PUBLICATION ETHICS

This journal is committed to upholding the integrity of the scientific record. As a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) the journal will follow the COPE guidelines on how to deal with potential acts of misconduct. The publication procedures employed by the Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Education Faculty are fundamentally rooted in the equitable generation, advancement, and dissemination of knowledge through rigorous scientific methodologies.

Scientific Research Ethics

• Scientific methodologies are employed for data acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and the derivation of findings. Outcomes lacking in scientific rigor cannot be presented as legitimate research results.
• During research endeavors, it is imperative to adhere diligently to both national and international conventions and to secure requisite permissions from competent authorities.
• The data acquired through scholarly investigations must be employed strictly within the parameters and formats specified by relevant authorities. It is imperative that any data deemed confidential be safeguarded accordingly and not disclosed.
• Researchers bear the responsibility to promptly communicate any untoward circumstances stemming from their research endeavors to the pertinent individuals and institutions. Moreover, every researcher possesses the prerogative to abstain from participation in the research should such adverse circumstances manifest.
• Peer-reviewed articles represent scholarly endeavors grounded in the rigorous application of scientific methods, thereby fostering objectivity. All stakeholders in the publication process, including publishers, editors, authors, reviewers, and readers, are expected to adhere to ethical principles for the promotion of scientific knowledge. In this regard, the principles of "publication ethics" and "open access" necessitate the unwavering commitment of all parties involved to ethical standards, as articulated in the guidelines and policies established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), such as the "Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors" and the "COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors."
• Should the utilization of fraudulent or fabricated data by the author(s) of a manuscript be identified, the respective institution employing the author(s) will be promptly notified, and the manuscript will be rejected. The prerogative to request the author(s) to provide the original raw data used in the manuscript is retained by both the editorial board members of the journal and the reviewers.

The Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI)

• About the use of AI in scientific works, the Journal agrees with COPE’s statement (https://publicationethics.org/cope-position-statements/ai-author) on that manner: “The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT or Large Language Models in research publications is expanding rapidly. COPE joins organisations, such as WAME and the JAMA Network among others, to state that AI tools cannot be listed as an author of a paper. AI tools cannot meet the requirements for authorship as they cannot take responsibility for the submitted work. As non-legal entities, they cannot assert the presence or absence of conflicts of interest nor manage copyright and license agreements. Authors who use AI tools in the writing of a manuscript, production of images or graphical elements of the paper, or in the collection and analysis of data, must be transparent in disclosing in the Materials and Methods (or similar section) of the paper how the AI tool was used and which tool was used. Authors are fully responsible for the content of their manuscript, even those parts produced by an AI tool, and are thus liable for any breach of publication ethics.”
  
• Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Education Faculty strictly prohibits any section of an article from being authored, either wholly or in part, by Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.AI tools may, however, be employed for purposes such as generating images or graphics, enhancing spelling and grammar, and augmenting the overall readability of the article. In such instances, authors are required to provide a clear and comprehensive elucidation regarding the application of AI tools in their manuscript and in their Applicant Information Form. It is paramount to emphasize that the author(s) bear full responsibility for the authenticity and originality of the content produced.
  
  

Ethical Responsibilities of the Publisher

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, which serves as the publisher of the Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Education Faculty, constitutes a publicly funded educational institution.

Protection of the Scholarly Record

As a journal affiliated with a public university, we recognize our responsibility to support the considerable efforts made by journal editors and the often unacknowledged volunteer work undertaken by peer reviewers in maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. While we have a supporting and nurturing role in the scholarly communication process, we are also ultimately responsible for ensuring that best practices are followed in our publications.

Safeguarding Editorial Independence

We are committed to ensuring that potential commercial interests have no impact or influence on editorial decisions. As a university-affiliated publication, our primary commitment is to academic integrity and the advancement of knowledge.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing Practices

We promote best practices by adhering to established ethical guidelines in academic publishing. For similarity checking, we utilize the Intihal.net platform to ensure the originality of all submissions to our editorial system.

Support for Editorial Processes

We support our editors in their communications with other journals and publishers where this is beneficial to the editorial process, within the framework of our capabilities as a university-affiliated publication.

Transparency in Competing Interests

• Our editors are required to report any competing or conflicting interests that could affect, or be perceived to affect, their editorial judgment. Competing interests must be reported as soon as they arise, and in any case through an annual declaration, so they can be assessed and addressed appropriately.
• Competing interests may be disclosed on the journal's website for ongoing conflicts (such as holding a patent), and/or on published papers for competing interests related to the specific paper.
• Competing interests include both financial and non-financial interests, such as current academic affiliations, employment, consultancies, professional relationships, advisory positions, and board memberships.

