Authors Guidelines and Writing Rules

Turkish Journal of Special Education Research and Practice (TRSPED) is an international peer-reviewed journal published bi-annually in August and December. TRSPED addresses issues concerning with the development, education and rehabilitation of infants, toddlers, children, youths, and adults with exceptionalities (e.g. autism, culturally and linguistically diverse, emotional and behavioral disorders, hearing impairments, hyperactivity and attention deficiency, intellectual disabilities, language and speech disorders, learning disabilities/difficulties, multiple and severe disabilities, physical disabilities, and visual impairment), and giftedness and talent (i.e., gifted and talented individuals). TRSPED accepts manuscripts written in Turkish and English.

Type of Manuscripts:

TRSPED publishes empirical research, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, position papers, literature reviews, research-to-practice papers, policy analysis and book/software review focused on special education.  The aim of the journal is to present up-to-date-information about special education to scholars, clinicians, educators, families, caregivers, administrators, and policy makers.

1.    Empirical research studies published in TRSPED are those that include students with disabilities or who are at risk, their teachers, caregivers, siblings, or other service providers. Studies using group experimental, single-subject experimental, descriptive, correlational, observational, casual-comparative, survey designs as well as case studies, action research, and qualitative designs are welcome. Empirical research studies must have clear and important implications for special education research and practice. Primary criteria to evaluate empirical research studies include importance of the topic for the field of special education, design quality, quality of implementation and description, and discussion of the findings with respect to future research and implication for practice or policy. Manuscript length should be maximum 30 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, and references.

2.    Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are focused syntheses that are important to improve and have clear implication for special education practices. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should be up-to-date, comprehensive, and critical. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should describe the procedure used to select the reviewed literature, evaluate the methodological adequacy and quality of the reviewed literature, discuss the major findings, and present implications for theory, research, policy or practice. Primary criteria to evaluate systematic reviews and meta-analyses include comprehensiveness of the review, methodological quality and adequacy, writing quality, depth and breadth, and value to the field of special education. Meta-analyses must report effect size estimates. Manuscript length should be maximum 50 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, and references.

3.    Position papers are the papers that identify and examine the important theoretical and practical issues in special education. Position papers define, explain, compare, analyze, and conclude the specific positions such as an approach, model, system, and/or program based on the existing literature. Position papers should take into consideration both the impacts and limitations of the position. Manuscript length should be maximum 15 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, and references.

4.    Research to practice papers are those that translate empirical research findings into actionable guidance for caregivers, special education teachers, or other service providers. Research to practice papers should be grounded in appropriate research base and an explicit connection to evidence-based practices in special education should be made. These manuscripts may include case scenarios and examples to illustrate how the practice described can be implemented across different settings with one or more individuals with special educational needs. Manuscript length should be maximum 20 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, and references.

5.    Policy analyses are papers that provide research results and critical discussions related to legislations and policies on special education. Policy analyses should include the issues that impact the special education practices and the individuals with special needs. Manuscript length should be maximum 15 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, and references.

6.    Book or software reviews are papers that introduce and evaluate books or software related to the field of special education. Book or software reviews should describe the purpose, content, functioning, and usage of the introduced book or software. Reviews must address and examine the book or software with a critical approach.  Manuscript length should be maximum 5 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, and references.

Manuscript Preparation and Writing Rules:

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association - 7th edition (APA; 2020) should be followed when preparing all manuscripts. Authors should follow the general guidelines listed below:

1.    A separate title page must be prepared for all manuscripts and include the following elements: (a) title of the manuscript (12 words or less), (b) type of the manuscript (as described above) (c) first, middle, and last name of each author with the higher academic degree obtained noted, (d) names of the intuitions in which each author is affiliated along with full addresses and e-mails for all authors, and (e) any acknowledgments, financial disclosure information, author notes, or other text that could identify the authors to reviewers.

2.    All manuscripts should accompany a structured abstract of 130-150 words (depending on the manuscript type) and 3-5 keywords. The abstract should be placed on a new page after the Title page.

3.    Title of the manuscript should include 12 words or less. The title should also appear on the first page of the manuscript (the next page following the Abstract page) above the first paragraph, centered and bold. All title and headings must be bold.

