UNIVERSAL JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY (UJTE)

Focus and Scope

Universal Journal of Theology (UJTE) is a double blind peer-reviewed and quarter international journal that aims at reporting high-quality empirical and original research contributions in the field of theology, religious ethics, religious education and philosophy, as well as articles that approach the role of religion in culture and society from a historical, sociological, psychological, linguistic, political, philosophical or artistic standpoint are welcomed.

The scope of UJTE includes theory and practice in critical, hermeneutical, historical, and constructive inquiry into religion. UJTE also publishes book reviews of potential interest to readers. Translated versions of previously published articles are also welcomed for UJTE. Publication languages of the journal are Turkish, English and Arabic. UJTE provides translation and proofreading service for the authors.

Manuscripts not submitted elsewhere for publication will be considered. Papers presented at scientific events are also accepted for publication with the same strict peer-review process.

Section Policies

Editor-in-Chief:

Dr. İsmail Şimşek – Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University

Editorial Advisory Board Members

Dr. Abdelrehim Sad Aldin – Al-Azhar University / Egypt

Dr. Abdullah Harouna – Al Baha University / KSA

Dr. Abdullah M. Nuri Al Dersawi – King Faisal University / KSA

Dr. Abdülcebbar Kavak – Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University / Turkey

Dr. Abdülkerim Seber – Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University / Turkey

Dr. Azad Said Sumo – Duhok University / Iraq

Dr. Abdülhadi Sağlam – Erzincan University / Turkey

Dr. Ahmet Koç- Marmara University / Turkey

Dr. Fazlı Polat-Atatürk University / Turkey

Dr. Hakkı Aydın- Cumhuriyet University / Turkey

Dr. Hanifi Palabıyık- Atatürk University / Turkey

Dr. Hayati Tetik – Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University / Turkey

Dr. Hasan Akkanat- Çukurova University/Turkey

Dr. İbrahim Taha – Al Baha University / KSA

Dr. İsmail Yılmaz – Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University / Turkey

Dr. Kamil Kömürcü- Cumhuriyet University / Turkey

Dr. Kemal Polat – Amasya University / Turkey

Dr. Mahmut Çınar- Gaziantep University / Turkey

Dr. Maksut Çetin- İzmir Kâtip Çelebi University / Turkey

Dr. M. Salih Geçit – Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University / Turkey

Dr. Muhammed Şakir Muhammet Salih – Selahattin University / Iraq

Dr. Mustafa Alıcı – Erzincan University / Turkey

Dr. Mustafa Safa – Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University / Turkey

Dr. Raşit Batur- İzmir Kâtip Çelebi University / Turkey

Dr. Ruhattin Yazoğlu- Atatürk University- Turkey

Dr. Sabri Erturhan- Cumhuriyet University / Turkey

Dr. Said Al Qurani – Al-Azhar University / Egypt

Dr. Şadi Eren- Iğdır University / Turkey

Dr. Tuncay İmamoğlu- Atatürk University- Turkey

Dr. Vahit Celal – Bartın University / Turkey

Dr. Vahdettin Başçı- Atatürk University- Turkey

Dr. Yakup Civelek- Bartın University / Turkey

Dr. Yusuf Sancak- Atatürk University- Turkey

Editorial & Technical Office

Halis Çavuşoğlu – Dicle University / Turkey

Mehdi Karakoç – Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University / Turkey

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Indexing

This journal is indexed in:

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Journal Sponsorship

Universal Journal of Theology (UJTE) is sponsored by KeD Publishing Co.

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

[1]          Ethical guidelines for journal publication

These guidelines are based on existing Elsevier policies.

The publication of an article in the peer-reviewed journal “Universal Journal of Theology” (UJTE) contributes to growth of knowledge. We encourage the best standards of publication ethics and take all possible measures against publication malpractices. It is important to agree upon standards of proper ethical behavior for all parties involved in the act of publishing: authors, editors, peer reviewers and the publisher. KeD Publishing, as the publisher of the journal UJTE, take its duties of guardianship over all stages of publishing extremely seriously and we recognize our ethical and other responsibilities.

[2]          Duties of authors

(These guidelines are based on existing Elsevier policies and COPE‟s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.)

Reporting standards

Authors of papers should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable. Review and professional publication articles should also be accurate and objective, and editorial „opinion‟ works should be clearly identified as such.

Data access and retention

Authors may be asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data (consistent with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), if practicable, and should in any event be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.

Originality and plagiarism

The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others, that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.
Plagiarism takes many forms, from „passing off‟ another‟s paper as the author‟s own paper, to copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another‟s paper (without attribution), to claiming results from research conducted by others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication

An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. In general, an author should not submit for consideration in another journal a previously published paper. Publication of some kinds of articles (e.g. clinical guidelines, translations) in more than one journal is sometimes justifiable, provided certain conditions are met. The authors and editors of the journals concerned must agree to the secondary publication, which must reflect the same data and interpretation of the primary document. The primary reference must be cited in the secondary publication.

