuscript.

6. Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest and Funding Sources

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that may affect the impartiality of the research at the submission stage. All financial support, project numbers, or funding information used in conducting the research should be clearly stated, if applicable.

7. Cooperation with the Peer Review and Editorial Process

Authors should cooperate effectively with the editorial office and reviewers throughout the evaluation process. If requested, raw data, ethics committee approvals, participant consent forms, and other necessary documents must be provided in a timely manner. For manuscripts requiring revision, authors must consider the comments of reviewers and editors, make the necessary revisions within the specified period, and resubmit the revised manuscript through the system.

8. Errors and Corrections After Publication

If authors identify a significant error or deficiency in their published work, they must promptly notify the editorial office and cooperate with the journal in issuing corrections (erratum), clarifications, or retraction when necessary. Similarly, if a serious error is reported to the editorial office by third parties, authors are required to provide the necessary explanations and submit requested information or documents.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer reviews aim to contribute to editors’ scientific and editorial decision-making processes. Reviewers should prepare their evaluations in a constructive, justified, and guiding manner and provide suggestions that improve the scientific quality of the manuscript. Missing references, relevant literature, methodological issues, citation deficiencies, and concerns regarding scientific standards should be clearly indicated.

2. Timely Completion of the Review Process

Reviewers who do not consider themselves qualified to evaluate a manuscript or who know that they cannot complete the review within the specified timeframe should promptly decline the invitation and inform the editorial office. This allows a new reviewer to be appointed without delaying the evaluation process.

3. Confidentiality Principle

All manuscripts submitted for peer review are confidential documents. Their content must not be shared, discussed, or used for any purpose with third parties without the permission of the editor. This obligation also applies to reviewers who decline the review invitation.

4. Objectivity and Impartiality

Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts solely based on their scientific quality. Review reports must be prepared in an objective, respectful, and constructive manner, and personal criticisms directed at authors should be avoided. Comments should contribute to improving the manuscript.

5. Identification of Sources and Reporting Ethical Violations

Reviewers should identify important publications that have not been cited but should have been referenced in the manuscript and recommend them to the authors. If reviewers detect significant similarities between the manuscript under review and other published or known unpublished works, or identify possible ethical violations, they should promptly inform the editorial office.

6. Avoidance of Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers should not participate in the review process if they have any financial, institutional, academic, or personal conflicts of interest related to the manuscript. They should inform the editorial office of such situations and decline the review assignment when impartiality may be compromised.

The Trabzon Journal of Theology adheres to transparency and scientific ethical principles in its publication processes. Readers who identify a significant error, ethical violation, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or similar issue in an article published in the journal, or who wish to submit any opinion, suggestion, or complaint regarding editorial processes, may contact the editorial office via trabzonilahiyatdergisi@trabzon.edu.tr.

Editorial Responsibilities

• Editors have full responsibility and authority to accept or reject a manuscript.
• Editors must not have conflicts of interest regarding manuscripts they accept or reject. Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts according to the scope of the journal and consider the significance and originality of the studies. Editors do not consider the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, or political views. Decisions regarding revision or publication cannot be influenced by institutions other than the journal’s editorial board. Editors ensure that published issues contribute to readers, researchers, practitioners, and the scientific field and maintain original academic quality.
• Only manuscripts that contribute to the relevant field should be accepted.
• Editors should support the publication of corrections or retractions when errors are identified.
• Editors must not share information regarding submitted manuscripts with anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and editorial board members. Editors ensure that manuscripts evaluated by at least two reviewers are assessed according to the double-blind peer-review system. Editors keep reviewers’ identities confidential and take measures against plagiarism and fabricated data.
• The peer-review process is central to successful scientific publishing. Protecting and improving the peer-review process is part of our commitment, and the Trabzon Journal of Theology is responsible for assisting the academic community in all matters related to publication ethics, especially in cases involving suspected duplicate publications or plagiarism.

Readers who identify a significant error or mistake in an article published in the Trabzon Journal of Theology, or who have complaints regarding editorial content (such as plagiarism or duplicate publications), may submit their complaints by contacting trabzonilahiyatdergisi@trabzon.edu.tr. We welcome complaints as they provide opportunities for improvement and aim to respond quickly and constructively.

Plagiarism Detection

• The articles submitted to Trabzon Theology Journal for publication are subjected to single-blind peer review by at least two reviewers. In addition, through a special program used for plagiarism detection, it is confirmed that the articles have not been published before and do not contain plagiarism.

Plagiarism Action Plan

• In case of suspicion of plagiarism by an author in a submitted or published article or a notification of plagiarism, the study is first examined by the journal’s Ethics Editor. Afterwards, the study is reviewed by the Editorial Board. Then, the Journal contacts the author to submit a written explanation within 10 days. If the Journal does not receive any response from the author within the specified period, it contacts the university to which the author is affiliated and requests an investigation of the allegation.

• The Journal will take the following measures against published articles found to contain plagiarism:

• The Journal will contact the university to which the relevant author is affiliated.
• The Journal will remove the copy of the published article from its website and disable all links to the full-text article. The phrase “Plagiarized Article” will be added to the title of the published article.
• The Journal will reject all future submissions of the author for a period of 2 years.

Publication Principles

• Trabzon Theology Journal is published by the Faculty of Theology at Trabzon University.

• Trabzon Theology Journal publishes original articles, translations, book reviews, symposium, seminar and conference evaluations, interviews, and similar academic studies that make an original contribution to Islamic thought and culture, particularly in the field of Theology and in the fields of Social and Humanities.

