Turkish Journal of Health Research

The Turkish Journal of Health Research, a publication of the Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Institute of Health Sciences, is dedicated to the dissemination of current developments, the dissemination of original research findings, and the exchange of information among the fields of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, and other health science disciplines.

In this regard, the journal admits original research articles, review articles, case reports, and letters to the editor. The journal is disseminated electronically three times annually and is published in Turkish and/or English.

Original research findings, literature reviews, laboratory studies, methodological studies, epidemiological research, and original case reports that have not been previously published and have not been submitted for publication in another journal are eligible for evaluation in the journal, provided that they comply with the following guidelines. Articles submitted for publication in the journal are not subject to any fees. The articles published do not generate royalty payments for the authors. DergiPark is the platform through which manuscripts are processed for submission. 

• In order to be taken into account during the evaluation process, research articles must include a declaration of approval from the appropriate ethics committee. Informed consent must be documented for human participants in research. It is important to acknowledge that the research methods used in animal-based experimental investigations were approved by the appropriate animal ethics supervision committee. The Materials and Methods section should include the following: the name of the ethics committee, the date of the committee's meeting, and the approval number. Additionally, patient consent information should be included. Authors may be requested to provide ethics approval documentation if required.

• The journal has the option of publishing in either Turkish or English. Abstracts must be composed in both Turkish and English. 

• If the editorial board considers it appropriate, articles that adhere to the journal's submission guidelines and are consistent with its aims and scope will be submitted for peer review. The author(s) are responsible for the legal and scientific content of the papers that have been submitted.
• Use the iThenticate (Academic Plagiarism Prevention) program to verify the similarity of all manuscripts submitted to our journal and upload the results to the system. During the interim review process, manuscripts with a similarity rate exceeding 20% (excluding the abstract, bibliography, in-text citations, proper names, and definitions by national/international organizations) will be returned to the corresponding author.
• Articles that are submitted must be formatted in Microsoft Word with a 1.5-line spacing and a 12-point "Times New Roman" font.
• All sides must have a margin of 2.5 cm.
• The first page should contain the Turkish and English titles (with capital letters for the initial letter of each word, excluding conjunctions), the name of the corresponding author, all authors' first and last names, institutional affiliation, email information, and ORCID numbers.
• The abstract should not exceed 300 words. The Turkish and English abstracts must be identical and must contain the following sections: Aim, Method, Results, Results, and Conclusion.
• Keywords should be chosen in the Turkish and English languages with a minimum of three and a maximum of seven. Turkish keywords must comply with the "Türkiye Bilim Terimleri" database (http://www.bilimterimleri.com), while English keywords must adhere to the "Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)" standards.
• The main text should be limited to the following word counts: 4000 words for research articles, 5000 words for reviews, 2000 words for case reports, and 1000 words for letters to the editor. It should also include the following sections: Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.
• Tables, figures, and charts should be incorporated into the text rather than being sent as distinct files.
• The funding information and acknowledgments should be included at the conclusion of the primary text if an article that has been submitted for publication has been previously presented at a conference or have received budget support.
• Vancouver style must be used for references. The reference numbers should be numbered in the text in the order of their initial occurrence, with the reference number indicated in regular parentheses. The reference list should be provided at the end of the text. If more than two consecutive reference numbers are listed, a hyphen (-) should be inserted between the first and last number of the series. When citing multiple references, please separate the reference numbers with commas. For example, instead of (2,3,4,5,13,15), write (2-5,13,15). Reference numbers should be included at the conclusion of sentences, such as:

        - Individuals with poor dietary habits.................. (8,10).

• When citing from books:
• Author’s Last Name and Initial(s) of First Name. Title: Subtitle. Edition. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.
Single author/editor:
    - Mason J. Concepts in dental public health. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005.
    - Ireland R, editor. Clinical textbook of dental hygiene and therapy. Oxford: Blackwell Munksgaard; 2006.
• Two to six authors/editors:
    - Miles DA, Van Dis ML, Williamson GF, Jensen CW. Radiographic imaging for the dental team. 4th ed. St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier; 2009.
    - Dionne RA, Phero JC, Becker DE, editors. Management of pain and anxiety in the dental office. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 2002.
• More than six authors/editors:
    - Fauci AS, Braunwald E, Kasper DL, Hauser SL, Longo DL, Jameson JL, et al., editors. Harrison’s principles of internal medicine. 17th ed. New York: McGraw Hill; 2008.
• When the author is an institution:
    - Canadian Dental Hygienists Association. Dental hygiene: definition and scope. Ottawa: Canadian Dental Hygienists Association; 1995.
• When there is no author/editor:
    - Scott’s Canadian dental directory 2008. 9th ed. Toronto: Scott’s Directories; 2007.
• Official document:
    - Canada. Environmental Health Directorate. Radiation protection in dentistry: recommended safety procedures for the use of dental x-ray equipment. Safety Code 30. Ottawa: Ministry of Health; 2000.
• Book chapter:
    - Alexander RG. Considerations in creating a beautiful smile. In: Romano R, editor. The art of the smile. London: Quintessence Publishing; 2005. p. 187-210.
• E-book:
    - Irfan A. Protocols for predictable aesthetic dental restorations [Internet]. Oxford: Blackwell Munksgaard; 2006 [cited 2009 May 21]. Available from Netlibrary:            http://cclsw2.vcc.ca:2048/login?url=http://www.netLibrary.com/urlapi.asp?action=summary&v=1&bookid=181691

