PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE STATEMENT

Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication’s Academic Journal Etkileşim is an international peer-reviewed scientific journal. Etkileşim shows commitment to implementing publication ethics within the framework of standards recorded by the 'Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)'.

https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Guidelines


Responsibilities of the Authors

The authors of research articles are responsible for accurately representing the data that the article is based on. Intentional manipulation or misreporting of data by authors is considered a violation of the journal's ethical principles. Articles must contain detailed information in accordance with the principle of reproducibility in scientific research. Review articles also have the obligation to present the existing literature accurately and objectively. In cases such as the use of fake, distorted, or manipulated data, the application of unethical methods in human or animal studies, and the detection of plagiarization, the study will be rejected before the peer review process, and the authors will be informed.

Articles submitted to Etkileşim must not have been previously published digitally or in print, or they must not be in the evaluation process in another journal. The authors cannot publish the articles submitted to Etkileşim in any other medium without notifying the journal management. If the authors withdraw the article or if the Etkileşim review process results in rejection, they have the right to publish it in another medium. To republish an article from Etkileşim in another media outlet, permission must be obtained from the journal management, and it must be stated in the new publication that the article was originally published in Etkileşim. Authors should not use the research findings as the main data in more than one article. Therefore, the data on which the articles submitted to Etkileşim are based should not be the same as the main data of another previously published article. Etkileşim may accept studies derived from theses and dissertations, as well as previous conference presentations and abstract publications, provided that the article clearly states the relevant information. Submission of an article to Etkileşim is considered a declaration that it has not been previously published in another journal or is not under review elsewhere. It is also considered a statement that the publication of the study in Etkileşim is accepted by all authors and the responsible authorities where the research was carried out.

The authors should submit the 'Ethics Committee Approval Report', 'Copyright Transfer Agreement', and the documents showing the similarity rate (received via Turnitin or iThenticate) along with their articles. The articles submitted to Etkileşim must be original works where previous studies are properly cited. References must be made in accordance with academic and ethical understanding, and all cited works must be listed in the references section of the article. Every source that had an impact on the writing of the article should be referenced. Etkileşim does not tolerate any form of academic plagiarism, and its discovery would be against the journal’s ethical standards. In cases where permissions are required, it should be clearly stated that permissions have been obtained. Information acquired through private conversations should not be published without the recorded permission of the source.

Authors should not attempt to learn the identities of peer reviewers or contact them. Manipulation of the double-blind peer review process is a violation of Etkileşim's ethical principles.

If information, raw data, or additional explanations regarding the article are requested during the editorial control, peer review, or publication process or after the article is published, the authors are required to submit the data in question. Therefore, it is mandatory for authors to retain the raw data of their research for a period of five years.

If authors notice an error or a need for correction, they should contact the Editorial Board (Editor in Chief, Editor, Assistant Editors, Language Editors, Secretariat). Authors' requests to withdraw their article are accepted only at the review stage. Article withdrawal requests are not accepted during the printing or publication stages.

Only researchers who have significantly contributed to the study should have their names listed as authors in an article. Additionally, the article must include the name of each researcher who made a significant contribution as an author. Those who contributed to specific aspects of the work, such as language editing, should be included in the acknowledgments section.

The responsibility for correctly stating the names of all the authors belongs to the corresponding author. The corresponding author must also upload the article to the system, ensuring that each author has approved the final version of the work. In some cases, during the editorial control or peer review processes, the Editorial Board may allow author name edits. A request and its reasons should be clearly communicated to the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board will evaluate this request and reach a decision. After the article is accepted, changes in author names may be allowed only in very exceptional cases. The request for change must be submitted to the Editorial Board, along with the reasons and the written consent of all authors. While the Editorial Board evaluates the request, the publication process of the article is put on hold.

All responsibility for the work belongs to the authors collectively.

The authors must disclose all conflicts of interest. These conflicts involve all parties that have the potential to influence and bias the authors' research. In this context, the authors must declare all institutions, organizations, and individuals that provide funding to the research, with whom the authors have financial and personal relationships, where the authors are employed, hold expert or consultancy positions, in which they hold shares, and to whom they have applied for patents. If no financial support was received during the preparation or publishing process of the article or there is no conflict of interest, the authors should state this in a note at the end of the article.

