Publication Policy

1. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Letters is published electronically as a "Peer-Reviewed Journal" on the ULAKBİM DergiPark platform, with two issues per year (June and December).
2. The journal publishes original research in Turkish and English in the fields of Information and Document Management, Contemporary Turkish Dialects and Literatures, Translation and Interpretation, Philosophy, Psychology, Art History, Sociology, History, and Turkish Language and Literature, adopting an interdisciplinary approach.
3. Submissions to the journal are editorially reviewed for purpose, scope, methodology, and writing guidelines before being scientifically evaluated by the Peer Review Board using a double-blind review process.
4. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Letters adopts an Open Access approach.
5. The journal does not charge any submission fees, editorial processing fees, or publication fees for manuscripts, writings, etc. Authors are not compensated for the works published in the journal.
6. Reported research must be conducted in accordance with ethical guidelines, and all citations within the text must be clearly indicated. The maximum acceptable similarity rate is 20%.
7. The views expressed in published manuscripts do not represent the journal's views and are the responsibility of each individual author.
8. Detailed information regarding the journal’s aims and scope, writing guidelines, publication principles, manuscript submission and evaluation processes, ethical principles, etc., can be found on the journal’s website.

Ethical Principles

The following ethical responsibilities have been prepared in accordance with the ethical rules and responsibilities specified by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Editors, referees, and authors of journal are expected to act in accordance with these ethical rules.

1. Ethical Responsibilities of Referees

The review board is overviewed at least once a year and is regularly updated. Manuscripts submitted to the journal for publication are subjected to the editorial process of purpose, scope, methodology and written guidelines.

After this editorial process, manuscripts that are deemed suitable for publication are sent to two different referees. In this context, the referees of Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Letters are expected to adhere to the following ethical responsibilities:

• Reviews must be impartial.
• Referees must be experts in the subject matter they are evaluating; if they lack sufficient knowledge about the topic, they should decline the review invitation.
• Referees should not have any conflicts of interest related to the research or the authors.
• In accordance with the confidentiality principle, referees must destroy the manuscripts they have evaluated after the review process.
• Reviews should be conducted objectively, based solely on the content of the work. Referees should make the evaluation objectively only regarding the content of the study. Nationality, gender, religious beliefs, political beliefs and commercial concerns should not be allowed to influence the evaluation.
• As part of their educational and instructional responsibilities, referees should guide authors and avoid harsh or degrading comments, as well as statements regarding the authors' inadequacies.
• Referees must conduct their evaluations of accepted works in a timely manner and within the framework of the above ethical responsibilities.

2. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

• Manuscripts submitted for publication must not violate scientific publication ethics (such as plagiarism, falsification, fabrication, duplicate publication, salami slicing, inappropriate authorship, failure to disclose supporting institutions, non-compliance with ethical guidelines in animal research, etc.).
• Authors must conduct the research process of their submitted works in accordance with ethical guidelines and relevant regulations. Manuscripts should represent original research that aligns with the specified fields of study.
• If the submitted manuscripts contain research results that require an ethics committee decision, authors must include the ethics committee decision information (such as committee name, date, number, etc.) in the manuscript.
• When directly quoting other works during the research process, authors must provide appropriate citations.
• The reference list must be complete, and all cited sources must be clearly indicated.
2.1. Suitability and Reliability
• Authors should use appropriate data analysis methods when necessary and seek expert advice if required.
• In multi-author works, all authors should share collective responsibility for the content of the publication. Authors must ensure that the methods and findings are accurately reported by reviewing their work at every stage.

2.2. Honesty

• Manuscripts submitted to the journal must not have been published elsewhere or submitted for publication elsewhere.
• Authors should describe the research methods used and present the findings clearly and concisely.

2.3. Originality

• Authors must certify that their work is original and has not been published elsewhere in any language.
• If research findings have been published previously or submitted to another journal for publication, the editor must be informed during the manuscript submission process. Authors should provide copies of the relevant publications or copies of works submitted to other journals.
• Multiple publications resulting from a single research project must be explicitly stated, and reference should be made to the primary publication.

2.4. Transparency

• Authors may be asked to provide raw data related to their articles during the review process; in such cases, they should be prepared to present the requested data and information to the editorial board and the referees.
• Authors must have documentation demonstrating that they possess the rights to use the data, have obtained the necessary permissions related to research/analyses, or have completed consent procedures for subjects involved.
• Authors should clearly and transparently describe their methods so that the findings can be verified by others.

2.5. Responsibility

• Authors may not have their works under consideration in multiple journals simultaneously. Each submission may only be initiated after the completion of the previous submission.
• In the event that the author becomes aware of an inaccuracy or error in the published, early view, or under review manuscript, the author has an obligation to notify the journal editor and to cooperate with the editor in correcting or withdrawing the manuscript.

2.6. Multi-Author Works

• In multi-author works, all authors must be listed, and the copyright transfer form must be completed during manuscript submission.
• A corresponding author must be designated from among the authors during the manuscript review process, and all communication with the editor should be maintained by the corresponding author.
• Changes to author responsibilities (such as adding authors, changing author order, or removing authors) for a manuscript already in the review process cannot be proposed.
• Any changes and revisions made to the manuscript must be communicated to all authors. This responsibility lies with the "Corresponding Author."
• In multi-author works, authors are expected to share collective responsibility for the integrity of the research and reporting. However, if authors are responsible only for specific aspects of the research and reporting, this must be stated in the publication.

