Strategic Public Management Journal Publication
Policy and Ethical Principles Statement

Publication Policy

STRATEGIC PUBLIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL © 2015 is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

The Strategic Public Management Journal is published electronically once a year in December in the "Refereed Journal" status on the ULAKBIM DergiPark platform and its own website.
The journal publishes original Turkish and English studies in the fields of Public Administration, Management Reforms, Local Governments, Management Science, and Strategic Management with an interdisciplinary approach.
Submitted studies to the journal are editorially processed in terms of purpose, scope, method, and writing principles, and then evaluated scientifically by the Editorial Board through the double-blind peer-review method.
In addition to articles that have passed through the peer-review process, the journal also includes special issues created in line with the objectives of the journal.
The Strategic Public Management Journal adopts the Open Access approach, and no processing fee is charged for articles, essays, etc. by the Journal.
Authors and referees are not paid for the articles published in the journal.
Reported research should be prepared in accordance with ethical principles, and citations made in the text must be clearly indicated. The acceptable similarity rate is up to 20%.
The views adopted in the published articles are not the views of the journal, and the responsibility lies with the author(s) of each article.
Detailed information about the objectives and scope of the Strategic Public Management Journal, writing rules, publication principles, article submission and evaluation processes, ethical principles, etc. is available on the website.
Ethical Principles
The ethical responsibilities listed below have been prepared in accordance with the ethical rules and responsibilities specified by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). It is expected that the editors, referees, and authors of our journal act in accordance with the ethical rules listed below.

Ethical Responsibilities Towards Referees: The editorial board is reviewed at least once a year and updated regularly. Articles submitted to the journal for publication are editorially processed in terms of purpose, scope, method, and writing principles. Articles that are eligible for publication after the editorial process are sent to two different referees. Within this framework, the referees of the Strategic Public Management Journal are expected to have the following ethical responsibilities:
Evaluations must be unbiased.
Referees acting as reviewers must be experts in the subject matter they are reviewing, and if they do not have sufficient knowledge about the subject, they should decline the referee offer.
Referees should not be in a conflict of interest with the research or authors.
In accordance with the principle of confidentiality, referees must destroy the papers they review after the evaluation process.
Referees should evaluate the study objectively and only based on the content of the study. Nationality, gender, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and commercial concerns should not affect the evaluation.
As a responsibility of being educational and instructive, referees should guide the authors, avoiding destructive and humiliating comments about the author(s)’s inadequacies.
Referees must conduct the evaluation of the accepted study in a timely manner and within the framework of the above-mentioned ethical responsibilities.
Ethical Responsibilities Towards Authors
The articles submitted for publication should not violate scientific publication ethics (plagiarism, fabrication, distortion, duplicate publication, slicing, unfair authorship, failure to specify supporting organization, failure to comply with ethical rules in studies on animals, etc.).
Authors must have conducted their research process in accordance with ethical rules and relevant legislation. Articles must be original studies suitable for the specified fields of study.
If the articles submitted contain research results requiring ethical committee approval, authors must specify the ethical committee decision information (committee name, date, number, etc.) in the article.
If direct quotations are made from other studies during the research process, the author must cite the source.
The reference list must be complete, and the sources quoted must be clearly indicated.
2.1. Suitability and Reliability
Authors must use appropriate data analysis methods when necessary and seek expert advice if necessary.
In multi-author studies, authors should take joint responsibility for the content of their publications. Authors should review their publications at every stage to ensure that methods and findings are accurately reported.
2.2. Honesty

Articles submitted to the journal must not have been published elsewhere or submitted for publication elsewhere.
The author must describe the research methods used and present their findings clearly and precisely.
2.3. Originality

The author must commit that the work is original and has not been published elsewhere in any language.
If the research findings have been previously published or submitted to a different journal for publication, the Editor should be informed during the article submission process. Authors must submit copies of the relevant publications or copies of the works submitted to other journals.
Multiple publications arising from a single research project must be clearly stated, and reference must be made to the primary publication.
2.4. Transparency
The author may be asked to provide raw data related to their article during the evaluation process. In such a case, the author must be ready to present the expected data and information to the editorial.
The author must possess a document demonstrating the rights to use the data used and the necessary permissions related to research/analyses or must have carried out the permission procedures for subjects.
The author must clearly and explicitly describe their methods for the findings presented in the study to be verifiable by others.
2.5. Responsibility
An author cannot submit their work simultaneously to multiple journals. Each submission can be initiated following the completion of the previous submission.
If an author notices an error or mistake in their published, pre-print, or under-review work, they have the obligation to inform the journal editor and collaborate with the editor in processes of correction or retraction.
2.6. Multi-Author Studies
In multi-author studies, all authors must be listed and included in the copyright transfer form during manuscript submission.
A responsible author should be selected among the authors to maintain communication with the Editor during the evaluation process.
Changes in author responsibilities of a study that has already commenced the evaluation process (such as adding authors, changing the author order, removing authors) cannot be proposed.
Any changes and edits made to the manuscript should be communicated to all authors. This process is the responsibility of the "Responsible Author."
In multi-author studies, authors are expected to collectively take responsibility for the integrity of the research and reporting. However, if authors only take responsibility for specific aspects of the research and reports, this should be indicated in the publication.
2.7. Peer Review Process and Copyright Transfer Form
Detailed information about the peer review process is provided in the "Peer Review and Evaluation Process" section on the Writing Rules page. Authors are considered to have accepted these rules when submitting their articles.
Authors should collaborate during this process and provide timely and accurate responses to reviewer and editor requests.
If an author wishes to withdraw their work during the evaluation process, they must inform the editor.
2.8. Reporting of Studies Involving Humans or Animals
Before starting research, appropriate approvals, licenses, or registrations must be obtained and detailed in the report (e.g., Institutional Review Board approval, Research Ethics Board approval, national licensing authorities for animal use).
Upon request by the editors, authors must provide evidence demonstrating that the reported research has received appropriate approval and has been conducted ethically (e.g., copies of approvals, licenses, participant consent forms).
Authors must not publish or share personal data collected during research without the permission of the individual (or their representative).
Authors must publish all meaningful research results that can contribute to understanding.
Ethical Responsibilities Towards Editors
3.1. Responsibility for Journal Content

