Ethical Principles and Publication Policy

Publication Policy

Fırat University Journal of Software and Informatics Research Institute is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access, online scholarly journal dedicated to publishing original, high-quality, and scientifically significant studies in software, informatics, and related disciplines. The journal is committed to the principles of scientific impartiality, editorial independence, academic integrity, and transparency, and all editorial processes are conducted in accordance with the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

All submissions must be original, must not have been published previously, and must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Each manuscript undergoes an initial editorial screening to assess its relevance to the journal’s aims and scope, scientific contribution, and compliance with the journal’s author guidelines. Manuscripts deemed suitable are then forwarded to the peer-review stage.

All scholarly manuscripts submitted to the journal are evaluated through a double-blind peer-review process. Final publication decisions are made on the basis of reviewer reports and editorial assessment. Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, without regard to the authors’ institutional affiliation, academic title, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religious belief, or political perspective.

The journal maintains a strict commitment to publication ethics. Plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, salami slicing, and inappropriate authorship practices are strictly prohibited. All submissions may be screened using similarity-detection software, and manuscripts found to involve ethical misconduct will be rejected or subjected to appropriate editorial action.

Authors are responsible for submitting all required ethical approval documents where applicable, disclosing financial support and potential conflicts of interest, and accepting full responsibility for the content of their work. Editors and reviewers are likewise required to observe the principles of confidentiality, impartiality, and academic integrity throughout the review and publication process.

The journal adopts a full open-access model and provides immediate, free, and unrestricted access to all published content. No submission, processing, or publication fees are charged to authors. The journal does not accept sponsorships or advertising that could compromise editorial independence. In cases where serious errors or ethical violations are identified after publication, the journal reserves the right to issue corrections, retractions, or other editorial notices in accordance with COPE recommendations. Complaints and appeals submitted by authors, reviewers, or readers are evaluated fairly, transparently, and confidentially.

Peer-Review Policy

All manuscripts submitted to Fırat University Journal of Software and Informatics Research Institute are subject to a multi-stage evaluation process designed to ensure scientific quality, originality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal’s scope. The peer-review process is conducted in accordance with the principles of impartiality, confidentiality, and academic integrity.

Submitted manuscripts must be original, unpublished, not under consideration elsewhere, and approved by all listed authors. Following submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial editorial review to determine its compliance with the journal’s aims and scope, author guidelines, scientific presentation standards, and reference style. Manuscripts that meet these requirements may then be checked for similarity and plagiarism using appropriate software. Manuscripts with high similarity rates or serious ethical concerns may be returned to the authors or rejected without external review.

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are evaluated by the relevant section editor in terms of scientific content, methodological rigor, academic language, and overall suitability for the journal. Manuscripts considered unsuitable at this stage may be rejected prior to peer review.

Eligible manuscripts proceed to a double-blind peer-review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent experts in the relevant field. When necessary, an additional reviewer may be invited. Based on the reviewers’ reports, a manuscript may be accepted, accepted subject to minor revision, invited for major revision, or rejected. As a general principle, publication requires favorable evaluations from at least two reviewers. The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the editors and reviewers.

When revisions are requested, authors are required to submit a revised version within the specified period and provide a clear response to reviewer comments. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation when necessary. Manuscripts may be rejected if the revisions are deemed insufficient or if the authors fail to address the reviewers’ and editors’ concerns adequately.

Manuscripts accepted for publication undergo final technical checks for language, formatting, references, typesetting, and layout. Additional minor revisions may be requested at this stage. Editors evaluate all manuscripts solely on the basis of scientific merit. Editors and reviewers must not participate in the evaluation of submissions in which they have a conflict of interest. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for ensuring that the review and decision-making processes are conducted fairly, impartially, and in accordance with ethical standards.

Open Access Policy

Fırat University Journal of Software and Informatics Research Institute is committed to the principle of free and unrestricted access to scientific knowledge. All articles published in the journal are made immediately available online in full text without financial, legal, or technical barriers to readers.