4.    Length of manuscripts should not exceed the page-limit specified for each manuscript type above. Page limits include tables, figures, and references

5.    All manuscript pages should be numbered in sequence, starting with the Abstract page.

6.    When typing the manuscripts, an 8½ × 11 in. paper with 1-in. margins, double spacing, left alignment of the text, and Times New Roman 12-pt. type should be used. This formatting should be used in the Title page, Abstract, Tables, and Figures.

7.    Tables and Figures should be formatted by APA style and placed at the ends of the paper following the References. Approximate places of the tables and figures should be noted within the manuscript using <TABLE X ABOUT HERE> notation. Each table or figure should be placed on a new page. Tables should be double-spaced and be created using Word’s table functions. All tables and figures must be cited in text.

8.    Figures should be black and white only. In rare cases, color figures will be accepted when the black and white version of the figure is not readable. Pictures may be accepted on Research to practice papers.

9.    Authors must obtain written permission for figures, tables, photos, other artwork, and extensive quotes taken directly from other sources.

10.Tab key and centering functions should be used for head alignment and paragraph indents, instead of the space bar.

11.Manuscripts reporting studies that involve human subjects must specify that ethical approval was obtained from an Institutional Review Board. Obtaining permission from an educational agency or other public entities is not sufficient alone.

12.All manuscripts written in Turkish (except Book or Software reviews) should accompany an extended English summary of 1000-1200 words. English summary should be placed following the Reference list of the Turkish manuscript. English summary for manuscripts reporting empirical research studies, systematic reviews, meta analyses, or literature reviews should include the following sections (as appropriate): Introduction (150-200 words including research questions), Method (300-350 words), Results (300-350 words), and Discussion (250-300 words with implications for future research and practice). English summaries for the position papers, research to practice papers, and policy analysis papers should include a separate summary of all major sections of the Turkish manuscripts. Book or software reviews written in Turkish should include an English summary of 250 words.

13.Biased language should be avoided in any part of the manuscript and authors must employ “people first language” when referring to or describing individuals with disabilities (e.g., students with disabilities, child with autism).

14.Authors should use an active voice and passive voice should be avoided (e.g., “Three teachers implemented the intervention” versus “Intervention was implemented by three teachers”).

15.Each section of the manuscript should only include information suitable for a given section. For example, authors should not interpret their findings in the Results section, should not present new data in the Discussion section, or should not repeat the same information presented in Results when discussing the findings in the Discussion section.

16.Effect size estimates should be provided in studies using quantitative research designs including those employed single-subject experimental research designs.

17.Within text citations and the Reference list should be formatted using the APA guidelines (2010). Digital object identifiers (DOIs) must be included in the reference list. All references cited within the manuscript should be listed in the Reference list and vice versa. Authors should cite relevant studies/work from Turkish and/or English literature as appropriate and studies cited within the manuscript should reflect the most current work (published within the last 10 years).

18.The Cover Letter must state that the purpose of the manuscript and its expected contribution to the field of special education and that the manuscripts has not been previously published, is not under review elsewhere, and will not be submitted for review elsewhere while it is being reviewed in TRSPED. Authors must also specify that approval from the appropriate Institutional Review Boards is obtained. The Cover Letter should be dated and singed by the corresponding author and include contact information for the corresponding author (full name, institution, address, phone number, e-mail address).

Manuscript Submission:

All manuscripts should be submitted electronically: https://dergipark.org.tr/trsped. To submit a manuscript, Log in to the DergiPark system at https://dergipark.org.tr/trsped by clicking the blue “Login” or green “Submit a Manuscript” buttons and follow the instruction once you logged in. If you are a new user, please register to the DergiPark system  at https://dergipark.org.tr/register/ (if you are a first-time user). Once you register, and log in to the system as described above. Please have all necessary sections (Title page, abstract, keywords, and main manuscript file with no identifying information, copyright agreement, and cover letter) before starting to the submission process.

