Peer Review

The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology (TOJET) employs a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the academic quality, relevance, and originality of submitted manuscripts. The review process is structured as follows:

·        Initial Editorial Screening:
Upon submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial screening by the editorial team to assess its alignment with the scope of the journal, adherence to submission guidelines, and basic academic quality. Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria may be desk-rejected without external review.

·        Plagiarism Check Process for Submitted Articles

o    Initial Submission: When an article is first submitted to the journal, it is not immediately sent for peer review. Instead, it undergoes an initial plagiarism screening using the iThenticate software a widely recognized plagiarism detection software. The procedure is carried out in the following sequential steps:

1.       First iThenticate Check: The submitted manuscript is uploaded to iThenticate. The software scans the text for similarities with existing sources, including published journal articles, books, theses, websites, and other academic databases.

2.         Preliminary Evaluation Based on Similarity Report: 1) The editorial team carefully reviews the similarity report generated by iThenticate. 2) If the similarity index is within acceptable limits and no signs of unethical citation practices or potential plagiarism are detected, the article is approved for peer review. 3) If the similarity is too high or problematic sections are found (e.g., copy-pasted text without proper citation), the manuscript is rejected or returned to the author for revision even before the review process begins.

·        Peer Review Process

o  The article is then sent to reviewers for academic and scientific evaluation. This process continues independently of the plagiarism check.

·        Second iThenticate Check (Pre-Publication Stage)

o   After the peer review is completed and the article is accepted for publication (pending revisions if needed), the manuscript undergoes a second iThenticate screening. This step ensures that no new plagiarized content has been added during the revision process and that the final version still adheres to ethical standards.

·        Detection of Plagiarism at This Stage

o   If the second check reveals plagiarized content, the editorial team thoroughly investigates the issue. Once confirmed, an official notification is sent via email to all listed authors, detailing the plagiarism findings and the decision taken.

·        Article Rejection Due to Plagiarism

o   As a consequence of confirmed plagiarism, the article is withdrawn from the publication process. The manuscript is officially rejected, and the authors are informed that it will not be published under any circumstances.

·        Actions in Case of Detected Plagiarism

o   If plagiarism is detected during the pre-publication check:

—      A detailed report is prepared by the editorial office.

—      All listed authors are notified via email regarding the findings.

—      The manuscript is immediately withdrawn from the publication process.

—      A formal notification of rejection due to plagiarism is issued.

·        Record-Keeping

o   Instances of confirmed plagiarism are documented internally. Authors found to have violated ethical standards may be subject to additional screening or restrictions in future submissions.               

·        Permanent Record

o   A record of the incident is maintained internally by the editorial board to prevent future submissions from the same authors from being processed without careful screening.

o   All submissions are subject to plagiarism detection using reliable software tools (iThenticate). Manuscripts with high similarity scores or evidence of unethical academic conduct are automatically rejected.

·        Assignment to Reviewers

o   Manuscripts that pass the initial checks are assigned to at least two independent reviewers who are experts in the relevant field. TOJET follows a double-blind review policy, meaning that the identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed throughout the review process.

·        Peer Review Evaluation:

o   Reviewers are asked to evaluate the manuscript based on originality, methodological rigor, theoretical and practical contribution, clarity of presentation, and relevance to the field of educational technology. They provide detailed feedback and recommendations:

·         Accept

·         Minor Revision

·         Major Revision

·         Reject

·        Editorial Decision

o   Based on the reviewers’ reports, the editor makes one of the following decisions: accept, revise (minor or major), or reject. In the case of conflicting reviews, the editor may assign a third reviewer or consult with the editorial board before making a final decision.

·        Revision and Resubmission

o   If revisions are requested, authors are expected to respond to reviewers' comments in a detailed revision report and submit the revised manuscript within the specified timeline. The revised manuscript may be sent back to the original reviewers for re-evaluation.

