Publication Policy

• Kalemname Journal is published by the Faculty of Islamic Sciences at Kırıkkale University.
• Kalemname Journal is a scientific, academic and peer-reviewed journal in the fields of social sciences and religious studies. The journal is published twice a year, in June and December. In necessary cases, special or additional issues may be published in addition to these issues.
• The article acceptance period for the June issue of Kalemname Journal begins in February and ends in mid-April. The article acceptance period for the December issue of Kalemname Journal begins in August and ends in mid-October. If a sufficient number of articles is reached, the submission process may be closed before the specified publication dates.
• Kalemname shall be used as the standard abbreviation for Kalemname Journal in all languages.
• The primary language of writing and publication for Kalemname Journal is Turkish. However, upon the decision of the editorial board and the editor, articles written in English, Arabic, or German may be included in each issue, provided that they do not exceed 30% of the total content.
• Authors whose works are published in Kalemname Journal are deemed to have accepted that the copyright and publication rights belong to Kalemname Journal. During the article submission process, the “Kalemname Journal Copyright Transfer Agreement Form” must be completed by the author(s) and uploaded to the system. Authors bear full responsibility for the content, scientific accuracy, legal compliance, and language quality of their work. All studies published in the journal are subject to editorial approval before publication.
• Articles submitted for publication in Kalemname Journal must be scientific, original, contribute to the field, and employ language and style in accordance with academic conventions. Kalemname Journal publishes academically qualified works such as research articles, translations, critical editions, book reviews, research notes, and evaluations of scholarly events.
• In order for articles to be published in Kalemname Journal, they must not have been previously published, submitted to another venue for consideration, or accepted for publication elsewhere. Additionally, articles that exhibit substantial similarity to any previously published work will not be considered for review.
• During the publication process, authors are obliged to provide any additional information or documents requested by the journal’s editorial board.
• In a single issue, only one work by the same author may be published, regardless of whether it is an original article, translation, or another type of contribution.
• For articles requiring data collection from individuals through tools such as scales, surveys, or interviews, it is mandatory to obtain approval from the ethics committee of the author’s affiliated university. The “Ethics Statement Form for Studies with Ethics Committee Approval” must be uploaded as a supplementary file via the DergiPark system and submitted to Kalemname Journal.
• The “Ethics Statement Form for Studies Not Requiring Ethics Committee Approval” must be uploaded as a supplementary file via the DergiPark system and submitted to Kalemname Journal by all authors submitting articles that do not require ethics committee approval.
• In accordance with the Artificial Intelligence Policy, the “Declaration Form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage” must be uploaded as a supplementary file via the DergiPark system and submitted to Kalemname Journal.
• In multi-authored studies, the contribution rate of each author must be explicitly stated. The “Conflict of Interest and Author Contribution Statement Form” must be uploaded as a supplementary file via the DergiPark system and submitted to Kalemname Journal.
• Except for academic staff, articles submitted by authors who do not hold an academic title or are not at the dissertation stage of their doctoral studies will not be published. As an exception, articles by authors in this category may be published in Kalemname Journal if the article is related to their doctoral dissertation or co-authored with a scholar who holds an academic title. Authors who are at the dissertation stage of their doctoral studies must submit a document verifying this status as a supplementary file to the journal. Additionally, if the article is written in a foreign language, it may be considered for review only with the approval of the editorial board and the editors. In research articles derived from a thesis, the student must be listed as the first author, and the advisor as the second author.
• Kalemname Journal is committed to the principle of open access. In line with this principle, all articles published in the journal are made freely accessible to readers without any fees, subscription, or registration requirements. Each article published in the journal is preserved and publicly archived through the DergiPark system in accordance with long-term digital archiving principles.
• Kalemname Journal employs a double-blind peer review system. Articles are published only if they meet the required criteria following the evaluation of at least two reviewers. For an article to be accepted, both reviewers must submit a positive report. If only one of the two reviewers provides a favorable opinion, a third reviewer is consulted. In cases where revisions are suggested, and reviewers request to see the article again after revisions, the revised article is resubmitted to the reviewers. The final decision regarding the publication of articles rests with the editors, based on the scientific evaluation process.
• As a peer-reviewed, scientific, and academic journal, the editorial board of Kalemname maintains an equal distance to all ideologies and viewpoints that do not contravene the provisions of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Editors, reviewers, and all individuals or committees contributing to the journal commit to acting in accordance with the principles of impartiality and merit.
• Believing in authors’ right to express their own views, the journal’s editorial board nonetheless does not permit any form of scientific or ideological manipulation in submitted works.
• During the publication process, editors and reviewers are obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the submitted works. No article may be shared with third parties prior to publication. Any breaches of confidentiality will be subject to formal complaint and legal action.
• The editorial board of Kalemname Journal upholds universal moral values, academic ethical principles, the rule of law, and the dignity of human life and thought. It also believes in the global significance of intellectual life and the civilizations shaped by diverse cultures in all their components. Without discrimination, the board aims to publish works that contribute -within the context of the humanities and natural sciences- to these structures and to human existence as a whole, in terms of science, art, and various “values” and “principles.”
• Authors participating in the publication process are obliged to adhere to ethical standards. In cases where plagiarism or other actions constituting a criminal offense are identified, the relevant authorities will be notified, and the submission in question will be rejected.
• Authors bear full responsibility for any issues that may arise after publication which, although not identified prior to publication, constitute a criminal offense under the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).
• Authors wishing to publish in Kalemname Journal, as well as all other parties involved in the journal’s processes, are deemed to have accepted the aforementioned conditions.

