ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
The ethical principles and publication policy of our journal have been prepared in accordance with the guidelines and policies published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
Actions Contrary to Scientific Research and Publication Ethics
• Plagiarism: Presenting the original ideas, methods, data or works of others as one's own, in whole or in part, without proper scientific attribution.
• Fabrication: Using data that does not actually exist or has been falsified in scientific research.
• Distortion: Altering research records or obtained data, presenting equipment or materials not used in the research as if they had been used, altering or shaping research results in line with the interests of the individuals and organisations providing support,
• Duplicate publication: Presenting duplicate publications as separate publications for academic appointment and promotion,
• Salami slicing: Dividing the results of a research study into parts in an inappropriate manner that compromises the integrity of the research and publishing them as multiple publications, presenting these publications as separate publications for academic appointments and promotions,
• Unfair authorship: Including individuals who have not made an active contribution among the authors or excluding those who have, changing the author order in an unjustified and inappropriate manner, removing the names of those who have made an active contribution from subsequent editions, or including one's name among the authors by using one's influence despite not having made an active contribution,
Other types of ethical violations include:
a) Failing to acknowledge the individuals, institutions, or organisations that provided support for research conducted with such support, or failing to acknowledge their contributions in publications resulting from such research,
b) Using theses or studies that have not yet been submitted or defended and accepted as a source without the permission of the owner,
c) Sharing information contained in a work assigned for review with others prior to publication without the express permission of the author,
ç) Using resources, premises, facilities, and equipment provided or allocated for scientific research for purposes other than those intended,
d) Making unfounded, inappropriate, and deliberate allegations of ethical violations,
e) Publishing data obtained without the explicit consent of participants in surveys and attitude studies conducted as part of scientific work, or without the additional permission of the institution if the research is to be conducted at an institution,
f) Failure to comply with the obligation to inform and warn those concerned about possible harmful practices related to scientific research conducted by researchers and officials,
g) In scientific studies, failing to use data and information obtained from other persons and institutions to the extent and in the manner authorised, failing to respect the confidentiality of this information and failing to ensure its protection,
h) Making false or misleading statements regarding scientific research and publications in academic appointments and promotions,
Principles of Research Ethics
• The principles of scientific integrity, impartiality, transparency, and reliability must be adhered to at all stages of research.
• Participants must be informed about the purpose, methodology, and potential outcomes of the research; informed consent must be obtained when necessary.
• Personal data and confidential information belonging to participants must be protected in accordance with the principle of confidentiality and processed in compliance with relevant legislation.
• Participation in research must be voluntary; participants must be able to withdraw from the study at any time.
• Necessary precautions must be taken to ensure that participants do not suffer physical, psychological, or social harm during the research process.
• Researchers must clearly disclose any potential conflicts of interest, financial support, and sponsorships.
• Ethical violations such as plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, data manipulation, and unfair authorship must be avoided; all sources must be properly cited.
• Research results must be reported accurately, completely, and in a manner that does not mislead the public.
• In studies utilizing artificial intelligence and similar technologies, the role of these tools in the research must be clearly stated, and ethical usage principles must be followed.
Responsibilities of Stakeholders
Responsibilities of Authors
• Authors must ensure that the manuscripts submitted to the journal are original, scientific, and in compliance with ethical guidelines.
• They must cite all sources used in the study completely and accurately.
• They must avoid ethical violations such as plagiarism, fabrication of data, data manipulation, salami slicing, and unjustified authorship.
• They must list as authors only those who have made a scientific contribution to the work and must not include individuals who have not contributed in the author list.
• They must obtain parental or legal guardian consent for research involving children.
• They must clearly disclose any potential conflicts of interest and financial support.
• They must respond to requests from reviewers and editors in a timely manner and with scientific justification.
• Significant errors or inaccuracies identified during the publication process must be reported to the journal editorial office.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviews must be conducted impartially, objectively, and in accordance with scientific criteria.
The confidentiality of information obtained during the review process must be maintained.
Manuscripts must be evaluated free from personal, institutional, or ideological biases.
Reviewers must not accept manuscripts for review if there is a conflict of interest.
They must report any identified ethical violations, suspected plagiarism, or scientific errors to the editor.
They must submit review reports in a constructive, explanatory, and timely manner.
They must not use the content of the article for their own work or share it with third parties.
Responsibilities of Editors
They must evaluate manuscripts based on their scientific merit, originality, and suitability for the journal’s scope.
They must make decisions independently of the authors’ gender, ethnic background, religion, political views, or institutional affiliations.
They must ensure that the peer review process is conducted impartially and confidentially.
They must investigate allegations of ethical violations in accordance with publication ethics principles and take necessary actions.
They must manage conflicts of interest and ensure the transparency of the publication process.
They must prioritize subject-matter expertise in the selection of reviewers.
They must ensure that works to be published comply with scientific and ethical standards.
They must protect the integrity of the scientific record by publishing corrections, retractions, or clarifications when necessary.
Privacy Statement
All personal data submitted to our journal is protected. Data belonging to authors, reviewers, and other individuals is not shared with third parties or institutions.
Correction, Retraction, Expression of Concern
Editors may consider publishing a correction if minor errors are found in a published article that do not affect the findings, interpretations, or conclusions. Editors should consider retracting the article if major errors/violations invalidate the findings and conclusions. COPE principles are taken into account regarding corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.
Protection of Intellectual Property Rights
Our journal is responsible for protecting the intellectual property rights of all published articles and defending the rights of the journal and author(s) in case of possible infringements.
Conflicts of Interest
Our journal ensures that the publication process is completed independently and impartially, taking into account conflicts of interest between author(s), reviewers, and other editors.
Complaints and Appeals to Our Journal
You can email your complaints and appeals regarding content, procedures, or policies under the responsibility of our journal or our editorial board members to umran.ay@gmail.com. Complaints and appeals submitted to our journal are carefully reviewed and evaluated in accordance with COPE principles.