Manuscript Review Process:

Acknowledgement e-mail will be sent to the author(s) within two days of the submission. A Co-editor will be assigned to each manuscript to conduct preliminary examination of the manuscript for content and format (aim and scope, importance, originality, characteristics of subjects, research design, length, written language, and APA style etc.). Manuscripts that do not meet the journal guidelines for content or format will be returned to the author within a week of original submission. Manuscripts passing the preliminary screening will be forwarded to an Associate Editor who will oversee the review process. Associate Editors will assign each manuscript to three reviewers who are experts in special education. The “double-blind” review process will take 6 to 8 weeks. Upon receiving all reviews, Associate Editors will make recommendation about the manuscript to the Co-Editors.  After reading and evaluating the manuscript and the reviews, the Co-editors will e-mail the corresponding author a written editorial decision and the reviews. The decision will be one of the following: (a) Accept, (b) Accept with Revisions, (c) Reject, Revise, Resubmit, and (d) Reject. TRSPED aims to inform authors about the editorial decision within 12 weeks of their submission.

Copyright:

When submitting their manuscript to TRSPED, authors will be required to sign a Transfer of Copyright form.

Turkish Journal of Special Education Research and Practice (TRSPED) has a Conflict of Interest policy in place and complies with international, national and/or institutional standards on research involving Human Participants and/or Animals and Informed Consent. The journal adopts/follows the Committee on Publication Ethics' (COPE) principles on dealing with acts of misconduct. The journal may use plagiarism detection software to screen the submissions. If plagiarism is identified, the COPE guidelines on plagiarism will be followed. Content published in this journal is peer-reviewed (Double Blind).

July 14 2023
Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

The Turkish Journal of Special Education Research (TRSPED) and its Publisher are members of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). As a result, this journal adheres to the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors, as well as COPE Core Practices.

Outlined below are some essential points, although it is recommended to refer to the aforementioned documents for comprehensive details.

Editorial Responsibilities

Fairness and Editorial Independence

Manuscripts submitted to TRSPED are evaluated solely based on their academic merit, including their importance, originality, validity of the study, and clarity. The editorial team makes these assessments without considering the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, citizenship, religious belief, political philosophy, or institutional affiliation. Decisions to edit and publish are independent of external policies imposed by governments or any other agencies. The Editor retains full authority over the entire editorial content and determines the publication schedule.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff are obligated to maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts. Information regarding a manuscript should only be disclosed to the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

Editors and editorial board members must obtain explicit written consent from authors before using unpublished information from a submitted manuscript for their own research. They should treat privileged information acquired during the manuscript handling process as confidential and refrain from exploiting it for personal gain. Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the papers. In such cases, another member of the editorial board will handle the manuscript.

Publication Decisions

Editors ensure that all manuscripts submitted for publication undergo a peer-review process by at least two experts in the field. The Editor is responsible for the final decision on publication, taking into account the validation of the work, its significance to the research community and readers, reviewers' comments, and legal requirements related to libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The Editor may consult with other editors or reviewers before making a final decision.

Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations

Editors are committed to addressing ethical concerns raised regarding submitted manuscripts or published papers. Any act of unethical publishing behavior, even if discovered years after publication, will be thoroughly investigated. TRSPED editors adhere to the COPE Flowcharts while dealing with suspected misconduct. If an ethical concern is found to be valid, the journal will publish a correction, retraction, expression of concern, or any other relevant note.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Contributions to Editorial Decisions

Peer review assists editors in making informed editorial decisions and helps authors enhance their manuscripts through constructive feedback. TRSPED believes that scholars who wish to contribute to the scientific process have an obligation to participate in fair peer review.

Promptness

Reviewers who feel unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or cannot complete the review within the given timeframe should promptly inform the editors and decline the invitation. This allows alternative reviewers to be contacted.

Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat all manuscripts received for review as confidential documents. They should not share or discuss the manuscripts with others unless authorized by the Editor under exceptional circumstances. This confidentiality requirement also applies to invited reviewers who decline the review invitation.

Objectivity Standards

Reviews should be conducted objectively, and reviewers should formulate their observations clearly, providing supporting arguments that can help authors improve their manuscripts. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that authors may have overlooked. They should ensure that observations, derivations, or arguments reported in previous publications are appropriately cited. Reviewers should also inform the editors if they are aware of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and other published or unpublished works.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

Reviewers with conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the manuscript should promptly notify the editors. They should declare their conflicts of interest and decline the invitation to review, enabling alternative reviewers to be assigned. Reviewers who decline the review invitation should also maintain confidentiality regarding the manuscript. Unpublished material obtained during the peer review process should not be used in a reviewer's own research without explicit written consent from the authors. Reviewers must keep privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review confidential and should not use them for personal advantage, even if they decline the review invitation.

