Publication Ethic

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The International Society that Learn Journal (IStLJ) adheres to the Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Guidelines of the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and conducts all editorial processes in accordance with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Authors’ Responsibilities

Authors are required to confirm that:

  • The submitted manuscript is original and has not been previously published,

  • The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal,

  • All sources are properly cited,

  • Any conflicts of interest, funding sources, or sponsorships are clearly disclosed,

  • Ethical approval has been obtained where required.

Research Involving Human Participants and Personal Data
Ethics committee approval is mandatory for all studies involving human participants (including surveys, interviews, focus groups, experiments, observations, and online data collection methods) and/or studies that include personal data. Ethical approval must be obtained from a recognized and authorized ethics committee in the country or institution where the research is conducted.

Studies Not Requiring Ethics Committee Approval
For studies that do not require ethics committee approval, authors must clearly, explicitly, and justifiably state the reasons for this exemption in the manuscript or in the ethics statement. A simple declaration such as “ethics approval was not required” is not sufficient without a clear justification.

Informed Consent
Informed consent is mandatory for all research involving human participants. Participants must be clearly informed about the purpose, scope, potential risks, data usage, and confidentiality of the study.

  • Written consent is strongly preferred.

  • If written consent is not feasible (e.g., online surveys), the method of obtaining consent must be explicitly described.

  • Participants have the right to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty.

Children and Vulnerable Populations
Research involving children (individuals under 18), persons with disabilities, refugees, prisoners, older adults, or other vulnerable populations requires additional ethical safeguards.

  • Parental or legal guardian consent is mandatory for studies involving children.

  • Research designs must minimize any physical, psychological, or social risk.

  • Ethics committee approval must explicitly address the involvement of vulnerable groups.

International Ethical Standards and Publication Ethics
This journal/publisher adheres to internationally recognized ethical and publication standards and requires compliance with the following guidelines:

Authors are required to explicitly declare that their research complies with these standards.

Authors must approve the journal’s ethical declaration during the submission process.

Editors’ Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for:

  • Ensuring impartial and unbiased editorial decision-making,

  • Maintaining the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts,

  • Declaring and managing conflicts of interest,

  • Conducting all editorial procedures under the coordination of the Editor-in-Chief.

Reviewers’ Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Conduct evaluations objectively and confidentially,

  • Decline review invitations where conflicts of interest exist,

  • Refrain from sharing any information obtained during the review process.

Handling of Ethical Misconduct

In cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, or other forms of publication misconduct, the journal follows COPE guidelines. Appropriate actions may include rejection of the manuscript, retraction of published articles, and notification of relevant institutions.