• Publications in Turkish, English, and Arabic are accepted in the journal.

• Our journal is published twice a year, in June and December. The article submission dates are between 1 February and 28 February for the June issue and between 1 August and 31 August for the December issue. If the number of submitted articles reaches a sufficient level, the article submission process may be closed before these dates.

• Original, unpublished manuscripts that are not under review by another journal and whose content and submission have been approved by all authors are accepted for evaluation.

• Authors’ biographical information must be included in the manuscript at the initial submission stage.

• Only one article by the same author can be processed in the same publication period and can be published if it passes peer review. However, since not all articles can be included in one issue, articles that have received peer approval are ranked by the Editorial Board and assigned to issues.

• Articles by the same author cannot be published in two consecutive issues. In addition, the same author cannot submit an article simultaneously to a Special Issue and a Periodical Issue if article acceptance is made within the same period.

• Studies must be prepared in accordance with the journal’s writing guidelines. Articles that do not comply with the journal’s writing rules are rejected without being taken into evaluation.

• After an article has been submitted to the Journal for publication, the name of any author cannot be removed from the author list, a new author cannot be added, and the order of authors cannot be changed without the written consent of all authors.

• Articles must be submitted electronically through the “Submit Article” section on the journal website.

• The space allocated to translations cannot exceed 1/2 of the total page number of the journal.

Authorship

• The reference list must be complete.

• Plagiarism and fabricated data must not be included.

• The same research should not be attempted to be published in more than one journal, and scientific research and publication ethics must be followed.

The actions contrary to scientific research and publication ethics are as follows:

a) Plagiarism: Presenting the ideas, methods, data, practices, writings, figures, or works of others, partially or completely, as one’s own work without properly citing the owners according to scientific rules,

b) Fabrication: Producing data that are not based on research, organizing or altering a published or presented work based on false data, reporting or publishing such data, or presenting an unperformed research as if it had been conducted,

c) Falsification: Falsifying research records and obtained data, presenting methods, devices, and materials that were not used in the research as if they were used, excluding data that do not comply with the research hypothesis, manipulating data and/or results in order to fit relevant theories or assumptions, or falsifying or shaping research results in accordance with the interests of supporting individuals and organizations,

d) Duplicate publication: Presenting more than one work containing the same results of a research as separate works in associate professorship examinations and academic promotions,

e) Slicing: Presenting the results of a research as separate works in associate professorship examinations and academic promotions by inappropriately dividing them into multiple publications in a way that disrupts the integrity of the research and without cross-referencing them,

f) Unfair authorship: Including individuals who have no active contribution among the authors, excluding individuals who have active contributions from the authorship list, changing the order of authors without justification and appropriately, removing the names of contributors during publication or subsequent editions, or including one’s name among the authors by using influence despite having no active contribution,

g) Other types of ethical violations:

1. Failing to indicate the supporting individuals, institutions, or organizations and their contributions in publications resulting from supported research,
2. Using theses or studies that have not yet been presented or accepted through defense as sources without the permission of their owners,
3. Failing to comply with ethical rules in research conducted on humans and animals and failing to respect patient rights in publications,
4. Acting contrary to the provisions of relevant legislation in biomedical research and other clinical studies involving humans,
5. Sharing information contained in a work assigned for review with others before publication without the explicit permission of the author,
6. Using resources, places, facilities, and devices provided or allocated for scientific research for purposes other than their intended use,
7. Making unfounded, unjustified, and intentional accusations of ethical violations,
8. Publishing data obtained through surveys and attitude studies conducted within the scope of a scientific study without obtaining the explicit consent of participants or, if the research is to be conducted in an institution, without obtaining the institution’s permission,
9. Causing harm to animal health and ecological balance in research and experiments,
10. Failing to obtain written permissions from authorized units before starting research and experiments,
11. Conducting studies contrary to the provisions of legislation or international agreements to which Türkiye is a party regarding relevant research and experiments,
12. Failing to fulfil the obligation of researchers and authorities to inform and warn relevant persons about potentially harmful practices related to scientific research,
13. Failing to use data and information obtained from other persons and institutions within the limits and manner permitted, failing to respect the confidentiality of such information, and failing to ensure its protection in scientific studies,
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).

Ethical Criteria

As TR Index, improvements have been made in the 2020 criteria regarding ethics in order to develop ethical awareness among researchers and ensure that behaviors and decisions concerning academic life are carried out within the framework of ethical principles. In order to protect the rights of human participants before, during, and after research, prevent harm to them, and ensure that informed consent is obtained, all scientific research and studies conducted on human participants in the field of social sciences, as well as all scientific research and studies conducted on historical artifacts and cultural assets, must be evaluated ethically by considering environmental protection, and the studies must comply with ethical standards.

Does your research require ethical review?

A Self-Assessment Checklist

Question [Yes (Y) / No (N)]

a. Will your study involve human participants, whether or not they have knowledge or consent at that time? (This includes cases where the research subject is yourself.) (Y/N)

b. Will your study involve animals? (Y/N)

1. Will your study expose any person to physical or psychological harm, whether or not they are participants? (Y/N)
2. Will you have access to personal information and/or data that allow you to identify individuals or confidential company or corporate information? (Y/N)
3. Does your study pose a significant risk to the environment or society? (Y/N)
4. Are there any ethical issues raised by your study that require further ethical review? (Y/N)

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, some form of ethical review will be required.

NOTE: The study should not begin before ethical approval is granted.

Publications that do not comply with these principles are rejected by the editors without being taken into consideration.