Ethical Principles and Publication Policy
Publication Ethics Principles
These ethical standards are in place to guarantee the quality of scientific publications, to maintain public confidence in scientific findings and to ensure that individuals receive credit for their ideas. Ethical researchers must adhere to certain principles when publishing their work. They do not plagiarise, misrepresent sources, hide objections they cannot refute, distort opposing views, or destroy or conceal data. Peer-reviewed studies exemplify and support the scientific method. All parties involved in publishing, including authors, journal editors, reviewers, publishers and journals, must adhere to standards of ethical behaviour.
Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies fully complies with all national and international standards of research and publication ethics. It fully complies with the Press Law, the Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works and the Directive on Scientific Research and Publication Ethics of Higher Education Institutions. It also complies with the International Ethical Principles for Scientific Publication set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA) and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Finally, Turkey will abide by the decisions of the Editors' Workshop.
- Press Law
- Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works (national legislation)
- Directive on Scientific Research and Publication Ethics of Higher Education Institutions (national legislation)
- Principles of Transparency and Best Practices in Scholarly Publishing (international standards)
- Decisions of the Turkey Editors' Workshop (national standards)
Duplicate Publication
Duplicate publication refers to the act of publishing the same work or a substantially similar work in multiple journals. If the editor identifies a submitted work as a duplicate publication, they may choose to return it without review. Additionally, the editor may take further actions, such as banning the authors from submitting any work for a certain period or publicly disclosing that the authors have submitted a previously published work. The editor has the discretion to take any combination of these actions.
Simultaneous Submission of the Same Work to Multiple Journals
Authors are not allowed to submit the same work to more than one journal at the same time. If the editor becomes aware of potential simultaneous submissions, they reserve the right to consult with editors of the other journals involved. The editor may return the work without review or reject it without considering evaluations. The editor may also discuss the issue with other editors and decide not to consider the author's work for a specific period. Additionally, the editor may contact the author’s employer or take any combination of these actions at their discretion.
Plagiarism Prevention Check
Plagiarism involves presenting someone else’s work, ideas, methods, data, practices, or visuals as one’s own without appropriate scientific attribution. All articles submitted for publication are subjected to plagiarism checks using plagiarism detection software. Articles submitted to the Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies must have a similarity rate below 10%. Even if the similarity rate is as low as 1%, copying any statement verbatim from other sources without proper citation is still considered plagiarism. Authors must therefore be familiar with and carefully follow citation and reference guidelines (APA 7). Unethical behaviors include plagiarism, duplication, false authorship/refusal of co-authorship, manipulation of research data, excessive publication of small articles, copyright infringement, and undisclosed significant conflicts of interest. Articles that do not comply with publication ethics may be withdrawn from publication.
Fabrication
Fabrication involves creating false research results and data and presenting them as genuine. Data falsification refers to manipulating research data to create a false impression. Fabrication includes the manipulation or alteration of data, research materials, processes, equipment, or results to fit the desired outcome.
Protection of Participants' Personal Data
Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies requires researchers to obtain official ethical approval from a recognized review committee if their research involves personal or sensitive data of participants or materials not legally public.
Allegations of Research Misconduct
To prevent research misconduct such as plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data falsification/fabrication, the journal follows the guidelines outlined in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Ethical Toolkit for a Successful Editorial Office. The journal does not condone or knowingly permit misconduct. If editors become aware of any research misconduct allegations in a published work, they will follow COPE’s guidelines to address the issue.
Reporting Ethical Violations
If you suspect possible misconduct or errors in a study published in the Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies, please contact the editorial office at info@tjds.org.tr. The journal welcomes feedback and inquiries that allow for improvements.
Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
When editors encounter issues with a previously published work, they have several options. If a minor part of the publication is misleading due to an honest error, the editor may issue a correction. However, if there is clear evidence that findings are unreliable due to misconduct or error, the editor may retract the publication. In cases where there is inconclusive evidence of research or publication misconduct, or if allegations are not fair, impartial, or conclusive, the editor may issue an expression of concern. Editors must follow COPE’s guidelines regarding corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern.
Research Based on Surveys and Interviews
Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies is committed to upholding high ethical standards in publishing quality scientific research. To ensure this, the journal adheres to the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers. When submitting a study, please ensure compliance with the following policies:
- If your research requires ethical approval, apply to the relevant ethics committees to obtain an ethical approval document before beginning your study. The name of the approving ethics committee must be stated.
- In the methods section of your study, specify the name, reference number, and date of the ethics committee that approved the study protocol. This information should also appear on the first or last page of the study.
Policies for Special Issues
The Editorial Board may publish one special issue per year upon request. However, all articles submitted for a special issue must undergo editorial pre-review. Additionally, all submissions must comply with the editorial and publication policies of the journal. Plagiarism detection software will be used to verify the originality of the work. Finally, each submitted article must undergo double-blind peer review.
Editorial Confidentiality Obligation
Journal editors are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all materials submitted to the journal. This means that all manuscripts under review are treated as confidential documents. Only editors, reviewers, and editorial board members may access the manuscript during the review process. In exceptional cases, editors may share limited information with third parties if necessary to investigate suspected ethical violations.