·        Final Decision and Publication

o   Following acceptance, the manuscript undergoes final formatting and proofreading before publication in the upcoming issue of TOJET. Authors receive a pre-publication version for final approval.

TOJET is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity, transparency, and fairness throughout the review process.

Publication Ethics Statement

The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology (TOJET) adheres to the highest standards of ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. Our editorial policies align with international best practices, including the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Below are TOJET’s formal policies regarding publication ethics and practices:

1.         Authorship and Contributorship

·         All listed authors must have made a substantial contribution to the research and the preparation of the manuscript.

·         Authors should agree on the order of authorship prior to submission.

·         One corresponding author must be designated at the time of submission. This individual is responsible for all communications with the journal and must:

o    Ensure that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript.

o    Coordinate responses and revisions during the peer-review and editorial process.

o    Handle all post-publication communication on behalf of all authors.

·      TOJET does not allow ghost authorship, gift authorship, or unauthorized co-authorship under any circumstances.

2.         Complaints and Appeals

·         TOJET is committed to addressing complaints and appeals fairly and transparently.

·         Complaint/Appeal Procedure:

o  All complaints must be submitted via email to: Prof. Dr. Aytekin ISMAN – isman@sakarya.edu.tr

o  The Editor-in-Chief will acknowledge the complaint within 5 business days.

o  A preliminary review will be conducted to determine the nature of the issue.

o  If necessary, the case will be referred to the Editorial Board or an Ethics Review Panel.

o  The complainant will receive a formal response within 30 days.

·         Complaints may concern review process delays, editorial decisions, ethical issues, or author conduct.

3.          Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests

·         Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including:

o  Financial relationships

o  Institutional affiliations

o  Personal or professional ties that may influence objectivity.

o  Conflicts must be disclosed at the time of submission or review. TOJET reserves the rightto withdraw an article if an undisclosed

o  Conflict is discovered post-publication.

4.          Data Sharing and Reproducibility

·         TOJET encourages authors to provide access to datasets, research instruments, and supplementary materials that allow others to replicate or verify the study’s findings.

·         Authors may include data availability statements in their manuscripts.

·         When applicable, data should be deposited in reputable repositories and cited appropriately.

·         TOJET supports research transparency and welcomes replication studies.

5.          Ethical Oversight

·         All research involving human participants, personal data, or sensitive topics must adhere to recognized ethical standards.

• Authors are required to confirm that they have obtained ethical approval from a relevant institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee.
• Informed consent must be documented where applicable.
• The editorial team may request proof of ethical approval at any stage.
• TOJET has an internal ethics advisory committee that assists in evaluating ethical concerns in submitted manuscripts.

6.          Intellectual Property

·         TOJET respects and protects intellectual property rights.

• All content published in TOJET is protected under Creative Commons Attribution Licenses (CC BY).
• Authors retain the copyright to their work and grant TOJET the right to publish, archive, and distribute the article.
• Any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, will result in rejection or retraction of the article.
• TOJET uses plagiarism detection software (iThenticate) to screen all submissions.

7.       Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections

·         TOJET provides a formal process for handling post-publication issues, including:

o    Corrections: Minor errors may be corrected in the online version of the article and noted in an editorial correction.

o    Retractions: Serious ethical breaches or scientific errors may result in article retraction, with a notice clearly posted on the journal’s website.

o    Commentaries or Letters: Readers may submit scholarly responses, which will be reviewed and published at the discretion of the editorial board.

8.          Revision Timeframe:

• Authors are typically given 2 to 4 weeks to submit revisions.
• Revised manuscripts undergo a second round of peer review, focusing on the changes made and the adequacy of the author’s response to reviewer comments.
• Failure to submit revisions within the stated period may result in withdrawal of the manuscript.

Note: The journal maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism in all forms. Authors are strongly advised to ensure that all sources are properly cited and that their work complies with international standards of academic honesty.

For further questions regarding publication ethics or policy clarification, please contact:
Prof. Dr. Aytekin ISMAN – isman@sakarya.edu.tr