Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

  • ETKİ: Journal of Literature, Theatre and Culture Studies doesn’t charge publication fees.
  • ETKİ: Journal of Literature, Theatre and Culture Studies is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and pays regard to Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, published 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) on publicationethics.org.

Generative AI and AI-assisted Technologies Policy

ETKİ: Journal of Literature, Theatre and Culture Studies adopts the principles of Elsevier’s Generative AI and AI-assisted Technologies Policy (updated September 2025). This policy applies to authors, reviewers, and editors, and ensures responsible, transparent, and ethical use of AI technologies in the publication process.

 

1. For Authors

  • Authors may use generative AI and AI-assisted tools to support manuscript preparation (e.g., improving readability, organizing content, or synthesizing literature).
  • AI tools must never replace human critical thinking, expertise, or interpretation.
  • Authors remain fully accountable for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their work.
  • Any AI use must be clearly disclosed in a separate “AI Declaration Statement” upon submission. This statement should specify the tool used, its purpose, and the extent of human oversight.
  • Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship is strictly limited to humans.
  • The use of AI in creating or modifying images, figures, or artwork is not permitted, except where explicitly part of the research design and described reproducibly in the Methods section.
  • Routine proofreading (grammar, spelling, punctuation) does not require disclosure.

 

2. For Reviewers

  • Manuscripts under review are confidential documents. Reviewers must not upload manuscripts or peer review reports into generative AI tools.
  • The review process requires human judgment and critical evaluation, which cannot be delegated to AI systems.
  • Reviewers are accountable for the originality, fairness, and completeness of their assessments.
  • Elsevier and ETKİ may use in-house AI-assisted technologies for technical checks (e.g., plagiarism detection, reviewer matching), which comply with RELX Responsible AI Principles and respect confidentiality.

 

3. For Editors

  • Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts and communications as confidential and must not upload them into generative AI tools.
  • Editorial evaluation and decision-making require human responsibility and oversight; AI cannot be used to replace the editor’s judgment.
  • Editors are accountable for final editorial decisions, author communications, and compliance with ethical standards.
  • Suspected misuse of AI policies by authors or reviewers must be reported to the publisher.
  • Like reviewers, editors may use approved in-house AI-assisted technologies that comply with privacy and integrity requirements.

4. Publication Process

  • ETKİ, following Elsevier’s standards, may use AI tools to:
    • Conduct technical checks (adherence to guidelines, completeness).
    • Perform research integrity checks (plagiarism, duplication, policy compliance).
    • Support proof preparation, copy-editing, and identification of inconsistencies.
  • These tools operate under human oversight and never replace editorial responsibility.
  • AI is also used to assist in reviewer identification and journal matching, but always in compliance with confidentiality and data privacy.

5. Summary of Principles

  • Transparency: All AI use must be declared.
  • Accountability: Humans remain fully responsible for all outputs.
  • Integrity: AI cannot generate or alter research data, figures, or artwork unless part of the research method.
  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts, reviews, and editorial materials must never be shared with third-party AI systems.
  • Ethical compliance: ETKİ strictly follows Elsevier’s ethics and responsible AI principles.

 

For detailed guidelines, please see: Elsevier Generative AI Policies

 

 

Ethical Principles

All parties involved in the publishing process (Editors, Reviewers, Authors, and Publishers) are expected to agree on the following ethical principles:

  • All submissions must be original, unpublished (including as full text in conference proceedings), and not under the review of any other publication simultaneously.
  • Authors must ensure that submitted work is original. They must certify that the manuscript has not previously been published elsewhere and is not currently being considered for publication elsewhere, in any language.
  • Applicable copyright laws and conventions must be followed. Copyright material (e.g., tables, figures, or extensive quotations) must be reproduced only with appropriate permission and acknowledgement.
  • Any work or words of other authors, contributors, or sources must be appropriately credited and referenced.
  • Each manuscript is reviewed by one of the editors and at least two referees under a double-blind peer review process.
  • Unethical behaviors include: plagiarism, duplication, fraud, denied authorship, research/data fabrication, salami slicing/publication, breaching of copyrights, and prevailing conflict of interest.
  • Manuscripts not in accordance with the accepted ethical standards will be removed from publication, including any malpractice discovered after publication.
  • In accordance with the code of conduct, any cases of suspected plagiarism or duplicate publishing will be reported.

 

 

Research Ethics

The journal adheres to the highest standards in research ethics and follows the principles of international research ethics as defined below. Authors are responsible for the compliance of their manuscripts with ethical rules:

  • Principles of integrity, quality, and transparency should be sustained in designing the research, reviewing the design, and conducting the research.
  • The research team and participants should be fully informed about the aim, methods, possible uses, requirements of the research, and risks of participation.
  • Confidentiality of information provided by research participants and the respondents must be ensured. The research should be designed to protect autonomy and dignity of participants.
  • Participation should be voluntary, with no coercion.
  • Any possible harm to participants must be avoided. The research should be planned so that participants are not at risk.
  • The independence of research must be clear, and any conflict of interest must be disclosed.
  • In experimental studies with human subjects, written informed consent must be obtained. In the case of children or those under wardship or with confirmed insanity, legal custodian’s assent must be obtained.
  • If the study is carried out in any institution or organization, approval must be obtained from it.
  • In studies with human subjects, it must be noted in the methods section that informed consent and ethics committee approval were obtained.

 

 

Author Responsibilities

  • Authors must ensure that the article is in accordance with scientific and ethical standards.
  • Authors must certify that submitted work is original and not under consideration elsewhere.
  • Applicable copyright laws must be followed; copyright material must be used with permission.
  • Authors must have direct scientific and academic contribution to the manuscript. Roles such as fundraising, data collection, or supervision alone are insufficient to be considered an author.
  • Authorship criteria include significant involvement in:
    • Conceptualization and design of the study
    • Collecting the data
    • Analyzing the data
    • Writing the manuscript
    • Reviewing the manuscript with a critical perspective
    • Planning/conducting or revising the study
  • The order of authors must be a co-decision. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should appear in the acknowledgements section.
  • All authors must disclose financial relationships, conflicts of interest, and competing interests.
  • Authors discovering a significant error or inaccuracy in their published paper must cooperate with the editor to provide retractions or corrections.

 

Responsibilities for the Editor and Reviewers

  • The Editor-in-Chief evaluates manuscripts for scientific content without regard to ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship, religious belief, or political philosophy.
  • Provides a fair double-blind peer review and ensures all information is kept confidential.
  • The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the content and overall quality of the publication.
  • The Editor-in-Chief assigns reviewers and has final authority on publication decisions.
  • Reviewers must have no conflict of interest, provide objective judgments, and keep all information confidential.
  • Reviewers unable to review a manuscript should notify the editor and excuse themselves.
  • The anonymity of referees must be ensured. In special situations, the editor may share a reviewer’s report with other reviewers to clarify a specific point.