Policy on Similarity Reports and Plagiarism Detection

Kalemname Journal adopts a publication policy that prioritizes academic integrity and publishing ethics. In this context, all articles submitted to our journal are subjected to similarity analysis using plagiarism detection software. This process is carried out to verify that the submitted work has not been previously published and does not contain plagiarism. In generating similarity reports, widely recognized digital tools -primarily turnitin.com and intihal.net- are used. Ensuring that the total similarity index resulting from the evaluation does not exceed 15% is a minimum publication requirement of our journal. The specified percentage covers not only the total similarity index but also the proportion of quotations taken from individual sources. Extensive quotations from a single source are evaluated negatively in terms of academic integrity, even if the overall similarity index remains low. If the detected similarity rate exceeds this threshold or if any violation of academic ethical principles is identified, the editorial board reserves the right to either reject the article outright or request revisions. In such cases, the authors are contacted for clarification, and a justified explanation may be requested. If elements of plagiarism are identified in a published article at a later stage, the editorial board reserves the right to take various actions, including retracting the article and notifying the head of the department, the dean, and relevant authorities at the author’s affiliated institution. For detailed information and evaluation principles regarding the similarity report, please refer to the author information document available at the following link: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/journal-file/26097

Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

This artificial intelligence policy aims to establish the ethical and scientific principles regarding the use of AI technologies in articles submitted to Kalemname Journal. The primary objective of this policy is to ensure the proper, transparent, and ethical use of AI in academic writing and scientific analysis, while also safeguarding data security and academic integrity. Kalemname Journal is committed to closely following developments in the field of AI and to regularly updating this policy accordingly. This policy is consistent with the journal’s ethical principles and publication policies, and serves to support them.

AI tools may be used solely for surface-level edits -such as grammar, spelling, and stylistic consistency- with the aim of reducing human error. Beyond this, the use of AI -whether directly or indirectly- is not recommended in areas of academic responsibility such as content creation, development of scientific arguments, literature evaluation, or drawing conclusions.

Texts, images, tables, or analyses generated entirely by AI should not be conflated with the author’s original academic contribution. In cases of suspected AI use, the editorial board and editors may subject the article to additional ethical review and, if necessary, request a statement of clarification from the author. In such cases, the journal reserves the right to return the article or decline its publication. Kalemname Journal also commits to not using AI tools in its review and editorial processes.

Publication and Evaluation Fee

Kalemname Journal operates with an understanding that prioritizes the accessibility of academic publishing and the promotion of scholarly production. In line with this principle, Kalemname Journal does not request any fees for submission, evaluation, or publication of articles. Additionally, no royalties are paid to authors for articles published in Kalemname Journal. All articles published in the journal are openly accessible and made available to readers free of charge. This practice, as part of our open access publishing philosophy, aims to encourage the unrestricted dissemination of scientific knowledge.