Ethical Responsibilities of the Editorial Board and Editors

Publication Decisions and Authority

The Editorial Board assumes comprehensive responsibility for overseeing all stages of the articles submitted to the journal. Editors are solely and independently responsible for deciding which submitted articles should be published, with decisions always based on the validation of the work and its importance to researchers and readers. The Board exercises independent judgment, guided by considerations of public welfare rather than personal interests.

Editorial Independence

The association between the Publisher and the Editorial Board is firmly grounded in a policy of autonomy. The decisions made by the editors remain entirely separate from the influence of the publisher and any other individuals or entities. This independence is essential to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.

Evaluation Criteria

When assessing articles for publication, editors are guided by principles of originality, scholarly contribution, and relevance to both the readership and the broader research community. They meticulously evaluate aspects such as originality, scholarly contribution, clarity of expression, content, and the validity and reliability of the submitted work.

Peer Review Process

The Editorial Board ensures that the peer review process is fair, unbiased, and timely. Research articles must typically be reviewed by at least two external and independent reviewers, and where necessary, editors seek additional opinions. Editors select reviewers with suitable expertise in the relevant field, taking account of the need for appropriate, inclusive and diverse representation.

Blind Review and Confidentiality

Editors adhere to the policies of blind peer review and evaluation processes, ensuring the confidentiality of authors' personal information while facilitating impartial evaluations within stipulated timelines. The Editorial Board protects the confidentiality of all material submitted to the journal and all communications with reviewers, unless otherwise agreed with the relevant authors and reviewers.

Fair Play

Editors evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors. The Editorial Board's policies encourage transparency and complete, honest reporting, ensuring that peer reviewers and authors have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.

Assignment of Articles and Reviewer Management

Editors conscientiously dispatch articles to field editors and reviewers, taking into account their areas of professional expertise, and are committed to ensuring impartial and independent evaluations. They curate a diverse and extensive pool of reviewers, which is regularly updated to maintain its relevance.

Conflict of Interest Management

Any potential editorial conflicts of interest must be declared prior to the appointment of the editor, and then updated if and when new conflicts arise. Editors must not be involved in decisions about papers which they have written themselves or have been written by family members or colleagues. During the evaluation processes, editors rigorously assess the presence of any potential conflicts of interest or collaborations between authors and reviewers.

Prevention of Academic Misconduct

The Editorial Board bears the responsibility of safeguarding the intellectual property rights of authors throughout the publication processes and ensuring the prevention of unethical conduct, including plagiarism and inappropriate citation practices. Editors proactively thwart non-scientific behaviors that contravene established academic ethical norms.

Use of Similarity Checking Tools

The Editorial Board utilizes Intihal.net platform to verify the originality of submissions and to detect potential plagiarism or duplicate publication.

Human and Animal Rights Protection

Editors prioritize the protection of human and animal rights within submitted articles, underscoring the necessity of obtaining explicit and documented consent from all participants mentioned in the articles. Articles lacking such ethical committee approval for participants and experimental investigation permits are subject to rejection.

Policy Implementation and Communication

Editors oversee the enforcement of journal publication processes in accordance with publishing policies and guidelines, provide stakeholders involved in the publication process with timely updates on policy developments, and develop training programs as needed. They maintain effective and systematic communication with all stakeholders engaged in the publication processes, and convene regular meetings to facilitate collaboration and coordination.

Data Protection

Editors place a premium on safeguarding the personal data of individuals involved in the assessment of articles, including authors, referees, and readers.

Research Misconduct Management

Editors proactively implement measures to mitigate research misconduct. In cases of complaints regarding breaches of professional conduct, they engage in an impartial inquiry, sharing their objective findings on the matter.

Error Correction

Editors facilitate the rectification of errors, discrepancies, or any misleading elements identified in published articles.

Intellectual Property Protection

Editors are committed to upholding the intellectual property rights of the articles they publish and safeguarding the rights of both the journal and its authors in cases of infringement. They also take precautionary measures to prevent the content of published articles from infringing upon the intellectual property rights of other publications, conducting thorough authenticity and similarity assessments.

Journal Quality and Development

The Editorial Board continuously endeavors to enhance and elevate the scholarly quality of the journal. Editors should ensure that the journal's aims, scope, and content respond to changes in the field of study and incorporate newly-emerging work.

Records Management

The Editorial Board maintains electronic records of each article and establishes incentive policies for both authors and referees.

Openness to Critique

Editors welcome and consider constructive critiques of articles published in the journal, affording authors the opportunity to respond to such feedback.

*Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Editors fulfill a temporary role within our journal, serving for a defined period to coordinate content on specific topics of significant interest to our readership. These editors are responsible for inviting contributions and organizing special themed issues that bring together multiple authors focusing on a particular subject area. Appointments to these positions are made based on recommendations from the journal's Editorial Board, with final approval from the publisher. The specific duration of service is clearly established during the appointment process, after which the Special Issue Editor's responsibilities and authorities within the journal conclude. Special Issue Editors maintain full accountability for their editorial decisions and activities throughout their term. These temporary editorial positions provide valuable opportunities for scholars to gain experience in editorial work and may potentially lead to consideration for more permanent roles within the journal's editorial structure.

Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Articles submitted to the Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Education Faculty undergo a rigorous double-blind review process. In this process, the identities of both the authors and the reviewers remain concealed from each other. Direct communication between reviewers and authors is not permitted. Article evaluation forms and requests for revisions are conveyed to the authors through the journal's website. Reviewers are obliged to adhere to the following ethical responsibilities:

• Reviewers are expected to exclusively accept assignments to evaluate articles that align with their specialized expertise and field of knowledge.
• Reviewers are required to conduct their evaluations in an impartial and confidential manner, ensuring that considerations such as nationality, gender, religious beliefs, political affiliations, or commercial interests do not compromise the objectivity of their assessments.
• In the event that reviewers become aware of any conflicts of interest or collaborative relationships, it is incumbent upon them to promptly notify the editors and decline the task of evaluating the respective article.
• Reviewers are expected to approach their evaluations with a constructive disposition, adhering rigorously to academic ethical norms. They should refrain from making disparaging or adversarial personal remarks in their assessments.
• Reviewers must treat any manuscripts received for review as confidential documents. They must not share the review or information about the paper with anyone.
• 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 be alert to potential ethical issues in the paper and should bring these to the attention of the editor, including any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which the reviewer has personal knowledge.
• Reviewers should complete their reviews within the timeframe requested. If a reviewer requires additional time, they should inform the editor as soon as possible.
• If a reviewer suggests that an author includes citations to specific works, this must be for genuine scientific reasons and not with the intention of increasing anyone's citation count or enhancing the visibility of particular works.

Ethical Responsibilities of the Authors

Articles submitted to the Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Education Faculty must adhere to the following ethical principles:

• Authors must submit original research articles that have not been previously published elsewhere or are currently under consideration by another journal.
• Authors are required to properly acknowledge the work of others through appropriate citation and referencing. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable.
• Authors should present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance. Manuscripts should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work.
• 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 substantial contributions should be listed as co-authors. Individuals who have not made substantive contributions should not be included as authors.
• Any suggested alterations to the authorship order of a submitted article or the addition of authors after submission should be avoided. Only in exceptional circumstances will such changes be considered, and all authors must agree with any such addition, removal, or rearrangement.
• Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could be viewed as inappropriately influencing their work. All sources of financial support should be disclosed.
• If the research involves human subjects or animals, authors must ensure that all procedures were performed in compliance with relevant laws and institutional guidelines, and that appropriate institutional committee approval was obtained. Authors should include a statement that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects.
• During the evaluation process, authors are expected to provide the editorial team with necessary information concerning their articles, including raw data, when requested.
• Authors must provide documented evidence of their rights to utilize the data incorporated into their articles, along with the requisite permissions for conducting research or the approval of the involved participants.
• When authors discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper as deemed necessary.
• Authors should maintain open lines of communication with the editors, promptly providing information, making necessary corrections, or initiating a withdrawal process when they become aware of errors during the evaluation and publication process.
• Authors bear full responsibility for the ideas, arguments, and content presented in their articles. All scientific and legal accountability concerning the language, style, adherence to scientific ethics, and content of the published work rests solely with the authors. Neither the journal nor the affiliated institutions assume any liability in this regard.
• Images should not be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or manipulated in ways that could mislead readers. Any image processing for improved clarity must be applied to the entire image and must not eliminate any information present in the original.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Education Faculty
PUBLICATION POLICY

Submission Guidelines and Language

• The Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Education Faculty accepts manuscripts written in English only.
• Authors bear both scientific and linguistic responsibility for their work featured in the journal.
• The journal welcomes submissions from academics, researchers, and practitioners in the field.
• We accept format-free (your paper your way!) initial submissions to ease the submission process for authors. However, once accepted, manuscripts must conform to the journal's formatting guidelines for publication.