Authors should carefully attend to the revision suggestions of the reviewers, the Editorial Board, or the Editorial Advisory Board and make the necessary changes. In cases where the authors do not approve of the suggestions, they may notify the journal Editorial Board of their reasons. The Editorial Board may evaluate these reasons and accept them if they are justified. The final decision on the publication belongs to the Editorial Board.

All stages of the evaluation, peer review, acceptance, and publication of articles are based on academic and scientific ethics.

Etkileşim adheres to a policy that promotes diversity and equality while respecting all segments of society. Studies containing hate speech, discrimination, marginalization, prejudice, stereotyping, and similar unethical expressions will be rejected before the peer review process. Articles submitted to Etkileşim should be written in an inclusive language. It should not be implied that any individual, community, or group is superior to others for any reason. Furthermore, assumptions or unfounded judgments should not be made about the beliefs, worldviews, or ideologies of the readers. The words "he" and "she" or “he/she” should be avoided as much as possible in English articles or in English abstracts of Turkish articles. It is accepted in English to use the word "they" for the third person singular when necessary. Additionally, providing information about an individual's gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, health, and disability should be avoided unless it is necessary and relevant for the study.



Studies Requiring Ethics Committee Approval

Within the framework of the ethical approach adopted by Etkileşim and in line with nationally and internationally accepted research ethics and policies, the types of research that require the authors to obtain 'ethics committee approval’ are as follows:

* Any research using qualitative or quantitative methods that necessitates participant data collection, including surveys, interviews, focus group studies, observations, experiments, etc.,

* Research that uses humans or animals for experimentation or other scientific purposes,

* Clinical studies conducted on humans,

* Experimental research on animals,

* Retrospective studies in accordance with the Law on Protection of Personal Data (“PPDL”).



Moreover;

* An "informed consent form**" for case reports should be obtained.

* Permissions from the owners of scales, surveys, photographs, and similar visual materials should be obtained, and this information should be included in the relevant sections of the article.

* It must be declared that copyright regulations are complied with for the ideas and artistic works used in the study.

When submitting the article to Etkileşim via DergiPark, it is important to include details about the 'ethics committee approval' in the article and upload the 'Ethics Committee Approval Report' to the system. If necessary, the Editorial Board has the right to request detailed information from the authors regarding this issue. Studies that require 'ethics committee approval' but cannot submit a report will not proceed with the peer review process.


**The informed consent form contains the following information:

I/we hereby declare that an informed consent form was obtained during the data collection process of the study titled …………………………………………………………………. which I/we sent to Etkileşim for publication. 

Attached File - Informed Consent Form

Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies

Authors may use AI technologies during the writing process only to improve the articles’ language and readability. In addition, when they use these technologies, they must ensure human control and make the necessary revisions. AI applications should not be assumed to be reliable technologies, and it should be taken into consideration that they may make mistakes. The authors are responsible for the AI’s uncorrected errors. Additionally, the authors must declare any use of AI technologies. AI cannot be added to articles as an author and cannot be cited as a reference.

Etkileşim does not allow the use of artificial intelligence in the production or modification of the images used in the articles. Basic edits for printing improvements, such as color, brightness, and contrast adjustment, are acceptable when the original image remains undistorted and the information within it remains intact. If the research on which the article is based involves the use of AI technologies, the use of relevant images may be permitted. In such cases, the methodology section should provide a detailed explanation. Additionally, authors must adhere to the usage policy of the relevant AI technology and provide appropriate references.

In cases where AI technologies are used, a statement should be added at the end of the article stating which technology was used for what purpose and that the authors have reviewed the relevant content. AI technologies used for basic grammar edits and reference methods do not require a declaration.