Author Responsibilities

Reporting Standards

Authors of original research should provide an accurate account of their work and results, followed by an objective discussion of its significance. Sufficient detail and references should be included to enable others to replicate the study. Review articles should be accurate, objective, and comprehensive, while editorial opinion pieces should be clearly identified as such. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are considered unethical and unacceptable.

Data Access and Retention

Authors may be requested to provide the raw data of their study together with the manuscript for editorial review. Authors should be willing to make the data publicly available if possible. In any case, authors should ensure the accessibility of the data to other competent professionals for at least 10 years after publication, while also respecting participant confidentiality and any legal rights related to proprietary data.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors should submit only original works and give appropriate credit to the work and words of others. Any influences from previous publications should be acknowledged. Plagiarism, in any form, is considered unethical and unacceptable.

Multiple Submissions and Concurrent Publications

Authors should not submit manuscripts describing essentially the same research to multiple journals or primary publications. Submitting a manuscript that has already been published elsewhere is also prohibited. Concurrent submission of a manuscript to multiple journals is considered unethical and unacceptable. However, certain circumstances may justify the secondary publication of specific types of articles (e.g., clinical guidelines, translations) if agreed upon by the authors and editors of the respective journals. The primary document must be cited in the secondary publication.

Authorship of the Manuscript

Authors listed in a manuscript should meet specific authorship criteria. They should have made significant contributions to the study's conception, design, execution, data acquisition, or analysis/interpretation. Authors should have drafted or critically revised the manuscript, seen and approved the final version, and agreed to its submission for publication. Individuals who made substantial contributions but do not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgements" section with their written permission. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring the appropriate inclusion of coauthors and confirming that all coauthors have approved the final manuscript and agreed to its submission.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

Authors should disclose any conflicts of interest that could potentially influence the results or interpretation presented in their manuscript. These conflicts may include financial or non-financial interests such as employment, consultancies, stock ownership, memberships, or personal/professional relationships relevant to the subject matter. All sources of financial support for the work should be disclosed.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Authors should properly acknowledge the work of others and cite influential publications that contributed to their own work. Information obtained privately must not be used or reported without explicit, written permission from the source. Authors should not utilize information acquired through confidential services, such as manuscript or grant reviewing, without obtaining written permission from the authors of the relevant work.

Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects

If a study involves chemicals, procedures, equipment, or materials with inherent hazards, the authors must clearly identify these in the manuscript. Studies involving animals or human participants should comply with relevant laws and institutional guidelines, and authors should state their adherence to such requirements. Authors must include a statement in the manuscript confirming that informed consent was obtained for experiments involving human participants. The privacy rights of human participants should always be respected.

Peer Review

Authors are expected to actively participate in the peer review process and cooperate fully by promptly responding to editors' requests for raw data, clarifications, ethics approvals, patient consents, and copyright permissions. In cases where revisions are requested, authors should address reviewers' comments systematically, point by point, and within the given timeframe, ultimately revising and resubmitting the manuscript.

Correction of Errors in Published Works

If authors discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work, they must promptly inform the journal's editors or publisher and cooperate to correct the paper through an erratum or, in severe cases, a retraction. If the editors or publisher become aware of significant errors or inaccuracies from a third party, authors must promptly correct or retract the paper or provide evidence to support the correctness of the work.

Publisher Responsibilities

Handling Unethical Publishing Behavior

The publisher, in close collaboration with the editors, is responsible for addressing allegations or evidence of scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism. Appropriate measures will be taken to clarify the situation and correct the affected article. These measures may include the prompt publication of an erratum, clarification, or, in severe cases, the retraction of the work. The publisher and editors are committed to identifying and preventing the publication of papers involving research misconduct and will not encourage or knowingly allow such misconduct.

Access to Journal Content

The publisher is dedicated to ensuring the permanent availability and preservation of scholarly research. By partnering with organizations and maintaining its digital archive, the publisher guarantees accessibility to journal content over time.