Ethical Principles and Publication Policy
ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
The Turkish Journal of Analytical Chemistry (TurkJAC) adheres to the principles and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and follows internationally recognized standards of publication ethics. In this context, the journal implements the following ethical principles:
Ethical Approval
Ethical committee approval is mandatory for studies involving human participants or experimental animals that require ethical review. This approval must be clearly stated in the manuscript and documented during submission. A statement confirming compliance with research and publication ethics must be included in the manuscript. Information regarding ethical approval (including the name of the ethics committee, approval date, and approval number) must be provided in the Materials and Methods section and also indicated on the first or last page of the manuscript. When necessary, informed consent must be obtained from participants and stated in the manuscript.
Responsibilities of Editors
At the initial evaluation stage, the Editor-in-Chief assesses whether the submitted manuscript is within the aims and scope of the journal, its originality, its contribution to the literature, and its compliance with the journal’s language and formatting rules. Manuscripts that meet these criteria are taken into the scientific evaluation process. Suitable manuscripts are assigned to Section Editors (Area Editors) according to their subject areas. The Editor-in-Chief and Section Editors do not evaluate manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest; such manuscripts are assigned to an independent editor. Editors are also required to declare any potential conflicts of interest arising from their editorial duties, institutional affiliations, or personal relationships. All original studies undergo peer review considering possible conflicts of interest. Section Editors manage the peer review process of manuscripts within their areas of expertise; they are responsible for selecting reviewers, monitoring the process, and evaluating reviewer reports. Section Editors communicate only with the Editor-in-Chief, reviewers, and authors regarding manuscripts under evaluation. Based on reviewer reports, the Section Editor prepares an editorial recommendation (acceptance, revision, or rejection). The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief, considering reviewer reports along with the manuscript’s scientific quality, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
Responsibilities of Authors
All authors must have made significant scientific contributions to the design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the study. Individuals who have not made substantial contributions should not be listed as authors. All authors share responsibility for the content of the manuscript. In multi-author and interdisciplinary studies, individual contributions should be clearly stated in the cover letter. To prevent authorship disputes, it is recommended that authorship, contributions, and acknowledgements be determined before the study begins. The corresponding author acts on behalf of all co-authors throughout the submission and publication process and is responsible for communication with the journal. The corresponding author must confirm that all co-authors have approved the submission. Submission of a manuscript implies that the work is entirely original, has not been published previously (in whole or in part), and is not under consideration elsewhere. Full-text conference papers previously published are not accepted for publication in TurkJAC. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, and “salami slicing” are unacceptable. All authors declare that the data presented in the manuscript are accurate and original. In case of errors identified after publication, authors are obliged to cooperate with the journal in correction or retraction processes. All authors are expected to fully cooperate during the peer review process.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers are independent experts who voluntarily evaluate manuscripts to improve their scientific quality. Reviewers are expected to complete their evaluations within the specified time and declare any potential conflicts of interest related to the manuscript, authors, or funding sources. They must treat manuscripts as confidential documents and must not share or discuss them with third parties. Reviewer performance may be evaluated based on responsiveness, timeliness, and quality of reports. Active and reliable reviewers may be given priority for their own submissions. Reviewers should also inform the editor if they identify ethical violations, plagiarism, or significant similarities with previously published work.
Conflicts of Interest (Authors)
Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence or bias the results or interpretation of their manuscript. If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should explicitly state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.” All conflict of interest statements must be included at the end of the manuscript.
Complaints and Appeals
The journal provides a transparent procedure for handling complaints and appeals regarding editorial decisions, peer review processes, or publication ethics. Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision may submit a formal request to the editorial office, clearly stating the reasons for the appeal. All appeals and complaints are evaluated in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The Editor-in-Chief may consult independent reviewers or editorial board members when necessary. The final decision regarding appeals rests with the Editor-in-Chief.
Process for Identification of and Dealing with Allegations of Research Misconduct
The Turkish Journal of Analytical Chemistry (TurkJAC) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all reasonable steps to prevent and identify research misconduct, including but not limited to plagiarism, citation manipulation, data fabrication, and data falsification.
All submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software (e.g., iThenticate or similar tools). In addition, editors and reviewers are expected to remain vigilant in identifying any potential ethical concerns during the peer review process.
If any suspicion or allegation of research misconduct arises at any stage (before or after publication), the journal will act in accordance with the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
The procedure includes:
Depending on the severity of the case, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:
TurkJAC does not tolerate any form of research misconduct and will not knowingly allow such practices to occur. All processes are conducted confidentially, fairly, and transparently.
Advertising
The Turkish Journal of Analytical Chemistry does not accept or publish any advertisements.
The journal operates without commercial advertising, sponsorship, or marketing activities. Therefore, no advertising content is displayed on the journal website or within published articles.
Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by any commercial or financial considerations.