• When citing from articles:
Author’s Last Name and Initial(s). Article title. Journal name (abbreviated). Publication date: Volume, Issue (Number): Page numbers.
If the abbreviated journal name is not provided in the article, the PubMed database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=journals) may be used to determine the correct abbreviation.
• Printed article:
    - Haas AN, de Castro GD, Moreno T, Susin C, Albandar JM, Oppermann RV, et al. Azithromycin as an adjunctive treatment of aggressive periodontitis: 12-months     randomized clinical trial. J Clin Periodontol. 2008 Aug;35(8):696-704.
    - Uzun D, Kara H, Doğan MF, Arslan SO. The Antibiotic Prescribing Behaviors of Physicians Are Changed Via Rapid Antigen Test Practice in the Context of Rational Drug     Use. Turk J Med Sci. 2020 Feb 25. doi: 10.3906/sag-1908-164.
• Article retrieved from the Internet:
    - Tasdemir T, Yesilyurt C, Ceyhanli KT, Celik D, Er K. Evaluation of apical filling after root canal filling by 2 different techniques. J Can Dent Assoc [Internet]. 2009 Apr [cited     2009 Jun 14];75(3):[about 5pp.]. Available from: http://www.cda-adc.ca/jcda/vol-75/issue-3/201.html
• Article retrieved from an online database:
    - Erasmus S, Luiters S, Brijlal P. Oral hygiene and dental student’s knowledge, attitude and behaviour in managing HIV/AIDS patients. Int J Dent Hyg [Internet]. 2005 Nov     [cited 2009 Jun 16];3(4):213-7. Available from Medline: http://cclsw2.vcc.ca:2048/login url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cmedm&AN=16451310&site=ehost-live
    - Monajem S. Integration of oral health into primary health care: the role of dental hygienists and the WHO stewardship. Int J Dent Hyg [Internet]. 2006 Feb [cited 2009     Jun 21];4(1):47-52. Available from CINAHL with Full Text: http://tinyurl.com/kudbxw
• When citing from the Internet:
• If there is an author:
    - Fehrenbach MJ. Dental hygiene education [Internet]. [Place unknown]: Fehrenbach and Associates; 2000 [updated 2009 May 2; cited 2009 Jun 15]. Available from: http://www.dhed.net/Main.html
• If there is no author:
    - American Dental Hygienists’ Association [Internet]. Chicago: American Dental Hygienists’ Association; 2009 [cited 2009 May 30]. Available from: http://www.adha.org/
• Section/Article from a website:
    - Medline Plus [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): U.S. National Library of Medicine; c2009. Dental health; 2009 May 06 [cited 2009 Jun 16]; [about 7 screens]. Available from:     http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dentalhealth.html
• Blog:
    - Skariah H. The tooth booth dental blog [Internet]. Mississauga (ON): Hans Skariah; 2004 - [cited 2009 Jun 20]. Available from: http://dentaldude.blogspot.com/
    - Skariah H. The tooth booth dental blog [Internet]. Mississauga (ON): Hans Skariah; 2004 -. Dental did you know: breastfeeding duration and non-nutritive sucking     habits; 2009 May 18 [cited 2009 Jun 20]; [about 1 screen]. Available from: http://dentaldude.blogspot.com/2009/05/dental-did-you-know-breastfeeding.html
• Image from the Internet:
    - McCourtie SD, World Bank. SDM-LK-179 [image on the Internet]. 2009 Apr 29 [cited 2009 Jun 14]. Available from:     http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldbank/3486672699/

Submissions to the journal should comply with the following regulations, as advised by our statistical editors. These regulations will apply to the assessment of your research studies.

• Include "Sample Size and Power:" at the end of the Methods section, under the heading "Statistical Analyses," along with a detailed explanation of the sample size calculation.
• The Methods section should contain the results of the sample size calculation for both the primary and secondary analyses. The sample size report must contain the primary variable, the statistical test employed, the effect size value, and the method used to calculate the effect size.
• The selection of the sample should be explicitly described in the Methods section.
• References that establish the validity and reliability of the scale in both the original and native language samples must be included if it is employed in the study. Additionally, it is imperative to provide a clear statement—or an appropriate source—about the "number of items on the scale, the response categories for the items and how they are coded, which items are reverse coded if applicable, which items belong to which dimensions, how the scale score is calculated, the minimum and maximum scores attained from the scale, and what an increase or decrease in the scale score signifies."

In the Statistical Analyses section:

• The software version and license that were employed in the statistical analyses must be specified.
• The information should include the process by which the necessary assumptions for the evaluations were assessed. (E.g., the Shapiro-Wilk test was employed to evaluate normality, and the Levene test was employed to investigate variance homogeneity.)

• The following abbreviations should be used for presenting descriptive statistics:

  Frequency/number (percentage): n (%)
  Mean and standard deviation: Mean±SD
  Median (interquartile range): Median (IQR)
  Median (Q1–Q3): Median (Q1–Q3)
  Minimum and maximum: min; max

• When parametric methods are used, “Mean±SD” must be provided, and when non-parametric methods are used, descriptive statistics such as “mean rank, median (IQR) or median (Q1–Q3)” must be included.
[Both mean and median values may be provided together; however, the descriptive statistic specified above must always be included according to the method.]
• The method used for error control in multiple comparisons must be stated.

In the Results, Tables, and Figures:

• Statistical analyses must include full p-values. The notations "p<0.05" and "p>0.05" should not be employed. Specifically, the results should be reported as "<0.001" and ">0.999" if the p-value is "0.000…" or "1.000." p-values should be expressed with three decimal places (e.g., p=0.342).
• A note below the table must provide an explanation of the abbreviations used in the table, explicitly indicating the test result.
• In figures that display percentage graphs, the y-axis must be between 0 and 100. If the graphs are drawn on various scales, this must be clearly indicated in a note below the graph.
• The sum of the percentages corresponding to the frequencies in the distributions must equal 100% (i.e., it should not be 0.99 or 100.1). 

Our journal, a publication of the Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Institute of Health Sciences, is a peer-reviewed periodical that publishes research and review articles, laboratory studies, methodological investigations, epidemiological research, case reports, and letters to the editor in the fields of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biotechnology and Nutrition & Dietetics, Child Development, Speech and Language Therapy, Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation, Nursing, Clinical Psychology, Audiology, Health Management, Social Work, Sports Sciences, and all other health science disciplines. The editor, assistant editors, and a minimum of two evaluators evaluate articles that meet the formal requirements and are submitted to The Turkish Journal of Health Research. Before the article is published electronically with open access, the authors are requested to make any necessary revisions. The following section delineates the ethical responsibilities, positions, and responsibilities of the publisher, reviewers, authors, and journal editors. These ethical principles and guidelines have been formulated in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE; https://publicationethics.org/).

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

• Submission Guidelines: Manuscripts submitted to The Turkish Journal of Health Research must include research and review articles, laboratory studies, methodological investigations, epidemiological research, case reports, and letters to the editor in the following disciplines: Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biotechnology and Nutrition & Dietetics, Child Development, Speech and Language Therapy, Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation, Nursing, Clinical Psychology, Audiology, Health Management, Social Work, Sports Sciences, and all other health science fields.
• The manuscripts must accurately and appropriately cite all sources used, including authors, online pages, and personal communications.
• The submitted manuscript must be declared as having not been submitted to any other journal.
• Authors who have not made a significant intellectual contribution to the manuscript should not be listed; in their place, they may be acknowledged in the acknowledgments section.
• Any conflicts of interest associated with the manuscript that has been submitted must be explained and disclosed.
• The authors must furnish the editor with the requisite information or raw data if it is sought during the review process.
• The authors must provide documentation that they have obtained the rights to use the data and, if applicable, have obtained consent from the participants involved in the research.
• Authors are accountable for promptly notifying the editor and the editorial board and participating in the process of issuing corrections or retractions in the event that any errors are discovered post-submission.
• The authors must verify that ethical committee approval was obtained for studies that involve data acquisition through experiments, surveys, scales, interviews, observations, or focus group discussions. The first and last pages, as well as the methodologies section, must contain the name of the ethics committee, decision date, and approval number. In case reports, it is necessary to include a statement that verifies the acquisition of informed assent.
• The manuscript should include evidence that demonstrates compliance with ethical standards during data collection, such as obtaining permission for the use of proprietary instruments or images. The ethical guidelines and copyright regulations that govern intellectual and artistic works should be explicitly stated to ensure that the research is in compliance. The research should be reported as having been conducted in accordance with international declarations or guidelines if it involves human or animal subjects.
• Review articles are not required to obtain ethical committee approval; however, it is important to indicate in the methods section and on the first and last pages that ethical approval is not necessary for manuscripts that do not require it.

Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

A double-blind peer review system is implemented in the evaluation process of The Turkish Journal of Health Research. This system prohibits direct communication between reviewers and authors and ensures that reviewers are unaware of the identities of the authors. The editors transmit evaluation forms, remarks, and correction requests to the authors through the journal's management system. The following ethical responsibilities and duties must be observed by reviewers who are responsible for evaluating manuscripts:

• Reviewers should only accept manuscripts that are within their area of expertise. 
• Reviews must be conducted in a confidential and impartial manner. The manuscript should be destroyed by the evaluators following the review process, and it should only be used if required post-publication. The objectivity of the review must not be compromised by nationality, gender, religious beliefs, political views, or commercial interests.
• If a reviewer identifies any potential conflict of interest or bias, they must decline to review the manuscript and inform the editor.
• Reviews should be conducted in a manner that is consistent with academic standards, utilizing constructive language, and refraining from making personal remarks that are offensive or hostile.
•It is anticipated that reviewers will conclude their evaluations within the designated timeframe.
General Responsibilities

• The editor must endeavor to improve the quality and development of the journal.
• The editor should advocate for the freedom of expression of authors.
Relations with Readers
• The editor must ensure that the sections of the journal that do not require peer review (e.g., letters to the editor, invited articles, conference announcements, etc.) are plainly labelled.
• The editor should strive to guarantee that the knowledge and skills of the journal's readership are reflected in the published articles.

Relations with Reviewers

• In order to guarantee an appropriate evaluation, the editor should delegate manuscripts to reviewers according to their areas of expertise.
• Before assessing a manuscript, reviewers must be obligated to disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
• The editor must clearly communicate the reviewers and provide all necessary information regarding the peer review process.
• The identities of both the authors and reviewers must be kept confidential by adhering to a rigorous double-blind review process.
•Reviewers' performance should be evaluated by the editor on the basis of their feedback quality and timeliness.
• A reviewer database should be established and updated on a regular basis in accordance with performance.
• Reviewers who consistently submit reviews late or provide unprofessional or low-quality feedback should be removed from the reviewer pool.
• The reviewer list should be consistently updated and expanded in accordance with the areas of expertise of the reviewers.

Relations with Authors

• The editor should consistently revise the publication and writing guidelines, as well as sample templates, to ensure that authors have a clear understanding of the expectations.
• Manuscripts should be assessed on the basis of significance, originality, and adherence to journal guidelines. The editor is required to provide clear and unbiased reasons for the rejection of a manuscript during the initial submission procedure. If revisions are required in the areas of grammar, punctuation, and formatting (e.g., margins, appropriate citation, etc.), authors should be notified and given sufficient time to make the necessary corrections.
• The dates of manuscript submission and acceptance must be documented.
• Authors should be informed of the status of their manuscripts in a manner that does not jeopardize the double-blind peer review process.

Relations with the Editorial Board

• All editorial board members should be provided with the most recent version of the publication and writing guidelines.
• The editor should communicate the publication and writing guidelines to new members of the editorial board and explicitly specify the expected responsibilities.
• The editor is responsible for assessing the performance of editorial board members and selecting those who make a significant contribution to the journal's growth.

• The duties and responsibilities of editorial board members should be communicated to them, which include:
o Supporting the development of the journal
o Writing review articles in their area of expertise when requested
o Reviewing and improving the publication and writing guidelines
o Fulfilling necessary responsibilities in the operation of the journal

Publisher's Ethical Responsibilities

The Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Institute of Health Sciences, the publisher of The Turkish Journal of Health Research, is a public educational institution that is non-profit and serves the welfare of the public. The publisher is accountable for the following ethical obligations:
• The publisher recognizes that the editor is responsible for the decision-making authority and the peer review process for publishing articles in The Turkish Journal of Health Research. 
• The publisher guarantees that the journal is accessible online, openly, and free of charge through its website.

Reporting Non-Compliance with Ethical Principles
To report any unethical behavior or deviations from ethical principles that are observed in editors, reviewers, or authors, or if any unethical issues arise during the review process, in early view, or with a published article, please send an email to mehmetdelen@aybu.edu.tr

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