GENERAL INFORMATION
Turkish Journal of Social Work Research (TUSHAD) is a peer-reviewed, open-access, international academic journal publishing original research and review articles in the field of social work. As of 2026, the journal has transitioned to a continuous publication policy.
ISSN (Print): 2602-3393
ISSN (Online): 2602-3393
Publication Language: Turkish and English
Publication Frequency: Continuous (from 2026 onwards)
Article Types: Research Article, Review Article, Systematic Review, Case Report
MANUSCRIPT TEMPLATES AND GENERAL FORMAT
Page Layout
Paper Size: A4 Portrait
Margins: 2.54 cm (1 inch) on all sides
Font: Times New Roman, 12 point (APA 7 standard)
Line Spacing: Double spacing (2.0) - throughout the entire text
Paragraph Indentation: 0.5 inch (1.27 cm)
Word Limit: 5000-9000 words (excluding references)
Required Documents
The following templates must be used for all manuscripts submitted to the journal:
[Research Article Template] - Click to download
[Review Article Template] - Click to download
[Copyright Transfer Form] - Click to download
MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE AND SECTIONS
Required Sections for Research Articles
1. TITLE PAGE
Turkish Title: Sentence case, bold, maximum 20 words
English Title: Sentence case, bold, maximum 20 words
Author Information:
Full name and surname (bold)
Institutional affiliation (Department, Faculty, University, City, Country)
ORCID number (mandatory for all authors): https://orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000
Email address (corresponding author)
2. ABSTRACT (Turkish - ÖZ)
Length: 150-250 words
Content: Purpose, method, main findings, results and implications
Keywords (Anahtar Kelimeler): 3-6 words (separated by semicolons)
3. ABSTRACT (English)
Length: 150-250 words
Content: Same content as Turkish abstract
Keywords: 3-6 words (separated by semicolons)
4. INTRODUCTION
Importance and rationale of the research topic
Literature review and existing knowledge gaps
Research questions/hypotheses
Purpose and objectives of the study
5. LITERATURE REVIEW / THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Comprehensive review of relevant literature
Theoretical perspectives
Identification of research gaps
6. METHOD
This section should include the following subsections:
Research Design/Model: Experimental, correlational, qualitative, mixed methods, etc.
Population and Sample:
Sample size (supported by power analysis)
Sampling method
Demographic characteristics
Inclusion/exclusion criteria
Data Collection Instruments:
Information on scales/questionnaires/forms used
Validity and reliability coefficients (Cronbach's alpha, etc.)
Adaptation study information if applicable
Data Collection Procedure:
Application procedure
Ethics approval information
Informed consent process
Data Analysis:
Statistical methods used
Software and versions (SPSS 28.0, R 4.2.0, NVivo 14, etc.)
Analysis steps
7. RESULTS
Findings organized according to research questions/hypotheses
Statistical results (effect sizes, confidence intervals, p-values)
Tables and figures (each must be cited in text)
Objective presentation without interpretation
8. DISCUSSION
Interpretation of findings
Comparison with literature
Theoretical and practical implications
Limitations of the study
Recommendations for future research
9. CONCLUSION
Summary of main findings
Contributions of the study
Policy and practice recommendations
10. ETHICS STATEMENT
This study was approved by [Ethics Committee Name] (Approval No: XXXX, Date: DD/MM/YYYY).
All participants signed informed consent forms. The study was conducted in accordance with
the Declaration of Helsinki.
11. CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this research.
12. FUNDING
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency.
[OR: This work was supported by [Institution] under Grant [Project No: XXXX].]
13. AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
According to CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy):
Conceptualization: [Initials]; Methodology: [Initials]; Data Collection: [Initials];
Analysis: [Initials]; Writing - Original Draft: [Initials]; Writing - Review & Editing:
[Initials]; Supervision: [Initials]; Funding Acquisition: [Initials].
14. DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author
upon reasonable request.
15. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
(Optional - Thanks to individuals/institutions who contributed)
16. REFERENCES
APA 7th edition format
DOI numbers mandatory (if available)
Alphabetical order
Hanging indent (0.5 inch)
Required Sections for Review Articles
1-3. Title Page, Abstract (Turkish), Abstract (English)
(Same as research articles)
4. INTRODUCTION
Topic and importance of the review
Purpose and scope of the review
Research questions
Organization of the review
5. METHOD
The method section is mandatory for review articles and should include:
Literature Search Strategy:
Databases used (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, etc.)
Search terms and keywords
Date range (e.g., 2010-2024)
Language criteria
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria:
Study types (peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, etc.)
Methodological criteria
Subject scope criteria
Study Selection Process:
Initial search results (n=?)
Remaining after screening (n=?)
Final included in analysis (n=?)
PRISMA flow diagram (mandatory for systematic reviews)
Data Extraction and Synthesis:
What information was extracted
Approaches such as thematic analysis/narrative synthesis/meta-analysis
6. FINDINGS / LITERATURE REVIEW
Thematic organization
Subheadings for each theme
Comprehensive synthesis of studies
Comparative analysis
7. DISCUSSION
Synthesis of themes
Consistencies and contradictions
Theoretical and practical implications
Methodological evaluation
Limitations
Future research recommendations
8. CONCLUSION
Summary of main findings
Contributions of the review
Recommendations
9-15. Ethics Statement, Conflict of Interest, Funding, etc.
(Same as research articles)
TABLE AND FIGURE GUIDELINES
Tables
Title: Above the table, italic
Table 1
Demographic Characteristics of Participants
Number and Title: Bold
Content: Times New Roman, 10 point
Alignment: 12 pt spacing above and below table
Note: Below the table, italic
Note. N = 250. *p < .05. **p < .01.
Statistical notation: M, SD, n, p, r, α (italic)
Borders: Top, bottom, and below column headers only (APA 7 standard)
Figures
Title: Below the figure, italic
Figure 1
Age Distribution of Participants
Resolution: Minimum 300 DPI
Format: JPEG, PNG, or TIFF
Color: Black and white or grayscale preferred
Size: Should not exceed page width
Font: Times New Roman, 10 point
PRISMA Flow Diagram
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram is mandatory for systematic review articles.
CITATION AND REFERENCING (APA 7)
In-Text Citations
Single author:
(Smith, 2020)
Smith (2020) found that...
Two authors:
(Smith & Jones, 2020)
Smith and Jones (2020) argued...
Three or more authors:
(Smith et al., 2020)
Smith et al. (2020) demonstrated...
Direct quotation:
(Smith, 2020, p. 15)
Smith (2020) stated that "direct quotation" (p. 15).
Reference Examples
Journal article (with DOI):
Yiğit, T. (2020). Professional identity of social work: A profession standing by humanity
under all circumstances. Turkish Journal of Social Work Research, 4(2), 9-19.
https://doi.org/10.xxxx/tushad.xxxx
Journal article (without DOI):
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (2021). Article title. Journal Name, 5(3), 45-67.
Book:
Falck, H. (1988). Social work: The membership perspective. Springer.
Book chapter:
Author, C. C. (2019). Chapter title. In D. D. Editor & E. E. Editor (Eds.), Book title
(pp. 123-145). Publisher.
Translated book:
Foucault, M. (2015). Madness and civilization (R. Howard, Trans.). Vintage Books.
(Original work published 1961)
Web resource:
Organization Name. (2022, March 15). Page title. https://www.example.com/page
Dissertation:
Author, F. F. (2020). Dissertation title [Unpublished doctoral dissertation].
University Name.
ETHICS COMMITTEE APPROVAL
Situations Requiring Ethics Committee Approval
Ethics committee approval is MANDATORY for studies that include any of the following:
All research with human participants
Studies using data collection methods such as surveys, scales, interviews, focus groups
Research collecting data through observation
Secondary data analysis (private databases, hospital records, etc.)
