1. Importance of Peer-Reviewed Works

Peer-reviewed research embodies and supports the scientific method. In this process, it is essential that all stakeholders — authors, reviewers, editors, and the journal — adhere to ethical standards. The responsibilities and principles below are based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and its guidance for best practices.

2. Authors’ Ethical Responsibilities

• Submitted manuscripts must be original and must not have been published elsewhere previously; simultaneous submissions to other journals are not permitted.
• Authors must provide accurate, complete, and proper citation of all sources utilized.
• Any potential conflicts of interest (financial, institutional, personal, etc.) must be fully disclosed.
• During peer review, raw data or additional materials may be requested; authors should provide them promptly upon request.
• Authors must hold the necessary permissions for data, ethical approvals, and intellectual property rights.
• If errors are discovered, authors must cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions as needed.
• The manuscript should include title, abstract, and keywords in Turkish, English, and Russian.
• Every submission will be subjected to a plagiarism (text similarity) screening process.
• Authors affirm that the work is original and free from plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, redundant publication, or data manipulation. They accept full legal, ethical, and financial responsibility for this declaration.
• The journal reserves the right to retract, correct, or make public announcements in response to ethical violations.

3. Reviewers’ Ethical Responsibilities

• Reviewers should only evaluate manuscripts in their area of expertise.
• They must review impartially and maintain confidentiality throughout.
• If a reviewer identifies a conflict of interest, they should decline or notify the editor.
• Reviewers must not share or use the manuscript content for personal gain.
• Feedback should be constructive, objective, and respectful in tone.
• Reviews should be completed within the journal’s specified timeframe.
• Reviewers may receive compensation (if applicable), but this should not affect the objectivity of the review.

4. Editors’ Ethical Responsibilities

• Editors must conduct preliminary screening and assign manuscripts to appropriate reviewers.
• Evaluation decisions should be made based solely on intellectual merit, independent of author identity or affiliation.
• Editors must ensure confidentiality of the review process and personal information throughout.
• Editors must declare their own conflicts of interest and recuse themselves when necessary.
• Editorial decisions shall comply with the journal’s ethical policies, reviewer feedback, and publication standards.
• In cases of suspected misconduct, editors must initiate investigations and, where necessary, issue retractions, corrections, or notices to readers.
• The editorial board should implement preventive policies and uphold ethical standards.

5. Authorship / Contribution Policy

• Authorship order and individual contributions must be clearly specified.
• All authors must approve the final manuscript and its submission.
• Financial support, sponsorship, and contributions must be fully declared.
• Authors must attest that the manuscript has not been published elsewhere.
• All authors share collective responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the work.

6. Retraction Policy

If authors wish to withdraw a manuscript before publication, they should notify the editor in writing immediately. Post-publication retraction requests will be considered only in cases of serious ethical breaches, data errors, or compromises in scientific reliability.

7. Corrections and Feedback

• Editors and the editorial board should carefully evaluate reviewer and author comments when making corrections.
• Corrections should be made in view of reviewer feedback and author responses.
• Authors are required to respond promptly and completely to correction requests.

8. Publishing Errors and Ethical Violations

• Editors and publisher must take prompt action to correct errors identified post-publication.
• Corrected versions should be clearly labeled, and readers should be informed where applicable.
• Notices such as “Expression of Concern,” “Retraction,” “Erratum / Corrigendum” shall be issued in accordance with COPE flowcharts and guidelines.

9. References and Guidance

These ethical policies and practices are based on COPE’s Core Practices and international publishing ethics resources. For more information, refer to:

• COPE Code of Conduct / COPE Core Practices
• COPE Guidance & Flowcharts
• COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors

10. Publisher Neutrality Policy

The publisher of the Black Sea Journal of Social Sciences, Kültür Ajans, does not interfere in the peer review, acceptance, or rejection of any manuscript published in the journal. The publisher is responsible only for the technical and administrative operation of the journal; editorial decisions are taken solely by the editorial board and independent reviewers based on scholarly criteria.

All review and publication processes are conducted under the principle of editorial independence. The publisher must not exert influence, pressure, or request changes to content or reviewers' recommendations at any stage.