No fees are charged to authors, their institutions, or funding bodies at any stage of the publication process. The journal does not require submission fees, review fees, article processing charges (APCs), or publication fees.

All editorial and publishing expenses are covered by the publisher. The journal operates on a non-commercial academic publishing model and does not rely on sponsorship, advertising, or other commercial mechanisms that may compromise editorial independence. Through its open-access policy, the journal supports the broad dissemination, visibility, and equitable accessibility of scholarly work.

Conflict of Interest Policy

Fırat University Journal of Software and Informatics Research Institute requires the full disclosure of any actual or potential conflicts of interest in order to ensure transparency, fairness, and objectivity throughout the publication process. A conflict of interest may arise when authors, reviewers, or editors have financial, institutional, personal, or academic relationships that could influence, or appear to influence, their judgments.

Authors are required to declare all relevant conflicts of interest related to the preparation, conduct, funding, or publication of their work. Financial support, grants, consultancy roles, institutional affiliations, and similar relationships must be clearly stated in the manuscript under a dedicated conflict of interest statement. If no conflict of interest exists, this must also be explicitly declared.

Reviewers must decline invitations to review manuscripts in cases where they have any direct or indirect conflict of interest that could affect their evaluation. Editors must likewise refrain from participating in editorial decisions concerning manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest and must assign the manuscript to another editor when necessary.

All conflict of interest matters are handled in accordance with COPE guidelines. Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may result in rejection of the manuscript, suspension of the evaluation process, or retraction of the published article, depending on the seriousness of the case.

 Privacy and Confidentiality Policy

Fırat University Journal of Software and Informatics Research Institute is committed to protecting the confidentiality of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. All manuscripts submitted to the journal, together with all associated correspondence, reports, and editorial evaluations, are treated as confidential documents.

Access to submitted manuscripts and review materials is limited to the editors, section editors, reviewers, and authorized editorial staff directly involved in the evaluation and publication process. These materials may not be shared with third parties or used for purposes other than editorial assessment without explicit authorization.

The journal operates a double-blind peer-review system, under which the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from each other. Reviewer reports and editorial decisions are communicated only to the relevant parties and may not be disclosed or used for personal advantage.

Personal data such as names, e-mail addresses, institutional affiliations, and contact details are used solely for the purposes of journal management, peer review, communication, indexing, and publication. Such information will not be shared with third parties except where required for legitimate publishing operations or legal obligations. Editors and reviewers are required to maintain strict confidentiality and must not use unpublished materials or privileged information for personal, academic, or financial benefit.

 Ethical Principles

Fırat University Journal of Software and Informatics Research Institute adheres to internationally recognized standards of publication ethics and conducts all editorial and publishing processes in accordance with the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Authors are required to ensure that their manuscripts are original, have not been published previously, and are not under consideration elsewhere. Plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, salami slicing, and inappropriate authorship practices are strictly prohibited. Manuscripts may be screened using similarity-detection software where necessary.

For studies involving human participants or animals, authors must obtain the relevant ethics committee approval and clearly state this information in the manuscript. Authors are also expected to provide transparent declarations regarding funding, conflicts of interest, author contributions, and data availability where applicable.

Editors and reviewers are required to act objectively, fairly, and confidentially throughout the review and publication process. They must not participate in the evaluation of manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists. In cases of suspected or confirmed ethical misconduct, the journal reserves the right to implement appropriate editorial measures, including rejection, correction, expression of concern, or retraction, in accordance with COPE guidance.

 Copyright Statement

Copyright of all published articles remains with the authors. By submitting a manuscript to Fırat University Journal of Software and Informatics Research Institute and accepting publication, authors agree that their work will be published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.

Under this license, articles may be read, downloaded, copied, distributed, and shared for non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate attribution is given to the original authors and the journal. Commercial use of the published material is not permitted without prior permission. Any reuse must preserve the integrity of the original work and include proper citation.

By publishing in the journal, authors grant the journal the right to publish, archive, and disseminate the work electronically as part of its open-access publishing model. The journal supports the free circulation of scientific knowledge and adopts internationally recognized standards for copyright and licensing.