Use of Generative AI
Authors may use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools (e.g., ChatGPT or similar technologies) to assist in language editing or improving readability. However, such tools must not be used to generate scientific content, interpret results, or draw conclusions without proper human oversight.
Authors must clearly disclose the use of any AI tools in the manuscript, typically in the acknowledgements or a dedicated statement.
AI tools cannot be listed as authors, as they do not meet the criteria for authorship and cannot take responsibility for the content.
The authors are fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of their work, including any parts generated or assisted by AI.
PUBLICATION POLICY
Submission
All submission, evaluation, and publication processes are carried out through DergiPark, the journal’s management and archiving system.
Authorship, Originality, and Plagiarism
Authors declare that the submitted manuscript is entirely original and that all sources from other works have been properly cited with necessary permissions. Authors are responsible for avoiding plagiarism. The use of plagiarism detection software such as iThenticate, CrossCheck, or similar tools is strongly recommended. All responsibility regarding plagiarism and ethical compliance lies with the authors. Submission of a manuscript implies that all authors are aware of, approve, and consent to the submission. Any changes in authorship during the evaluation process must be justified and approved by the editor. No changes (addition, removal, or reordering) in authorship are allowed after acceptance.
Proofs
To prevent errors after acceptance, proofs are carefully prepared. Corresponding authors must review the proofs within the specified time and submit corrections as a Word file including page and line numbers. Corrections may also be submitted as an annotated PDF file.
Peer Review Process
Manuscripts submitted to the Turkish Journal of Analytical Chemistry are initially evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief for their relevance to the journal’s aims and scope and for overall quality. Manuscripts deemed suitable are assigned to a Section Editor, who oversees the peer review process. Prior to peer review, all submissions are screened for plagiarism using iThenticate software to ensure originality and academic integrity. The Section Editor invites two or three independent expert reviewers in the relevant field to evaluate the manuscript. The journal employs a single-blind peer review system, in which reviewers are aware of the authors’ identities, while authors do not know the identities of the reviewers. Reviewers may request revisions, additional data, or clarification from the authors. Based on the reviewers’ reports, the Section Editor makes a recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief. The final decision (acceptance, revision, or rejection) is made by the Editor-in-Chief. To ensure scientific integrity, the journal may request raw data or supporting materials when necessary. All stages of the peer review process are conducted in accordance with confidentiality principles and ethical standards recommended by COPE.
Open Access Policy
TurkJAC is a fully open access journal and does not charge any article processing or page fees. All articles are made immediately available to the public. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND) license, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction provided that proper citation is given and the work is not modified.
Data Sharing and Reproducibility
The journal encourages authors to make the data supporting the findings of their study publicly available whenever possible. Authors may be required to provide raw data, experimental details, and supporting materials during the review process or after publication. Ensuring the reproducibility of the results is the responsibility of the authors. When applicable, data availability statements should be included in the manuscript, indicating where and how the data can be accessed.
Intellectual Property and Copyright
The copyright of the published articles remains with the authors. By submitting a manuscript and upon its acceptance for publication, the authors grant the journal a non-exclusive, irrevocable, and worldwide license to publish, reproduce, distribute, and make the article publicly available in electronic and printed formats. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND) license. Under this license, the material may be copied and redistributed in any medium or format for non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the authors and the journal, and that no modifications or derivative works are made. Authors retain the right to use their work for academic and non-commercial purposes, including in books, theses, presentations, and other scholarly activities, provided that proper citation to the published version is given.
Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections
The journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. Readers may submit comments or concerns regarding published articles to the editorial office. When necessary, the journal will publish corrections, clarifications, or retractions in accordance with COPE guidelines. Authors are expected to cooperate fully in the correction or retraction process. All post-publication updates will be clearly linked to the original article.
Direct Marketing Policy
The journal does not engage in aggressive or unsolicited direct marketing practices. Any communication with authors, reviewers, or readers is conducted in a professional, ethical, and non-intrusive manner. Manuscript invitations, if any, are sent only to researchers whose expertise is relevant to the journal’s scope. The journal does not send bulk or misleading emails for manuscript solicitation. All information provided about the journal, including its aims, scope, indexing status, and editorial processes, is accurate, transparent, and not misleading. Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by any marketing or promotional activities.
Archiving
The journal is hosted on the DergiPark platform, managed by TÜBİTAK ULAKBİM, which provides a secure infrastructure for the storage and preservation of scholarly content. All articles are archived within the DergiPark system to ensure long-term accessibility. Additionally, each published article is assigned a DOI, which provides persistent identification and facilitates reliable access to the content. In the event that the journal ceases publication, the content will remain accessible through the DergiPark repository.
DergiPark Service
All editorial and publication processes are conducted through the DergiPark platform, operated by TÜBİTAK ULAKBİM, which provides an online hosting and editorial workflow management system.