Ethical Principles and Publication Policy

International Journal of Cultural Studies Publication Policy (Publication Ethics Principles)

The International Journal of Cultural Studies is a peer-reviewed, scientific journal that embraces open access publishing. Its publication activities are based on universal academic standards; all stakeholders involved in the process, including authors, editors, reviewers, publishers, and readers, are expected to adhere to ethical principles. Our journal, which adopts the highest standards in publication ethics, is based on the ethical principles of international organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

All articles published in our journal are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. This license allows users to freely share, reproduce, adapt, and reuse published works, provided that they cite the source. However, the author(s)' name, article title, journal information, and license link must be clearly stated in these processes.

During the article review process, if any unethical practices such as intentional distortion, alteration, or fabrication of data are detected, this situation is reported to the author's affiliated institution through official channels, and the article review process is immediately terminated. Additionally, if deemed necessary by the editor or reviewers, analysis outputs or raw data related to the study may be requested from the author(s).

Research Ethics

The International Journal of Cultural Studies adheres to the highest standards of publication ethics and requires all academic stakeholders to adhere to these ethical principles. The primary goal of our journal is to ensure integrity, transparency, and scientific integrity in the research process. In this context, authors, editors, reviewers, and other stakeholders are expected to fully comply with ethical rules when preparing and publishing their work. Authors are directly responsible for the ethical appropriateness of their articles.

Scientific integrity, diligence, and transparency should be adopted as fundamental principles in the design, evaluation, and execution of research. In this process, team members and participants involved in the research should be informed in a comprehensive and understandable manner about the objectives of the study, the methods used, and the possible results. At the same time, the obligations required for participants to participate in the research and the risks they may encounter should be clearly stated.

Protecting the confidentiality of the data collected and respecting the privacy of participants are integral parts of the research. In this context, the autonomy and dignity of research participants must be respected, and participants must be allowed to voluntarily participate in the study of their own free will, without any coercion or pressure. In addition, all necessary measures must be taken with due care to prevent harm to participants, and potential risks must be minimized. Within this framework, the independence of the research must be protected, and any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed transparently.

In experimental studies involving human subjects, it is mandatory to obtain the written and informed consent of the participants. For children, individuals with legal guardians, and participants who require protection due to mental health issues, consent must be obtained from their legal representatives. If the research is conducted with the support of or within the premises of any institution or organization, the necessary ethical approvals must be obtained in advance from the relevant institutions and documented. All studies involving human participants must include clear and definitive statements in the “Methods” section that informed consent was obtained and ethical committee approval was secured.

Author Responsibility

The scientific validity, originality, and ethical compliance of each article submitted to the International Journal of Cultural Studies are primarily the responsibility of the author(s). Submitted works are expected to be unpublished, not simultaneously submitted to another publication, and not under review in another language. The author must confirm in writing that the work meets these criteria.

The author is responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions for any visuals, tables, graphs, text quotations, or third-party materials included in the article. When using copyrighted materials, appropriate citations must be provided, and authorized use must be clearly indicated. Additionally, all sources used must be cited in accordance with scientific citation rules, and the intellectual contributions of others must be acknowledged without compromising originality.

Each individual listed as an author must have made a direct intellectual and academic contribution to the work. These contributions include developing the research idea, creating the methodology, producing data, participating in the analysis or interpretation processes, or making original interventions in the writing and academic content of the text. Providing funding, administrative support, or technical assistance alone is not sufficient to be considered an author.

The order of authorship should be determined by mutual agreement among all authors and declared in the Copyright Transfer Form signed during the submission process. Individuals who are not listed as authors but have provided significant support to the research should be clearly acknowledged in the “Acknowledgments” or “Contributions” section. Authors are expected to declare any financial support relationships, potential conflicts of interest, or situations that could give rise to academic competition in their work in a clear and transparent manner. Such declarations are mandatory for the security of the scientific evaluation process and the sustainability of publication ethics.

