Journal Policy

Journal Policy PDF Version

GENERAL POLICIES

Definition

Information World (IW), which is a media organ of “University and Research Librarians Association (URLA)”, is an international scientific journal with referees, published twice in a year (June and December).

The Objective and Extent of the Journal

Information World has defined contributing the librarianship and epistemology, analysing the problems and offering solutions to these problems as the primary goal. In line with this purpose, Information World, offers concrete solutions for the problems in theoretical and applied fields of the universities and research libraries, public libraries, school libraries, private libraries, documentation and information centers, research centers, archives, museums and other memory facilities in our country. It serves to share developments and innovations, to offer solutions to these problems, to announce the results of the scientific studies of faculty members, information experts, undergraduate and graduate students, and to disseminate academic studies that contribute to the professional development of practitioners and academics.

Restrictions and Applications not Approved for Evaluation

Studies not belonging to the fields of librarianship and epistemology with the ones belonging to other fields which are not associated with the aforementioned purpose and extent are not included in the scope of Information World.

Publication Frequency

Information World is published twice a year, one of which is in June and the other one in December. With the condition that the announcement will be made a year beforehand, up to two extra special issues might be published within a year. The subjects to be discussed in these special issues are decided by the Editorial Board in a way that the up-do-date discussions are taken into concern and are going to direct the fields of librarianship and epistemology.

Publishing Language

Information World approves publications in Turkish and/or English Languages. The works sent to the departments of the journal should be only in Turkish and English languages. The Works except Turkish and English ones will be rejected before being taken to any editorial process.

Sections of the Journal

The authors are liable for the ideas and opinions in the articles. The submitted works pass through the analysis and evaluation of Editorial Board and/or Article Evaluation Board. The fields of works Information World approves are given below.

Refereed Articles (Subjected to refereeing process)

Refereed articles are namely research articles, case reports and compilations, consisting of authentic quantitative and qualitative articles about all of the fields of librarianship and epistemology.

The authentic research articles sent to Information World for evaluation, should be in a qualification representing the librarianship and epistemology and also the problems in those fields with a deep scale, comprising the scientific literature with an objective perspective, offering scalable and applicable solutions for those problems by relying on scientific methods, providing a direct contribution and an authentic value to the field. The works sent for this department are evaluated according to the steps defined in “Double-Blind Refereeing and Evaluation Process”.

Opinions (Subjected to Refereeing Process)

The opinion studies sent to Information World for evaluation should be of a nature that reflects the field of librarianship and epistemolgy or the practices and problems in the fields with scientific bases and emphasizes the importance of the issue and offers solutions. Studies submitted for this section are evaluated according to the steps specified in the “Double-Blind Refereeing and Evaluation Process”.

Book Review (Not subjected to refereeing Process)

Book Review sent to Information World are studies that examine, introduce or objectively criticize book-type publications with content in the field of librarianship and epistemology. These studies are evaluated by the Editorial Board and accepted for publication or returned. As a result of the evaluation, the Editorial Board may request development and improvement from the authors.

Open-Access Policy

Information World adopts an open-access policy. Open access has beneficial results for humanity by increasing the global exchange of knowledge. Information World also supports the Budapest Open-Access Initiative, adopted on September 12th 2012: In this context, open-access policies adopted by Information World Editorial Board are available at the adress: http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/boai-10-translations/turkish-translation

All articles published in the Creative Commons Information World, are licensed under the “Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License”. This license gives the right to reproduce, share and disseminate in data mining applications, search engines, websites, blogs and all other platforms provided that all published articles, data sets, graphics and annexes that are cited. Open access is an approach that facilitates interdisciplinary communication and it encourages different disciplines to work with each other. In this manner, Information World provides added value to its field by offering more access to its articles and a more transparent evaluation process.

Information World undertakes that it will not charge subscription and fee for accessing electronic articles published by any library or reader.

Since Information World does not charge the article processing fee (evaluation or printing fee) and subcription fee for accessing the articles, there is no source of income. However, in line with the suggestions of the referees, the financial obligations of the language editorship or editing procedures requested by the Information World Editorial Board for the submitted works belong to the authors.

Privacy Statement

Personal information such as names and e-mail addresses entered in the Information World Journal Management System will only be used for the scientific purpose of this journal. This information will not be used for any other purpose or part and will not be shared with third parties.

Archiving

The metadata and full texts of all articles, opinions and book promotions published in Information World are stored in *.xml and *.pdf formats on a third party cloud server as crypted. In addition, all articles are stored and presented on ULAKBİM servers in *.pdf format through TÜBİTAK ULAKBİM Social Sciences Database.

Sponsorship and Advertisements

Information World accepts sponsorships and advertisements for products and services suitable for the scope of publication. In addition, in line with the scientific purposes of the Information World, non-profit scientific and educational activities can be announced on the web page.

For advertising and sponsorship agreements, you can contact [email protected].

ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND POLICIES

Publication Ethics

The publication processes applied in the Information World constitute the basis for the development and distribution of information in an impartial and respectful manner. The processes implemented in this direction are reflected in the quality of the work of the authors and the institutions that support the authors. Refereed studies are studies that embody and support the scientific method. At this point, it is important that all stakeholders of the process (authors, readers, researchers, publishers, referees and editors) comply with the standards of ethical principles. Within the scope of Information World publication ethics, all stakeholders are expected to bear the following ethical responsibilities.

The ethical duties and responsibilities below were prepared by taking the guidelines and policies into the accont published by the Committee on  Publication Ethics (COPE) as an open access.

Ethical Responsibilities of the Authors

The authors who submit a study to the Information World are expected to comply with the following ethical responsibilities.

  • It is expected that the studies submitted by the authors will be original. If authors use or make use of other studies, they must cite and / or cite completely and accurately.
  • People who do not contribute to the content intellectually during the creation of the study, should not be specified as authors.
  • The situations and relationships of all the works submitted for publication that might create a conflict or interest, if any, should be explained.
  • Within the framework of evaluation processes, the authors might be asked for raw data regarding their articles. In such a case, the authors should be ready to present the expected data and information to the Editorial Board and the Scientific Board.
  • Authors must have a document showing that they have the right to use the data used, that they have the necessary permissions for the research or analysis, or that the consent of the experimental subjects has been obtained.
  • Authors have an obligation to cooperate with the editor in informing, correcting or withdrawing the journal editor or publisher if they notice a mistake or mistake about their published work at the early view or evaluation stage.
  • Authors cannot have their work in the application process of more than one journal at the same time. Each application can be started following completion of the previous application. A study published in another journal can not be submitted to Information World.
  • Changing the author responsibilities of a study whose evaluation process has started (such as adding author, changing author order, removing author) cannot be proposed.
  • In documents decided to be published, the author cannot withdraw the article or publish it in another journal.

Ethical Duties and Responsibilities of the Editors

The Chief Editor and the Editorial Board of Information World have the following ethical duties and responsibilities on the basis of COPE Code of  Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and COPE Best  Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) must have:

General Duties and Responsibilities

The Editors are responsible for every publication published in Information World in the context of this responsibility, editors have the following roles and responsibilities.

  • Endeavouring to meet the information needs of readers and authors.
  • Continuing improvement of the Journal
  • Conducting processes to improve the quality of the studies published in the journal
  • Supporting the freedom of tought
  • Ensuring academic integrity
  • Continuing business processes without compromising intellectual property rights and ethical standards.
  • Showing clarity and transparency in terms of publication in matters that require correction and explanation.


Relations with the Reader

Editors should make decisions by considering the knowledge, skills and experience expectations of all readers, researchers and practitioners. They should be careful that the studies published are original and contributing to the scientific studies. In addition, editors are obliged to take the feedback from readers, researchers and practitioners into account and to provide explanatory and an informative feedback.

Relations with the Authors

The duties and responsibilities of the Editors towards authors are as follows:

  • Editors should make positive or negative decisions based on the importance of the work, its original value, validity, clarity of expression and the journal’s goals and objectives.
  • The studies which are suitable for the scope of the publication should be taken into the pre-evaluation stage, unless they have a serious problem.
  • Editors should not ignore positive referee suggestions unless there is a serious problem with the work.
  • New editors should not change the decisions made by the previous editor(s) regarding the work, unless there is a serious problem.
  • “Double-Blind Refereeing and Evaluation Process” must be published and editors must be prevented from any deviations in the defined processes.
  • Editors should publish an “Author’s Guide” detailing every topic expected from them.. These guides should be updated periodically.
  • An explanatory and informative notification and feedback should be provided to the authors.

Relations with Referees

The duties and responsibilities of editors towards referees are as follows:

  • They should determine the referees in accordance with the subject of the study.
  • They are obliged to provide the information and guides that referees will need during the evaluation phase.
  • They have to observe whether there is a conflict of interest between the authors and referees.
  • In the context of blind refereeing, the identity of the referees should be kept confidential.
  • The editors should encourage referees to evaluate the studies in an impartial, scientific or objective language.
  • They should evaluate the referees with criteria such as timely feedback and performance.
  • They should determine practices and policies that increase the performance of referees.
  • They should take the necessary steps to dynamically update the referee pool.
  • They should avoid impolite and unscientific evaluations.
  • They should take steps to ensure that the referee pool is made up of a broad spectrum.

Relations with the Editorial Board

The Chief Editor(s) must ensure that all editorial board members advance the processes in accordance with publication policies and guidelines. The Editorial Board Members should be informed about the publication policies and developments. They should inform the new editorial board members about publication policies and provide the information they need.

In addition, the editors;

  • Should ensure the Editorial Board Members that they evaluate the work impartially and independently.
  • Should determine the new Editorial Board Members appropriately and functionally.
  • Should send the works appropriate to the specialization of the members for evaluation to the Editorial Board.
  • Should be in a regular interaction with the Editorial Board.
  • Should organize meetings with the Editorial Board at regular intervals for the improvement of publishing policies and the journal.