Allegations or Suspicions of Scientific Misconduct
Different authorities have their own definitions of scientific misconduct. Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies addresses these issues on a case-by-case basis following guidelines provided by major regulatory institutions. Journal editors are responsible for investigating potential scientific misconduct in manuscripts submitted to or published in the journal. They should not simply reject submissions that raise concerns but are obliged to follow up on alleged cases ethically. Editors should follow COPE flowcharts when appropriate and first seek responses from the parties involved. If unsatisfied, they should request an investigation from the relevant employer or institution. Editors must make all reasonable efforts to ensure a proper investigation is conducted and work to resolve the issue if it is not.
Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies has a strict policy for handling allegations of scientific misconduct, based on the guidelines provided by COPE's Ethical Toolkit for a Successful Editorial Office. Editors take necessary precautions to prevent the publication of works involving plagiarism, citation manipulation, data falsification/fabrication, or other misconduct. Neither the journal nor its editors condone or knowingly permit such misconduct. If editors are informed of any scientific misconduct related to a published work, they follow COPE’s guidelines to address such allegations. Additionally, all reviewers are responsible for reporting any suspected issues regarding the work to the editor, who will handle the matter in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies is committed to following COPE flowcharts in cases of:
- Duplicate submission
- Plagiarism
- Data fabrication or falsification
- Changes in authorship
- Undisclosed conflicts of interest
- Misconduct incompatible with authorship
- Violations of widely accepted research practices
Complaints Procedure
This procedure applies to complaints related to content, procedures, or policies within the authority of the Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies or its editorial team. We view complaints as an opportunity to improve our services and aim to provide a prompt and constructive response. You can send your complaints via email to info@tjds.org.tr. It is assured that all complaints will be handled confidentially. The Editor-in-Chief will respond promptly to complaints and follow COPE guidelines for managing them. Complaints will be handled by the relevant editorial team member, and if the issue cannot be resolved, the following steps may be taken:
- If the initial response is deemed insufficient, the complaining party may request that their complaint be forwarded to a senior member of the team.
- If the complaining party remains dissatisfied, the complaint may be escalated to the Editor-in-Chief, whose decision will be final.
- Complaints are expected to receive a full response within two weeks. COPE publishes rules for editors of scientific journals to facilitate the resolution of disputes with journals and publishers; however, this will only be possible after the journal’s own complaint procedures have been exhausted.
Appeals Process
If you believe your work was unjustly rejected due to a misunderstanding of its scientific content, you may send an appeal letter to our editorial team at info@tjds.org.tr. Please note, however, that you should not submit a revised version of your work at this stage. Upon receiving your appeal letter, we will review it and decide whether the appeal is necessary. If we accept your appeal as valid, we may invite you to submit a revised version of your work, which will undergo peer review process once again. It is important to provide as many details as possible in your appeal letter and respond individually to the comments from external reviewers and/or the full editorial committee. Please note that we can only evaluate one appeal per work; therefore, ensure that your appeal letter is clearly written. We have found that prolonged negotiations over rejected works may be unsatisfactory for both authors and editors, so multiple appeals will no longer be processed.
Conflict of Interest
Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies believes that it is necessary to identify potential conflicts of interest that authors may experience when submitting work. Conflicts of interest arise when professional judgment related to a primary interest is influenced by personal rivalry or financial gain. To make the best decision about how to handle a work, the journal must be aware of any conflicts of interest that authors may have, and readers should be informed if the work is published. A conflict of interest is defined as any financial or other interest that could significantly compromise an individual's impartiality while fulfilling their responsibilities or create an unfair competitive advantage for any person or organization. All financial support sources for the research and/or preparation of the work, as well as the role of any sponsor(s), should be disclosed. Examples of potential conflicts of interest that should be disclosed include employment, consultancy, and grants. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest at the earliest stage is advised.
Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies has a process for reviewing submissions from editors, staff, or editorial board members to ensure impartial evaluation. These submissions are primarily redirected to other journals. If this is not possible, the submitter’s position at the journal will be suspended. These submissions are reviewed through a double-blind peer review process.
The editor should not be involved in the decision-making process for articles written by themselves or their family members. Such submissions must adhere to all journal procedures. The editor will apply ICMJE guidelines for the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest by authors and reviewers.
Research and Publication Ethics
Each author must ensure that their research meets ethical standards. Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and follows the international guidelines related to research and publication ethics outlined below:
- Research must meet accepted standards of integrity and ensure quality and transparency through appropriate design, review, and implementation.
- Participants and research staff must be fully informed about the research’s purpose, methods, potential uses, risks, and benefits. The confidentiality and anonymity of participants must be respected, and their dignity and autonomy protected.
- Participation in research must be voluntary, free from coercion or undue influence.
- Researchers should aim to maximize the benefits of the research and minimize any harm or risks, with appropriate precautions.
- Research must be independent, and any conflicts of interest or biases must be disclosed.
- Informed consent should be obtained from participants, preferably in writing, continuously, and freely given. For individuals who lack the capacity to consent, consent must be provided by an authorized third party on their behalf.
- Researchers must obtain permission from the institution or organization where the research will be conducted.
For all research requiring ethical approval, the name of the ethics committee, reference number, date, and informed consent must be included in the methodology section of the study.