The editor is responsible for every article published in the journal within the framework of the following rules. They are obliged to ensure the quality of the material published and to maintain the integrity of the published record. In this context, the editor:

Makes academic decisions alone and takes full responsibility for these decisions.
Strives to act in accordance with the principle of freedom of thought to ensure that studies are evaluated fairly and impartially.
Conducts business processes in accordance with intellectual property rights and ethical standards.
Endeavors to meet the information needs of readers and authors and continuously strives to improve the journal.
Protects the confidentiality of authors and reviewers and manages the peer review process accordingly.
Considers the views of authors, readers, and peer reviewers in improving the processes of the journal.
Follows research on peer review and publishing, and revises the processes of the journal in light of new information.
3.2. Relations with Readers
Editors ensure the originality of published studies and strive to contribute scientifically to readers, researchers, and practitioners.
Editors consider feedback from all stakeholders and make efforts to provide explanatory and informative feedback.
3.3. Relations with Authors
Editors ensure that all studies are reviewed by appropriate qualified reviewers.
Detailed information for authors about the processes is provided in the Writing Rules on the Strategic Public Management Journal website.
Editors maintain constant communication with authors to prevent possible problems in the process.
3.4. Relations with Reviewers

Editors observe whether there is a conflict of interest between authors and reviewers during reviewer assignments.
Since the evaluation process is conducted through double-blind review, the identities of reviewers are kept confidential. The list of reviewers for each issue is announced in the respective issue.
Reviewers are encouraged to use unbiased, scientific, and objective language when evaluating studies.
Efforts are made to ensure that the reviewer pool consists of individuals from different disciplines and is continuously updated.
Rude and unscientific evaluations are prevented or censored.
3.5. Peer Review and Evaluation Process
Editors are responsible for implementing the policies regarding "Peer Review and Evaluation Process" as stated in the journal's Writing Rules. In this context, editors ensure that the evaluation process for each study is fair, impartial, and completed on time.
Reviewers may express a definitive opinion on whether a study should be published or not in their reports. However, the Editor/Editorial Board may make a decision based on similar and opposing views of the reviewers or authors.
In this regard, the Editor/Editorial Board considers the strength of the arguments of the reviewers or authors rather than the number of reviewers or whether the evaluations are answered yes or no. The Editor/Editorial Board considers reports containing strong, well-reasoned propositions rather than reports that answer evaluation questions in yes or no.
After a study is published, a reviewer may realize that their views were not fully reflected in the study. It is possible for the Editor/Editorial Board to consider these views if they have been taken into account by other reviewers. In this case, the opinions of other reviewers may be sent to the reviewer who evaluated the study at their request.
Based on the recommendations of reviewers, the Editor/Editorial Board follows one of the following paths:
Publish the study.
Accept the study with partial and significant changes and improvements.
Request the author/authors to revise their work in accordance with the reviewer opinions and initiate a new evaluation process.
Reject the study.
3.6. Editorial Board Members
Care is taken to select Editorial Board members who will contribute to the development of the journal and who are qualified.
Editorial Board members are regularly reviewed.
The Editor consults with the Board members to obtain their opinions on the management of the journal, informs them of changes in journal policies, and consults them regularly (e.g., once a year) to plan for the future.
3.7. Protection of Personal Data
Editors reject studies containing personal data unless explicit consent is obtained from the individuals involved. Additionally, editors are responsible for protecting the personal data of authors, reviewers, and readers.
3.8. Ethical Committee, Human, and Animal Rights
Editors strive to ensure the protection of human and animal rights in the evaluated studies. In cases where ethical approval for subjects involved in studies is not available, the study may be rejected.
3.9. Constructiveness and Openness to Discussion

Editors consider criticisms of the works published in the journal and strive to adopt a constructive attitude towards these criticisms.
3.10. Complaints

Editors carefully examine and respond to complaints from authors, reviewers, or readers in an explanatory manner.
Publisher's Ethical Responsibilities
The Strategic Public Management Journal:

Does not charge any fees from authors.
Takes care to keep records of every published article and every copy.
Licensing and Copyright
Authors must submit their articles to our journal along with the copyright transfer declaration form (the printed form is available on our website).
Plagiarism Check
Reported research should be prepared in accordance with ethical rules, and citations made within the text must be clearly indicated.
If You Encounter an Unethical Situation:
When you notice a significant error or mistake in a published article or encounter behavior or content that does not comply with the ethical responsibilities mentioned above, please report it via email to spmj@marmara.edu.tr.
Thank you for your interest and we wish you success in your endeavors.

Strategic Public Management Journal