Experimental and quasi-experimental studies
Situations Not Requiring Ethics Committee Approval
Purely theoretical/conceptual studies
Review articles based solely on literature review
Analysis of open-access, public datasets
Historical document analysis
Content analysis of published texts
IMPORTANT: For studies not requiring ethics committee approval, authors must clearly state this in the manuscript:
Ethics committee approval is not required for this study as it is a theoretical article
based on literature review.
Ethics Committee Document Requirements
The document must be obtained from a university or institutional ethics committee
The document must include date, decision/meeting number, and subject
For articles derived from theses, the thesis ethics committee document is sufficient
Institutional permission letters do not substitute for ethics committee approval
PEER REVIEW PROCESS
Double-Blind Peer Review
TUSHAD uses a double-blind peer review system:
Author(s) do not know the identity of reviewers
Reviewers do not know the identity of author(s)
All evaluations are based on objective criteria
Review Stages
1. Initial Evaluation (Editor Screening)
Duration: 2 weeks
The editor evaluates manuscripts according to the following criteria:
Compliance with journal aims and scope
Adherence to writing guidelines
Compliance with ethical standards
Scientific adequacy
Originality and contribution value
Similarity rate (maximum 20%)
Rejected manuscripts are notified within 3 weeks.
Accepted manuscripts are sent for peer review.
2. Peer Review
Duration: 6-8 weeks (4 weeks per reviewer)
Each manuscript is sent to at least 2 reviewers. Reviewers evaluate according to the following criteria:
Scope and Originality:
Compliance with journal aims and scope
Original scientific contribution
Importance of research question
Methodological Quality:
Appropriateness of research design
Sample adequacy
Validity of data collection instruments
Accuracy of analysis methods
Presentation Quality:
Adequacy of title and abstract
Comprehensiveness of literature review
Clarity of findings
Depth of discussion
Compliance of references with APA 7
Academic language and expression
Reviewer Decisions:
Accept as is
Accept with minor revisions
Accept with major revisions
Reject
3. Revision Process
Duration: 4 weeks for authors
When reviewers request revisions:
Authors must respond to reviewer suggestions in Point-by-Point response format
Revised manuscript and response letter must be uploaded to the system
Editor checks adequacy of revisions
Manuscript may be sent back to reviewers if necessary
4. Final Decision
Duration: 1 week
Editor makes the final decision by evaluating reviewer reports and revisions:
Accept: Manuscript is accepted for publication
Reject: Manuscript cannot be published
Total Process Duration
Average: 3-6 months (from initial submission to publication acceptance)
ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION PROCESS
After Publication Acceptance
Upload Final Version (15 days):
Final format according to journal template
All revisions completed
Copyright transfer form (wet signature, scanned)
Typesetting and Editing:
Typesetting according to journal format
Language editing (if necessary)
PDF creation
Author Proofreading (1 week):
Review of final PDF
Only critical errors can be corrected
Content changes not allowed
Early View (Online First):
DOI assignment
Online publication
Notification to indexes
Issue Publication:
Inclusion in June or December issue
Full text publication
Notification to national and international indexes
COPYRIGHT AND LICENSING
Copyright Transfer
For all works submitted to TUSHAD:
Must not have been previously published
Must not be simultaneously submitted elsewhere
Authors must transfer copyright to TUSHAD
Authors' Reserved Rights
Patent rights
Rights not covered by copyright
Right to reproduce for own purposes (on condition of not selling)
Right to use all or part of the work in own books/studies (with citation)
Right to maintain on personal website/institutional repository (with proper citation)
Creative Commons License
TUSHAD uses CC BY 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License).
This license allows:
✓ Share (copy, distribute)
✓ Adapt (modify, transform, create derivative works)
✓ Use for commercial purposes
Condition: Appropriate attribution, link to license, indication if changes were made
Details: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
OPEN ACCESS POLICY
TUSHAD is a completely open access journal. This means:
✓ All articles are freely accessible
✓ No charge for downloading and reading
✓ No publication fee (APC) from authors
✓ All content under CC BY 4.0 license
✓ Full texts indexed by Google Scholar, SOBIAD, etc.
Benefits of Open Access
Greater access and visibility to research
Higher citation rates
Increased interdisciplinary collaboration
Social justice in access to knowledge
Contribution to global scientific community
PUBLICATION ETHICS AND PRINCIPLES
TUSHAD adheres to COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) principles.
Authors' Responsibilities
Originality: Work must be completely original, free of plagiarism
Multiple Publication: Same work cannot be submitted to multiple journals
Authorship: All authors must have made meaningful contributions
Data Fabrication: Data must not be fabricated or manipulated
Citation: All sources must be properly cited
Conflict of Interest: All conflicts of interest must be declared
Errors: Significant errors must be reported to the editor
Ethics: All ethical rules must be followed
Reviewers' Responsibilities
Confidentiality: Peer review is confidential
Objectivity: Evaluation must be objective and constructive
Timely Review: Must be completed within deadline
Conflict of Interest: Must notify editor if conflict exists
Competence: Accept only if sufficient expertise in subject area
Editors' Responsibilities
Fairness: All manuscripts evaluated equally
Confidentiality: Author and reviewer identities protected
Conflict of Interest: Do not evaluate when conflict exists
Erroneous Publications: Make corrections/retractions when ethical violations detected
Ethical Violations
The following are considered ethical violations:
Plagiarism
Data fabrication
Data falsification
Salami publication
Duplicate publication
Inappropriate authorship
If ethical violation is detected:
Manuscript under review is rejected
Published article is retracted
Author(s)' institutions are notified
Indexes are notified
RETRACTION POLICY
Reasons for Retraction
An article may be retracted in the following situations:
Detection of ethical violation
Serious methodological errors
Inability to replicate findings
Plagiarism/originality issues
Data fabrication
Author request (with valid justification)
Retraction Process
Author(s) or third party makes notification
Editor initiates investigation
Explanation requested from relevant parties
Decision made following COPE guidelines
If retraction approved:
Article marked with "RETRACTED"
Retraction notice published
DOI remains active (for transparency)
Indexes notified
CORRECTION/ERRATUM POLICY
For non-critical errors in published articles:
Correction/Erratum notice published
Link provided to original article
Both articles remain in indexes
LANGUAGE AND EDITING SERVICES
Turkish Language Support
Free preliminary review for Turkish manuscripts
Revision suggestions for serious language issues
English Language Support (Paid)
English editing service
Translation service (Turkish → English)
Native speaker review
Information and Pricing: tushadergisi@gmail.com
FEES AND COSTS
TUSHAD charges no fees:
✓ No submission fee
✓ No review fee
✓ No publication fee (APC)
✓ No article processing fee
✓ No early view fee
Optional paid services:
English editing/translation (optional)
CONTACT AND SUBMISSION
Manuscript Submission
All manuscripts must be submitted through the online system:
Journal System: www.dergipark.org.tr/tushad
Contact Information
Email: tushadergisi@gmail.com
Editor
Editor-in-Chief: Ozan SELÇUK
Email: ozanselcuk2@gmail.com
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Q: Is ORCID mandatory?
A: Yes, it is mandatory for all authors.
Q: What should authors who don't speak English do?
A: You can use our translation service for the English abstract.
Q: When is ethics committee approval required?
A: It is mandatory for all research with human participants.
Q: How long does the manuscript review process take?
A: Average 3-6 months.
Q: Which indexes are we listed in?
A: SOBIAD, Index Copernicus, Google Scholar
Last Updated: January 2026
Version: 2.0