If a serious error, methodological deficiency, or misinformation is subsequently identified by the author in a published article, the author is expected to promptly share this information with the editor and actively cooperate in the necessary correction, clarification, or retraction process. Scientific responsibility continues not only until the time of publication but also afterward.

Editorial and Reviewer Responsibilities

All articles submitted to the International Journal of Cultural Studies are evaluated in accordance with the double-blind review principle. Within this framework, neither the authors know the identities of the reviewers nor do the reviewers know the identities of the authors. Objectivity, confidentiality, and ethical impartiality are fundamental to the evaluation process.

In accordance with publication ethics, authors are expected not to submit their articles to editorial environments where they will be evaluated by reviewers who are directly related to their current academic circles (e.g., advisors, research group members, co-authors, or close colleagues in the same department). In this context, the editorial board takes care to direct submitted works independently of potential relationships that could lead to conflicts of interest.

Opinions from individuals who have previously seen the article or are known to be associated with the author(s) are only considered at the editorial discretion. If such individuals have contributed to the evaluation process, even if they have not served as official reviewers, this should be transparently stated in the “Acknowledgments” or “Contribution Statement” section.

Authors must prepare their manuscripts in full compliance with the double-blind peer review principle. In this regard, introductory elements such as the cover page, author information, acknowledgments, funding support statements, and ethics committee approval should be uploaded as a separate file. In particular, when referring to the author's own work, identity-revealing statements should be avoided, and references should be written in the third person. In addition, directly identifying content such as personal awards, fieldwork permits, and institutional names should be removed from the text.

Authors should be aware that referee opinions are a valuable guide for editors; however, the final decision is made within the framework of editorial responsibility. Therefore, all correspondence and process requests during the evaluation process should be conducted solely through the editors.

The editor is responsible for ensuring that the journal complies with scientific and ethical standards, for the integrity of the published content, and for publishing corrections, retractions, or clarifications when necessary. The editor has full authority over the assignment of reviewers and bears ultimate responsibility for decisions to accept or reject submissions. In addition, editors take care to prevent conflicts of interest that may arise between authors, reviewers, and other editors.

Reviewers are responsible for providing objective, scientific, and impartial feedback on the content of the work during the review process. If they identify any conflict of interest during the review, they must immediately notify the editor. Reviewers must treat authors' work as confidential information, refrain from sharing this content with third parties, and use it solely for editorial purposes.

Reviewers who do not feel sufficiently competent in the subject matter or who are unable to evaluate within the specified time frame should inform the editor in a timely manner that they will not be able to participate in the process. The editor clearly informs reviewers that the submitted articles are the intellectual property of the authors and that the review process is a privileged communication. In necessary cases, a reviewer's evaluation may be shared with other reviewers with the editor's approval to facilitate scientific exchange of views among reviewers. However, the confidentiality of reviewers' identities must be protected under all circumstances.

Plagiarism

All articles submitted to the International Journal of Cultural Studies are screened for similarity using internationally recognized plagiarism detection software such as iThenticate and/or Turnitin during the preliminary evaluation stage. If plagiarism or self-plagiarism is detected during this process, the author(s) are notified and requested to provide the necessary explanations.

Editors have the authority to repeat plagiarism checks not only during the initial submission phase but also during the peer review process or post-acceptance production phases, if necessary. This is implemented to ensure scientific integrity at every stage of the publication process.

The similarity ratio in articles may vary depending on the type and content of the work, but as a general rule, it is expected to be below 15% to 20%. Texts with similarity ratios above these limits may require serious explanations and may be excluded from evaluation when necessary. High similarity rates may constitute grounds for rejection not only during the preliminary review stage but also after the article has been accepted for publication.

Authors are required to ensure the originality of the works they submit and to avoid plagiarism as a matter of scientific ethics. Our journal adheres to a zero-tolerance policy toward any behavior that undermines academic integrity, in accordance with its publication policy.