Ethical Principles

Kalemname Journal is committed to upholding high standards of publication ethics and adhering to the following ethical principles. These principles are based on the recommendations and guidelines developed for journal editors by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

All parties involved in Kalemname Journal are expected to uphold ethical responsibilities in matters of publication ethics. In this context, Kalemname Journal is committed to following the Code of Conduct and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice prepared by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Adhering to the COPE Guidance for Editors is part of the editors’ responsibilities, while the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers must be observed by the journal’s reviewers.

I) Responsibilities of Authors:

• Only individuals who meet the authorship criteria should be included as authors in the study. All listed authors must have contributed to the research, and their contribution ratios must be specified. Unjustified authorship is unacceptable.
• Authors must avoid all actions that violate the ethics of scientific research and publishing, including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, salami publication, and duplicate submission. As part of this responsibility, all authors submitting to the journal are required to provide a similarity report.
• All data presented in the study must be accurate and original.
• Authors must comply with the journal’s writing guidelines and provide all essential elements, including a complete bibliography. Articles that have been previously published in another journal or book must not be submitted for review. Simultaneous submission of the same article to multiple journals is considered unethical publishing behaviour.
• For research conducted with external support, the individuals, institutions, or organizations providing that support must be acknowledged, and their contributions to the research must be clearly stated.
• Authors are obligated to participate in the peer-review process and to fully cooperate with editors by responding to data requests, providing clarifications, and submitting evidence of ethical approval and copyright permissions. If a revision is requested, authors must systematically address the reviewers’ comments and resubmit the revised article within the specified deadline.
• Authors should not interpret reviewers’ comments as personal criticism; instead, they should respond and revise their work within academic boundaries. When necessary, authors should reply to criticisms in line with academic standards.
• During the publication process, authors are required to submit any additional information or documents requested by the journal’s editorial board.

II) Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Reviewers are expected to contribute to the editorial decision-making process.
• Reviews must be objective and based on academic and scientific criteria. Evaluations should focus solely on the scholarly merit of the work, and no personal criticism of the authors should be made.
• The standard period for completing a review is 14 days. If additional time is required, and it does not hinder the journal’s publication process, the editor may grant an extension. The key priority is to assist authors in improving their articles through constructive editorial communication.
• If a reviewer feels unqualified to evaluate the research topic or is unable to meet the review deadline, they must notify the editor and decline the review invitation so that an alternative reviewer can be assigned and the process can proceed without delay.
• If the content of the article falls outside the reviewer’s area of expertise, they should not accept the review invitation.
• Articles under review must not be shared with others, and reviewers must not use any data or ideas from the article in their own work before its publication. Reviewers are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of both the author and the article. All submissions are confidential, even for reviewers who decline the review invitation.
• Reviewers must avoid any conflicts of interest or relationships of shared benefit with the authors or supporting institutions.
• Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited by the authors. If a reviewer becomes aware of substantial similarity between the article under review and another published work, they must inform the editor.
• When evaluating articles, reviewers must refrain from allowing personal biases or value judgments to override academic objectivity and scientific neutrality and must ensure their critiques are constructive in nature.

III) Responsibilities of Editors

• Articles submitted for publication are evaluated solely and entirely based on academic and scientific merit. Discriminatory factors such as authors’ affiliations, gender, religion, race, ethnicity, or institutional ties shall never influence the evaluation process.
• The relationship between the editor and the publisher is based on the principle of editorial independence.
• Editors hold full authority and responsibility for accepting or rejecting articles.
• Editors must avoid any conflict of interest with respect to the articles they accept or reject.
• Editors ensure that all accepted articles are subjected to peer review by at least two reviewers who are experts in the field. When necessary, a third reviewer is assigned.
•  Editors must support the publication of corrections or retractions when errors or omissions are identified.
• Editors must maintain reviewer anonymity and prevent the publication of articles that violate publication ethics, particularly in cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, or unjustified authorship.
• The content of articles submitted to Kalemname Journal but not published may not be used by the editor or the editorial board. Confidentiality is essential.
• Editors coordinate with the journal’s boards throughout all stages of the publication process to ensure that procedures are conducted in line with the journal’s publication policies and guidelines.
• Editors are responsible for ensuring that each article published in the journal complies with the journal’s policies and international publishing standards.
• Editors are obliged to review complaints and provide clear and informative responses to authors, reviewers, or readers when necessary.