• Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy

The Journal for Turkish-German Legal Studies is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and adheres to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). These guidelines can be accessed at: https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines-new/principles-transparency-and-best-practice-scholarly-publishing.

All participants in the publication process—editors, reviewers, authors, and publishers—must adhere to the following ethical principles.

Submitted manuscripts must be original, unpublished (including full-text versions in conference proceedings), and not simultaneously under review elsewhere. Each submission undergoes an initial editorial assessment followed by a double-blind peer review conducted by at least two referees. The journal strictly prohibits unethical practices such as plagiarism, duplicate submissions, authorship misrepresentation, data fabrication or manipulation, salami slicing, copyright infringement, and undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Manuscripts that do not comply with these ethical standards will be rejected or retracted, even post-publication if misconduct is discovered. In line with ethical guidelines, any instances of suspected plagiarism or duplicate publication will be formally reported.

• Research Ethics Policy

The Journal for Turkish-German Legal Studies upholds the highest standards of research ethics and adheres to internationally recognized principles. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions comply with these ethical guidelines.

*Research should be designed, reviewed, and conducted with integrity, quality, and transparency.

*Researchers and participants must be fully informed about the study’s objectives, methods, potential applications, requirements, and any associated risks.

*The confidentiality of participants’ data and responses must be safeguarded, and the research should respect their autonomy and dignity.

*Participation in research must be entirely voluntary, without any form of coercion.

*The study should be conducted in a manner that prevents any harm to participants and minimizes risk.

*Research independence must be maintained, and any conflicts of interest must be disclosed.

*For experimental studies involving human subjects, written informed consent must be obtained. In cases involving minors, individuals under legal guardianship, or those with recognized mental incapacity, consent from a legal guardian is required.

*If the research is conducted within an institution or organization, prior approval must be obtained from the relevant authority.

*For studies involving human subjects, the manuscript’s methodology section must clearly state that informed consent was obtained from participants and that the study received ethics committee approval from the affiliated institution.

• Authorship and Ethical Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions comply with scientific and ethical standards. They must guarantee the originality of their work and confirm that the manuscript has not been previously published or is under consideration for publication elsewhere in any language. Copyright laws and conventions must be observed, and any copyrighted material (such as tables, figures, or extensive quotations) should only be reproduced with proper permission and citation. All references to the work of others must be appropriately credited.

All listed authors must have made a substantial scientific and academic contribution to the manuscript. An author is defined as someone who has played a significant role in the conceptualization and design of the study, data collection, data analysis, manuscript writing, critical revision, or planning and execution of the research. Tasks such as fundraising, data collection, or general supervision of the research team do not, on their own, qualify an individual for authorship. All authors must meet the specified authorship criteria, and the order of names should be a mutual decision.

Individuals who do not meet the authorship criteria but have contributed to the study in other ways—such as providing technical support, assisting with writing, offering general guidance, or supplying materials or financial support—should be acknowledged in the appropriate section of the manuscript.

Authors are also required to disclose any financial relationships, conflicts of interest, or competing interests that could potentially influence the research findings or scientific judgment.

If an author identifies a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are responsible for promptly notifying the Editor and cooperating to correct or retract the publication as necessary.

• Responsibilities of the Editor and Reviewers

The Editor-in-Chief evaluates manuscripts based solely on their scientific merit, without regard to the authors’ ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religious beliefs, or political views. They ensure a fair and impartial double-blind peer review process and maintain the confidentiality of all manuscript-related information prior to publication.

As the individual responsible for the journal’s content and overall quality, the Editor-in-Chief must publish corrections or errata when necessary. They also prevent any conflicts of interest between authors, editors, and reviewers. The Editor-in-Chief holds exclusive authority in selecting reviewers and making final publication decisions.

Reviewers must remain free of conflicts of interest concerning the research, its authors, and any funding sources. Their assessments should be objective and unbiased. They are required to maintain the confidentiality of manuscript-related information and promptly inform the editor of any suspected plagiarism or copyright violations.

If a reviewer feels unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or cannot complete the review in a timely manner, they should notify the editor and withdraw from the process.

The editor reminds reviewers that all manuscripts are confidential and that their role is a privileged one. Neither reviewers nor editorial board members may discuss submitted manuscripts with external parties. The anonymity of referees must be preserved, although, in certain cases, the editor may share one reviewer’s feedback with another to clarify specific issues.