The Journal of Higher Education is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and adhering to the following principles of the Declaration on Publication Ethics and Misuse. This declaration has been prepared by the Editorial Board of the Journal of Higher Education based on the recommendations and guidelines developed by Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Council of Science Editors (CSE), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA) for journal editors and publishers.

Higher Education Journal Publication Ethics and Misuse Statement
Manuscripts submitted to The Journal of Higher Education for publication must not have been previously published in another journal or submitted simultaneously to any other journal for publication. Manuscripts prepared from papers presented at scientific meetings can be submitted to the journal, provided that they are unpublished. Incoming manuscripts are pre-reviewed by the Editorial Board. Manuscripts that are not suitable for the purpose of publication of the journal may be rejected directly or sent back to the author to make them suitable for the purpose of publication and publication rules without being evaluated by the referees. Manuscripts deemed suitable for the scope of the journal are included in the double-blind peer review process. In line with the comments and suggestions of the referees, the Editorial Board is authorized to suggest the corrections and changes it deems necessary during the preparation of the manuscripts submitted to the journal for publication or to reject the manuscript at any stage. The manuscript, which is accepted after passing the necessary correction stages in the referee evaluation process, is sent to the publishing house to prepare the page layout. The proofs of the manuscripts that have completed the page layout stage are sent to the relevant author (with whom the correspondence is made) for final print approval. The manuscripts that pass these stages are published online after the approval of the author, then given a page number and DOI code to be included in the appropriate issue of the journal period.

Our journal reserves the right to examine the submitted manuscripts for plagiarism at any stage by means of a purpose-built software. For this purpose, unauthorized quotation or falsification of data, falsification (fabrication or manipulation of tables, figures or research data), and the use of inappropriate human or animal subjects in the research may be examined for plagiarism. Manuscripts that do not meet these standards will not be published in the journal. This rule also applies to any non-compliance with these standards that may be detected at the post-publication stage and requires withdrawal of the manuscript from publication. As a matter of publication ethics, our journal will report cases of suspected plagiarism or duplicate publication. Our journal will rely on the Publication Ethics Flowcharts developed by COPE in possible cases of abuse or violation of publication ethics.

Author Responsibilities
Authors should ensure the originality of their manuscripts. They must declare that the manuscript has not been previously published or is under consideration for publication elsewhere, in any language. They must comply with applicable copyright agreements and laws. Copyrighted material, such as tables, figures, or other contributed quotations, may only be published in the journal with valid permission and copyright acknowledgment. Authors should appropriately cite other authors, contributors, or sources and indicate the relevant references. The author(s) of research-type manuscripts must have participated in at least three stages of the research process: "designing the study," "collecting the data," "analyzing the data," "writing the manuscript," and "confirming the accuracy of the data and analysis."

Authors are required to declare any areas of conflict of interest or competing interests (including financial relationships or personal overlaps that may be relevant to the study) that could potentially affect the findings or scientific outcomes of the study. All financial contributions, sponsorships, or project support for the study must be disclosed. The existence of a conflict of interest does not preclude the publication of the study in the journal.

If an author detects a significant scientific error or inappropriateness in a published manuscript, they have an obligation to contact the Editor as soon as possible in order to withdraw the manuscript or correct the error.

Referee Responsibilities
Reviewers evaluate manuscripts solely based on scientific content, without regard to the ethnicity, gender, gender preference, nationality, religious beliefs, or political philosophy of the authors. Reviewers should have no conflict of interest or competing interests with respect to the research, its authors, or its sponsors. Reviewer decisions must be objective.

Reviewers should cite related published works that have not been cited by the author. They are obliged to keep all information about the submitted manuscript confidential and to notify the relevant Editor if they become aware of copyright infringement or plagiarism by the author.

If a reviewer believes that the content of a submitted manuscript is incompatible with their scientific field or expertise, or if they are unable to make a quick evaluation, they should inform the relevant Editor and request to be excused from the evaluation process.

Editor Responsibilities

The Editorial Board of the Journal of Higher Education consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Editors, and Deputy Editors. The Board guarantees editorial independence and evaluates the manuscripts submitted to the journal solely based on scientific content, without taking into account the ethnicity, gender, gender preference, nationality, religious beliefs, or political philosophy of the authors, or any personal interactions with the volunteer leaders of the association or journal. The Board ensures a fair peer review process for the publication of submitted manuscripts. It guarantees that all information about the submitted manuscript is kept confidential until publication. Editors are responsible for the content and overall quality of the publication and are committed to publishing corrections when necessary through the Correction/Erratum pages. The Editor-in-Chief ensures that there is no conflict of interest or competing interest between authors, editors, and reviewers. The Editorial Board is responsible for appointing referees for the Journal of Higher Education and for making positive or negative decisions regarding the publication of manuscripts.

Journal of Higher Education Special Issue Policy

The Turkish Academy of Sciences the Journal of Higher Education (TÜBA-HER) reserves the right to publish one special issue per year upon the decision of the TÜBA Council or the TÜBA-HER Editorial Board. Researchers or scientific event organizers who wish to propose a special issue can send their proposals, including details of the relevant scientific event within the scope of the journal, to the journal secretariat via Dergipark. The Editorial Board of TÜBA Council or TÜBA-HER reviews all proposals, and a call for papers may be made for those accepted. Guest editors can be assigned to the journal only for the special issue. Guest editors are responsible for ensuring that the articles submitted for the special issue are thematically appropriate, in accordance with editorial rules, and in compliance with referee feedback. In addition, academic background, field expertise, and previous editorial experience are taken into account when appointing special issue editors.

Special Issue Theme and Focus
Each special issue in the Journal of Higher Education aims to present a collection of articles focusing on a current and relevant research theme aligned with the scope and objectives of the journal. The goal is to enrich the academic literature by bringing together diverse perspectives, research findings, and opinions. Special issue themes are determined based on topicality and relevance, as well as the potential for multidisciplinary contributions, demands within the academic community, capacity to stimulate innovative approaches, and international collaboration. The editorial board may initiate a call for special issues or respond to special issue requests from researchers or organizers of scientific events. Proposals from symposia and conferences are accepted and evaluated for relevance and quality by the editorial board and associate editors.

From time to time, the journal may call for articles on important and topical issues. Special issues usually consist of 10-12 research articles, supported by an introduction and conclusion.

The main criteria for evaluating special issue proposals are:

- Importance and topicality of the proposed theme
- Potential to contribute to the academic field
- Alignment with the journal's editorial policy and thematic scope

All submissions for special issues are conducted through the Dergipark platform, and articles are accepted in English or Turkish. If necessary, the editorial board may adjust the number of articles or language distribution. Articles should be prepared in accordance with the journal's format and spelling rules, and the special issue editor may set page limits for articles.

Submission, Review, and Revision Process
The peer review process for articles in the special issue is carried out by the editor-in-chief or designated guest editor(s). The special issue editor is responsible for ensuring thematic coherence, timely submission, and compliance with reviewer feedback. The review process is the same as for standard issues, with additional support from field editors if necessary.
The journal's open access policy and its policy of not charging publication fees for articles also apply to special issues.