Acknowledgement of sources

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work. Information obtained privately, as in conversation, correspondence, or discussion with third parties, must not be used or reported without explicit, written permission from the source. Information obtained in the course of confidential services, such as refereeing manuscripts or grant applications, must not be used without the explicit written permission of the author of the work involved in these services.

Authorship of the paper

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Hazards and human or animal subjects

If the work involves chemicals, procedures or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript. If the work involves the use of animal or human subjects, the author should ensure that the manuscript contains a statement that all procedures were performed in compliance with relevant laws and institutional guidelines and that the appropriate institutional committee(s) has approved them. Authors should include a statement in the manuscript that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects. The privacy rights of human subjects must always be observed.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest

All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed. Examples of potential conflicts of interest which should be disclosed include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed at the earliest stage possible.

Fundamental errors in published Works

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author‟s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper. If the editor or the publisher learns from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, it is the obligation of the author to promptly retract or correct the paper or provide evidence to the editor of the correctness of the original paper.

[3]          Duties of editors

(These guidelines are based on existing Elsevier policies and COPE‟s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.)

Publication decisions

The editor of a peer-reviewed journal UJTE is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published, often working in conjunction with the relevant society (for society-owned or sponsored journals). The validation of the work in question and its importance to researchers and readers must always drive such decisions. The editor may be guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The editor may confer with other editors or reviewers (or society officers) in making this decision.

Fair play

An editor should evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality
The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Editors should recuse themselves (i.e. should ask a co-editor, associate editor or other member of the editorial board instead to review and consider) from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or (possibly) institutions connected to the papers. Editors should require all contributors to disclose relevant competing interests and publish corrections if competing interests are revealed after publication. If needed, other appropriate action should be taken, such as the publication of a retraction or expression of concern.

Involvement and cooperation in investigations

An editor should take reasonably responsive measures when ethical complaints have been presented concerning a submitted manuscript or published paper, in conjunction with the publisher (or society). Such measures will generally include contacting the author of the manuscript or paper and giving due consideration of the respective complaint or claims made, but may also include further communications to the relevant institutions and research bodies, and if the complaint is upheld, the publication of a correction, retraction, expression of concern, or other note, as may be relevant. Every reported act of unethical publishing behavior must be looked into, even if it is discovered years after publication.

[4]          Duties of reviewers

(These guidelines are based on existing Elsevier policies and COPE‟s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.)

Contribution to editorial decisions

Peer review assists the editor of UJTE in making editorial decisions and through the editorial communications with the author may also assist the author in improving the paper. Peer review is an essential component of formal scholarly communication, and lies at the heart of the scientific method. UJTE shares the view of many that all scholars who wish to contribute to publications have an obligation to do a fair share of reviewing.
Promptness
Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse himself from the review process.

Confidentiality
Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

Standards of objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

Acknowledgement of sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.

Disclosure and conflict of interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in a reviewer‟s own research without the express written consent of the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.

Peer Review Process

Submission types:

1-      Research  / Review article (Max. 9000 words)

2-      Translation (Max. 9000 words

3-      Short report (Max. 2000 words)

4-      Book review (Max 1000 words)

The general steps followed by the UJTE during the review process are as follow:

1- After receiving the manuscript the corresponding author receives a confirmation email of submission.

2- Submitted manuscripts will be firstly screened by the editor-in-chief and co-editors for the appropriateness of the manuscript to the journal. After this pre-decision,

3- Each submitted manuscript will be firstly subjected to the similarity report and plagiarism check. In this process, iThenticate, a plagiarism screening service that verifies the originality of content submitted, will be used. The iThenticate software checks submissions against millions of published research papers, documents on the web, and other relevant sources. Authors can also use the iThenticate system to screen their work before submission by visiting and learning much about the system from http://www.ithenticate.com/

4- After the decision of the originality report,  the manuscript will be sent to two international referees for blind review (the referees are selected according to their expertise in the field and authors can also suggest referees).

5- All manuscripts are evaluated according to the reviewers’ guidelines. On the basis of their evaluation, the referees recommend the paper either for publication or for rejection or they can suggest some necessary changes if it is needed.

6- A third review in the case of disaccord between the reviewers will get involved in the process.

7- Based on the two positive comments of international reviewers, the manuscript will be published.

8- When  the manuscript is accepted for publication, the corresponding author is issued an acceptance letter.

9- The review process of the UJTE is completed within four weeks.

This journal uses Open Journal Systems, which is open source journal management and publishing software developed, supported, and freely distributed by the Public Knowledge Project under the GNU General Public License.

The schematic representation of the publication process is shown below: 

Open Access Policy

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

Archiving

This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration.