Ethical Principles and Publication Policy

The publication processes implemented by the Health Services Research Journal (HES Journal) serve as the foundation for the impartial and respected development and dissemination of knowledge. In this regard, the processes applied directly reflect the quality of the works of authors and the institutions supporting them. Peer-reviewed studies are those that concretely embody and support the scientific method. At this point, it is essential that all stakeholders of the process (authors, readers and researchers, publisher, reviewers, and editors) comply with ethical standards. Within the scope of publication ethics, our journal expects all stakeholders to adhere to the following ethical responsibilities.

The ethical duties and responsibilities outlined below have been prepared in accordance with the guidelines and policies published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) under open access principles.

A- Ethical Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

1. Submitted manuscripts are expected to be original. If authors use or benefit from other works, they must provide complete and accurate citations and/or quotations. Paraphrasing methods, etc., are considered ethical violations by our journal.
2. Individuals who do not intellectually contribute to the content of the study should not be listed as authors.
3. In copyrighted works, the author who contributes the most should be listed as the first author; academic title superiority alone does not justify first authorship.
4. Any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed in submitted manuscripts.
5. Authors may be requested to provide raw data during the evaluation process and must be prepared to submit such data to the editorial and scientific boards when required.
6. Authors must possess documentation proving they have the rights to use the data, necessary permissions for research/analysis, or informed consent from participants. Even if not requested by the journal, such documentation must be available.
7. If authors identify an error or mistake in a published, early-view, or under-review manuscript, they are obliged to inform the editor and cooperate in correction or retraction processes.
8. Authors may not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Each submission must follow the completion of the previous process. Previously published works cannot be submitted to our journal.
9. Changes in authorship (addition, removal, or order change) are not permitted after the evaluation process has begun. However, in the DergiPark system, such requests may be considered by HES Journal if submitted by the corresponding or first author with signed consent forms from all co-authors.

B- Ethical Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

HES Journal editors and section editors are required to adhere to the following ethical duties and responsibilities based on the open-access guidelines published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), namely the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors:

1. Editors are responsible for all publications in the journal. In this context, they undertake the following roles and obligations:
2. Strive to meet the information needs of readers and authors.
3. Continuously work toward the development and improvement of the journal.
4. Take an active role in improving the quality of published works.
5. Support freedom of thought and encourage the inclusion of original and foreign-language works.
6. Ensure processes comply with intellectual property rights and ethical standards.
7. Ensure transparency in cases requiring correction or clarification.
8. Support field editors through guidance and communication via digital and verbal means.
9. Consider feedback from readers, researchers, and practitioners and provide informative responses.
10. Manuscripts within scope should be included in preliminary evaluation unless there is a serious issue.
11. Positive reviewer recommendations should not be ignored unless justified by serious concerns.
12. Decisions made by previous editors should not be changed without serious justification.
13. Assist section editors in maintaining the blind review process and prevent breaches of anonymity.
14. Ensure efficient management of peer-review and editorial workflows.
15. Encourage the development of the reviewer pool.
16. Protect intellectual property rights of all published works and defend the rights of authors and the journal against violations.
17. Take constructive criticism of published works into account.
18. Ensure authors are given the right to respond to criticism.
19. Handle complaints from authors, reviewers, and readers carefully and respond clearly and informatively.
20. Editorial independence must not be influenced by the publisher or any political or commercial entity.
21. Ensure rapid correction of errors, inconsistencies, or misleading statements in published works.

C- Ethical Duties and Responsibilities of Section Editors

1. Assign reviewers appropriate to the manuscript’s subject area.
2. Provide necessary guidance and information for reviewers.
3. Monitor potential conflicts of interest between authors and reviewers.
4. Ensure confidentiality in the blind review process.
5. Encourage objective, scientific, and impartial evaluations.
6. Evaluate reviewer performance based on timeliness and quality.
7. Implement policies to improve reviewer performance.
8. Maintain and regularly update the reviewer database.
9. If both reviewers reject a manuscript, the section editor may, if deemed scientifically valuable, send it to a third or fourth reviewer.
10. Maintain communication with authors throughout the process.
11. Rejection decisions should be communicated respectfully and with clear justification.

D- Ethical Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

1. Review at HES Journal is conducted under a double-blind peer review system. Reviewers must not communicate directly with authors.
2. Accept reviews only within their area of expertise.
3. Maintain confidentiality and impartiality.
4. Decline review if a conflict of interest exists.
5. Destroy manuscripts after review; only published final versions may be used.
6. Base evaluations solely on academic content, without discrimination.
7. Provide constructive and respectful feedback.
8. Complete reviews in a timely manner.
9. Protect intellectual property rights and journal copyrights.
10. Take precautions against academic misconduct, citation manipulation, and plagiarism.

E- Ethical Duties and Responsibilities of the Editorial Board

The Editorial Board of HES Journal is responsible for ensuring that all published articles comply with journal policies and international standards.

1. The editorial board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Section Editors, Language Editors, Layout Editors, and Technical Editors.
2. Address deficiencies in content, technical, and visual aspects of the journal.
3. Actively participate in editorial meetings.
4. Hold regular meetings to improve journal policies and development.
5. Editorial independence must be maintained without interference from publishers.
6. Editors are responsible for all processes of submitted manuscripts.

F- Protection of Personal Data

1. HES Journal ensures the protection of personal data of research participants unless written consent is provided.
2. Protects personal data of editors, reviewers, authors, and readers.
3. Ensures protection of human and animal rights; manuscripts without ethics committee approval may be rejected.

G- Measures Against Misconduct

HES Journal takes necessary measures against misconduct and abuse of duty. Allegations are carefully investigated, and findings are evaluated objectively and reported by the editorial board.

H- Research and Publication Ethics

Research ethics ensures that studies are designed and conducted in accordance with ethical principles such as autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. The journal ensures that ethical issues, including conflicts of interest, are evaluated within international legal and ethical frameworks and ultimately decided by the ICAM Network Ethics Committee.

I- Handling Ethical Violations

Any unethical behavior or content beyond the responsibilities stated above should be reported to the HES Journal email address. Reports are evaluated by the editorial board and concluded with a final decision.