2.7. Review Process and Copyright Transfer Form

• Detailed information about the review process is provided on the Writing Guidelines page under the section titled "Peer Review and Evaluation Process." Authors are considered to accept these rules when submitting their manuscripts.
• Authors must cooperate during this process and respond to reviewer and editor requests in a timely and accurate manner.
• If an author wishes to withdraw their work during the evaluation process, they must inform the editor.

2.8. Reporting Research Involving Humans or Animals

• Appropriate approvals, licenses, or registrations must be obtained before the research begins, and details must be provided in the report (e.g., Institutional Review Board approval, Research Ethics Committee approval, national licensing authorities for animal use).
• Upon request from the editors, authors must provide evidence that the reported research has obtained appropriate approval and has been conducted ethically (e.g., copies of approvals, licenses, participant consent forms).
• Authors must not publish or share personal data collected during the research without the individual’s (or their representative’s) permission.
• Authors should publish all meaningful research findings that contribute to understanding.

3. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

3.1. Responsibility for Journal Content

• The editor is responsible for every article published in the journal. They must ensure the quality of the materials published and maintain the integrity of the published record. In this regard, the editor:
• Makes decisions solely based on academic criteria and takes full responsibility for these decisions.
• Strives to act in accordance with the principle of freedom of thought to ensure fair and impartial evaluation of the works.
• Conducts processes in compliance with intellectual property rights and ethical standards.
• Works to meet the informational needs of readers and authors and continuously strives to enhance the journal's development.
• Protects the confidentiality of authors and referees and manages the review process accordingly.
• Considers the opinions of authors, readers, and members of the review board regarding the improvement of the journal's processes.
• Keeps up with research related to peer review and publishing, reviewing the journal's processes in light of new information.

3.2. Relationships with Readers

• Editors pay attention to the originality of published works and strive to ensure that the work provides scientific contributions to readers, researchers, and practitioners.
• Editors take into account feedback from all stakeholders and make efforts to provide explanatory and informative responses.
3.3. Relationships with Authors
• Editors ensure that all works are reviewed by qualified and appropriate referees.
• Detailed information regarding processes for authors is provided in the Writing Guidelines available on the Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Letters website.
• To prevent potential disruptions in the process, the editor maintains continuous communication with the authors.

3.4. Relationships with Referees

• During the assignment of referees, editors monitor for any potential conflicts of interest between authors and referees.
• Since the evaluation process is conducted using a double-blind method, the identities of the referees are kept confidential. The list of referees for each issue is announced in the respective issue.
• Referees are encouraged to use an impartial, scientific, and objective language when evaluating the work.
• Efforts are made to ensure that the pool of referees consists of different disciplines and is continuously updated.
• Rude and unscientific evaluations are prevented or censored.

3.5. Peer Review and Evaluation Process

• Editors are required to implement the policies regarding "Peer Review and Evaluation Process" as stated in the journal’s Writing Guidelines. In this context, editors ensure that each work undergoes a fair, impartial, and timely evaluation process.
• Referees can express a definite opinion regarding the publication or non-publication of the work in their reports. However, the Editor/Editorial Board may make a decision based on the similar and opposing views of the referees evaluating the work.
• The Editor/Editorial Board focuses on the strength of the arguments presented by the referees or authors rather than the number of referees who accept or reject the work. They consider reports that contain strong propositions with reasoning rather than simply yes/no answers to evaluation questions.
• A reviewer may notice that their views were not fully reflected in the published work. It is possible that other referees held different opinions, and the Editor/Editorial Board may have considered these views as well. In this case, if requested by the reviewing reviewer, the opinions of other referees may be sent to them at the discretion of the Editorial Board.
• Based on the recommendations of the referees, the Editor/Editorial Board may follow one of the following paths:
o Accept the work for publication.
o Accept the work for publication after substantial and significant revisions and improvements.
o Request the author/authors to revise the work in accordance with the referees' comments and initiate a new evaluation process.
o Reject the work.

3.6. Editorial Board Members

• Care is taken to select qualified editorial board members who will contribute to the development of the journal.
• The members of the Editorial Board are reviewed regularly.
• The editor gathers opinions from board members regarding the management of the journal, informs them of changes in journal policies, and consults them regularly (e.g., once a year) to plan for the future.

3.7. Protection of Personal Data

• Editors reject any work that includes personal data without the explicit consent of the individuals involved. Additionally, editors are responsible for protecting the individual data of authors, referees, and readers.

3.8. Ethical Committee, Human and Animal Rights

• Editors ensure the protection of human and animal rights in the evaluated works. They are responsible for rejecting any work that does not have ethical committee approval or permits related to experimental research involving subjects.

3.9. Protection of Intellectual Property Rights

• Editors are obligated to protect the intellectual property rights of all published articles and to defend the rights of the journal and authors in case of potential infringements.

3.10. Constructiveness and Openness to Discussion

• Editors consider criticisms regarding the works published in the journal and strive to maintain a constructive attitude toward these criticisms.

3.11. Complaints

• Editors carefully examine complaints from authors, referees, or readers and endeavor to respond in an explanatory manner.

4. Publisher's Ethical Responsibilities

Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Letters:

• Does not charge any fees to authors in any way.
• Takes care to protect the ownership and copyright of every published article and maintains records of each copy.

5. Plagiarism Check

• Reported research must be prepared in accordance with ethical rules, and citations made within the text must be duly noted. Works submitted to our journal are evaluated using the Ithenticate program to prevent plagiarism before publication, after the peer review process is completed.
• The maximum similarity rate is set at 20%.
• If you encounter an unethical situation:

If you notice a significant error or mistake in a published article, or if you encounter behavior or content that does not comply with the ethical responsibilities mentioned above, please report it via email to mbalik@bartin.edu.tr.

Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Letters