Corrections and Retractions

If authors have any concerns about their work published on Etkileşim, or if readers have concerns about any article, they are advised to contact the journal. If there is a suspicion that ethical principles have been violated in an article that is under review or published in Etkileşim, an investigation based on COPE guidelines may be conducted. The investigation may lead to a request for the authors to address the issue. However, the article may be rejected when necessary. If the article has already been published, corrections may be made, an explanation may be added to the online version by the Editorial Board, or the article may be retracted with a statement regarding the reason for the retraction. Corrections to the article are made in the online version and published with an explanation. Situations that would invalidate the research findings, errors in the research data, or information that would undermine the Editorial Board's confidence in the entire research may result in retraction. The retracted article may continue to be visible online with a statement acknowledging the retraction, or it may be taken down completely. In the event of a takedown, bibliographic data and an explanation will remain visible. In such cases, the authors' institutions may also be informed.



Peer Review and Publication Process

Etkileşim implements an external double-blind peer review process. The identities of the authors are hidden from the peer reviewers, and the identities of the peer reviewers are not disclosed to the authors. All articles submitted to the journal are first subjected to a preliminary review process by the Editorial Board. Articles that pass preliminary review are then sent to at least two independent peer reviewers. The final decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of articles belongs to the Editorial Board, and the board's decision is final. Editors are not involved in decisions about articles they write themselves or those written by their family members or close colleagues.

Details of the evaluation process:

1. The articles should be submitted via the Dergipark system. The authors should submit their articles before the deadline for the call for papers. Manuscripts submitted to the commentary section, Etkileşim/Yorum (such as book reviews, essays, interviews, and translations), are not subject to the peer review process and are evaluated by the Editorial Board.

2. Authors should also upload the 'Ethics Committee Approval Report', 'Copyright Transfer Agreement', and the similarity report (obtained via Turnitin or iThenticate) along with the article.

3. Before the peer review process, the Editorial Board carries out a preliminary review to decide which article will move forward with the peer review. The board takes 'Ethics Committee Approval Report', 'Copyright Transfer Agreement', and the similarity report (obtained via Turnitin or iThenticate) into account while reviewing the article.

4. Etkileşim conducts "external double-blind peer review.". This means that the identities of reviewers and authors are hidden from each other throughout the entire review process. Articles are sent to peer reviewers as anonymized documents. After preliminary editorial review, articles are sent to two peer reviewers who are experts in their fields and are affiliated with separate institutions.

5. If both peer reviewers accept the article, the Editorial Board will discuss and decide whether to accept it for publication at their meeting. The final decision belongs to the Editorial Board, and the board's decision is final. The Editorial Board may request additional revisions from the authors when necessary.

6. If one or both peer reviewers decide on minor or major revisions, the article is forwarded to the authors along with the 'revision' reports. Authors should mark the revisions they have made and send the article to the journal editor within one month.

7. If one of the peer review reports is "accept" and the other is "reject," the article is sent to a third peer reviewer.

8. In the case of a "rejection" report from both peer reviewers, the editor forwards the peer review reports to the authors with the "rejection" decision.

9. Authors should carefully attend to the reviews, criticisms, and suggestions of the peer reviewers, the Editorial Board, and the Editorial Advisory Board and make the necessary revisions. If the authors do not approve the reviews, criticisms, and suggestions, they have the right to submit a report with their justifications to the journal editorship.

10. When necessary, the Editorial Board may re-send the article after the revisions to the same peer reviewers. During this process, a new report may be requested regarding whether the relevant revisions have been made in line with the suggestions.

11. The completion dates of the review process determine the order in which articles move forward to the publication process.

12. Articles are subjected to the proofreading process by the relevant editors according to their language (Turkish/English). Articles are sent to authors for a final check before publication.

13. Authors have the right to withdraw their articles before publication if they provide justification.

14. No fee is paid to the authors for the published articles, and no fee is requested from the authors.

15. Articles are freely available in print and digital formats.

Based on intellectual property and copyright legislation, manuscripts published in Etkileşim can be used for academic purposes with a proper citation. However, they cannot be partially or completely reproduced for commercial purposes.



The Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers who are experts in their fields take part in the "external double-blind peer review" process adopted by Etkileşim. This process should be carried out in line with objectivity and scientific standards without compromising academic and ethical principles. Peer reviewers must comply with the following rules during the article evaluation process:

• Notifying the journal management of articles that have been sent to them for peer review and that are outside their field of expertise,

• Not making any effort to learn the identity of the authors or to communicate with the authors,

• Carrying out all kinds of communication with editors through Etkileşim's official electronic channels,

• Operating the article review process in line with the principle of confidentiality,

• Not compromising the principles of impartiality and objectivity in article evaluation,

• In case of any possible conflict of interest, rejection of the review, and reporting the situation to the editors,

• Conducting the peer review by solely focusing on the quality of work, not allowing personal perspective and differences in approach to affect the evaluation process,

• Preparing the article review report by adhering to a scientific approach and understanding without going beyond the limits of academic respect and courtesy,

• Peer reviewers involved in the evaluation process must adopt the journal's publication policy, ethical principles, and editorial conduct.



The Responsibilities of the Editorial Board

The Editorial Board (Editor in Chief, Editor, Assistant Editors, Language Editors, Secretariat) of Etkileşim is responsible for all content published in the journal and undertakes the following roles and responsibilities:

• To undertake all kinds of responsibilities regarding legal processes in accordance with job descriptions,

• To meet authors’ and readers’ information requests,

• To work toward improving Etkileşim,

• Supporting freedom of thought and expression,

• Standing against hate speech, discrimination, and marginalization,

• Respecting ethical principles and intellectual rights,

• To carry out all processes in a transparent manner in accordance with the principle of accountability.



Manuscript Categories of Etkileşim

Articles

Research Articles: Original research papers in the social sciences or communication fields that present findings from scientific research along with a literature review, methodology, results, and discussion.

Review Articles: Papers that offer a thorough analysis and discussion of prior research on a communication or social science topic, as well as the most recent literature and the authors' personal viewpoints.



Commentary Section Etkileşim/Yorum

Essays: Papers in which authors discuss an idea in the field of communication or social sciences and emphasize the significance of a subject from their own views.

Book Reviews: Papers in which a book is reviewed in terms of its field, subject, content, and significance. The authors provide a summary of the book’s content and offer a discussion on the book’s purpose, area of study, strengths, limitations, and contribution to the field. Interviews: Works that represent the perspectives of experts in the field of communication or social sciences on a current subject. The interviewer asks experts questions in order to learn their views and suggestions on current discussions.

Translations: Works in which texts in the field of communication or social sciences are translated into Turkish or English in strict accordance with the original manuscript. Permissions from the authors of the original text and the place of publication should be obtained.



Open Access Policy

All issues and related contents of Etkileşim can be accessed free of charge online in accordance with the policies of the Budapest Open Access Initiative. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author for non-commercial purposes. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access. The open access articles in the journal are licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license.



Copyrights

Etkileşim adopts an open access policy and publishes studies that have not been published anywhere before, have not been accepted for publication, and/or have not been submitted to another journal. In the process of submitting the papers via DergiPark, authors should upload the “Copyright Transfer Agreement” form to the system. By signing the form, authors grant the copyright to publish the work in Etkileşim, the Academic Journal of Üsküdar University, Faculty of Communication. Etkileşim retains the copyright to the work licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). According to the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction of the original work are permitted for non-commercial purposes only, provided it is properly cited and its authors are credited. No derivative of this work may be distributed.



The form contains the following information:

“I/we hereby declare that the work titled ………………………….… I/we have submitted is not published elsewhere and is not in the publication process of another journal. In the event that the manuscript is accepted for publication, I/we grant the copyright to publish the work to Etkileşim, Academic Journal of Üsküdar University, Faculty of Communication, which will retain the copyright to my/our work licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).”

Attached File - Copyright Transfer Agreement



Licence Notice

In accordance with intellectual property and copyright legislation, all text published in Etkileşim can be used for non-commercial purposes with a proper reference. They cannot be reproduced, partially or completely, for commercial purposes. All content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Etkileşim adopts the framework that Creative Commons has pointed out:

Share: Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.

NonCommercial: You may not use the material for commercial purposes.

NoDerivatives: If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.

No additional restrictions: You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.