Originality and Prior Publication

• Articles submitted to the journal must have never been published elsewhere and should not be under consideration for publication at any other journal.
• Authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if they have used the work and/or words of others, that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.
• An author should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication.

Publication Frequency of Periodicals

• The journal is published quarterly (four issues per year).
• Special issues may be published in addition to regular issues at the discretion of the Editorial Board.

Plagiarism and Similarity Check

• All manuscripts should undergo a thorough plagiarism check using a professional plagiarism detection tool.
• It is mandatory that the overall similarity rate should be less than 15%.
• Each individual source must have a similarity percentage of less than 2%.
• Manuscripts that exceed these thresholds will be rejected without further review.

Indexing and Abstracting

• Efforts are continuously made to include the journal in additional international indexes and databases to increase visibility and impact.

Open Access Policy

• All articles published in the journal are freely available to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts without requiring a subscription or payment.
• The journal follows the open access publishing model, which makes research available to all readers immediately upon publication.
• There are no article processing charges (APCs) or submission fees required from authors.

Review and Assessment Process

• All submissions undergo initial screening for compliance with the journal's guidelines, language quality, originality, and scholarly merit.
• After initial screening, manuscripts are forwarded to a minimum of two expert reviewers following a double-blind peer review process, where both reviewers and authors remain anonymous to each other.
• If both reviewers provide favorable assessments, the article proceeds to the Editorial Board for final determination.
• If one reviewer issues a negative evaluation, a third reviewer will be engaged to adjudicate.
• The Editorial Board retains the authority to solicit additional reviewer opinions if deemed necessary.
• The final decision regarding publication rests with the Editorial Board.
• The typical timeframe for completing the review process is 2-3 months, subject to reviewer availability.

Special and Supplemental Issue Policy

• The journal may publish special issues focused on specific themes within the field of education.
• Proposals for special issues should be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief and include a clear rationale, scope, and timeline.
• All articles in special issues undergo the same rigorous peer review process as regular issue articles.

Retractions and Corrections

• The journal follows COPE guidelines for handling retractions, corrections, and expressions of concern.
• If significant errors or inaccuracies are discovered in a published article, a correction will be published in the next issue.
• In cases of serious ethical breaches or invalid findings, articles may be retracted with a clear statement of the reasons for retraction.
• Authors are strongly encouraged to notify the journal immediately if they discover errors in their published work.

Conflict of Interest

• Authors must disclose all relationships that could be viewed as presenting a potential conflict of interest.
• Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves if a conflict exists.
• Editors must recuse themselves from decisions involving manuscripts where they have conflicts of interest.
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest discovered after publication may result in a correction or, in severe cases, retraction.

Author Responsibilities

• Authors are required to properly acknowledge the work of others through appropriate citation and referencing.
• Authors may be asked to provide raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review and should be prepared to provide access to such data if requested.
• When an author discovers a significant error in their published work, it is their obligation to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.
• If the research involves human subjects or animals, authors must ensure that all procedures complied with relevant laws and institutional guidelines, and that appropriate ethical approval was obtained.
• In instances where research articles receive support from institutions or have evolved from prior works, such information should be prominently indicated.

Authorship

• Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study.
• All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.
• Changes in authorship after submission are discouraged and require written approval from all authors.
• An individual author or group of authors may not submit more than one article for consideration within a single calendar year.
• To promote author diversity, individuals who have published within the past year are not eligible to submit a new manuscript.

Generative AI Usage Key Principles

• Authors must disclose any use of AI tools in manuscript preparation in their acknowledgments section.
• AI tools may be used for language editing, data analysis, or literature searching, but the authors remain fully responsible for the content.
• AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of articles.
• The use of AI to generate substantive content or analysis must be transparently described, including the specific tools used and how they were employed.

Copyright Policy

• Authors retain copyright of their articles but grant the journal a license to publish and distribute the work.
• All published articles are licensed under CC-BY 4.0 (Creative Commons license), which allows for unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
• Authors are not entitled to receive any form of copyright payment for their contributions published in the journal.

Price Policy

• The journal does not charge any fees for submission, processing, or publication of articles.
• Access to all published content is free of charge for readers.

Archiving Policy

• The journal content is digitally preserved through LOCKSS to ensure long-term digital preservation.

Repository Policy

• Authors are permitted to deposit versions of their work in institutional or subject repositories in accordance with the following guidelines:
• Early access preprints  may be shared at any time.
• Postprints (peer-reviewed version without journal formatting) may be shared after publication.
• Publisher's version/PDF may be used in the author's institutional repository immediately after publication.
• Authors should include a link to the published article and acknowledge the journal as the original publication venue.