Relations with the Journal Owner and Publisher

The relationship between editors and publisher is based on the principle of editorial independence. In accordance with the written agreement between the editors and the publisher, all decisions taken by the editors are independent of the publisher and the journal owner.

Editorial and Double-Blind Refereeing Processes

Editors are responsible for implementing “Double-Blind Refereeing and Evaluation Process” policies in the journal publishing policies. In this context, the editors ensure that each work is completed in a fair, impartial and timely evaluation process.

Assurance of Quality

The editors are responsible for publishing every article published in the journal in accordance with the journal’s publication policies, national and international standards.

Protection of Personal Data

The editors are obliged to ensure the protection of personal data regarding the subjects or images in the evaluated studies. Unless the open consent of the individuals used in the studies is documented, they are responsible for refusing to work. In addition, the editors are responsible for protecting the individual data of the author, referee and the readers.

Promotion of Ethical Rules

The editors are obliged to ensure the protection of human and animal rights in the evaluated studies.

Since 2020, TR Index Journal Evaluation criteria have been updated, and the articles related to the ethics committee approval, which should be especially in scientific research, have been detailed (https://trdizin.gov.tr/?page_id=50). In line with these criteria, the Editorial Board is obliged to request the ethics committee approval statement from the author(s). The Editorial Board is responsible for refusing to work if there is no permission of international evaluation board, or ethics committee approval for the subjects used in the studies.

Prevention Against Possible Abuse and Misconduct

Editors are obliged to take precautions against possible abuse and misconduct. In addition to conducting a meticulous and objective investigation in determining and evaluating complaints regarding this situation, it is among the editor's responsibilities to share the findings on the subject.

 
Ensuring Academic Publication Integrity

Editors should ensure that any errors, inconsistencies, or misleading judgments in the work are quickly corrected.

Protection of Intellectual Property Rights

Editors are obliged to protect the intellectual property rights of all published articles and to defend the rights of the journal and the authors in possible violations. In addition, editors are obliged to take the necessary measures to ensure that the content in all published articles does not violate the intellectual property rights of other publications. See. Plagiarism Control

Constructiveness and Openness to Discussion

Editors;

  • Should take the persuasive criticism of the works published in the journal into account and display a constructive attitude towards these criticisms.
  • Should give the authors of criticized studies the right to reply.
  • Should not ignore or ostracize studies with negative results.

Complaints

Editors; are responsible for responding in an enlightening and descriptive manner by carefully examining the complaints from authors, referees or readers.

Political and Business Concerns

Journal owner, publisher, and any other political or commercial aspect does not affect the independent decision-making of the editors.

Conflicts of Interest

Editors guarantee the completion of the publication process of the articles / works in an independent and impartial manner, taking the conflicts of interest between authors, referees and other editors into account.

Ethical Responsibilities of the Referees

The evaluation of all studies by "Double Blind Refereeing" directly affects the quality of the publication. This process provides confidence through objective and independent evaluation of the publication. Information World evaluation process is carried out with the principle of double-blind refereeing. Referees cannot contact the authors directly, evaluations and comments are submitted through the Journal Management System. In this process, referee comments on evaluation forms and full texts are forwarded to the authors via the editor. In this context, it is expected that the referees evaluating a study for Information World have the following ethical responsibilities:

  • They should accept only the works related to the field of expertise for evaluation.
  • They should evaluate in impartiality and confidentiality.
  • If he / she thinks that he / she faces a conflict of interest during the evaluation process, he / she should refuse to examine the study and inform the editor of the journal.
  • Due to the confidentiality principle, they should destroy the studies they examine after the evaluation process. They can only use the final versions of the studies they have reviewed, after they are published.
  • They should make the assessment objectively only in relation to the content of the study. It should not allow nationality, gender, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and business concerns to influence the assessment.
  • The assessment should be made in a constructive and courteous language. He should not make derogatory personal comments that contain hostility, slander and insult.
  • They must perform the work they have accepted to evaluate, in a timely manner and with the ethical responsibilities given above.

Ethical Responsibilities of the Publisher

URLA, the publisher of Information World is a non-profit non-governmental organization working for the public good. In accordance with its founding philosophy, URLA publishes Information World journal in order to publicize information at international standards in the field of librarianship and information science. In this context, URLA and the Board of Directors act with the awareness of the following ethical responsibilities regarding Information World journal:

  • Editors are responsible for all processes of the work submitted to Information World. In this context, editors are the decision makers, regardless of economic or political gains.
  • The editors are assured to making independent decisions.
  • He / She protects the property and copyright of every article published in the Information World and undertakes the obligation to keep the records of every published copy.
  • He / She takes responsibility of all kinds of scientific misconduct, citation fraud and plagiarism related to editors.

If You Run into an Unethical Situation

If you encounter any unethical behavior or content in Information World other than the ethical responsibilities mentioned above, please report it to [email protected] via e-mail.