EDITORIAL POLICIES
Editorial Policies

 

• Turkish Neurological Society adheres to internationally recognized guidelines and recommendations provided by esteemed organizations such as the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), the European Association of Science Editors (EASE), and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in all aspects of its publication processes.
• In its capacity as the publisher of the Turkish Journal of Neurology, the Turkish Neurological Society is dedicated to the dissemination of high-quality clinical, experimental, and basic science studies to both national and international audiences.
• Turkish Journal of Neurology, a publication of the Turkish Neurological Society, adopts the open-access publication policy.

Editorial Independence
Turkish Neurological Society maintains the highest standards of editorial independence to ensure the integrity of content published in the Turkish Journal of Neurology. Our principles safeguard against undue influence, bias, or commercial interests in all aspects of publication.

• Open and Free Access: The Society operates on a fee-free publication model, enabling authors to contribute without financial burden. Readers enjoy unrestricted access to all content, fostering the dissemination of valuable research.

• CC-BY-NC-ND License: To facilitate responsible dissemination, the journal employs the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY NC ND) license.

• Editorial Decision-Making: Editorial decisions are impartial, rooted in the scientific merit, significance, and quality of submissions. Decisions are uninfluenced by external factors, ensuring fairness. The editors of the Turkish Neurological Society assess manuscripts based on their intellectual merit, without consideration of the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic background, citizenship, or political ideology.

• Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Editorial participants disclose potential conflicts, managed transparently to maintain independence.

• Peer Review Excellence: Rigorous peer review ensures scientific validity, originality, and contribution to the field. Authors receive constructive feedback.

• Discipline-Specific Considerations: Diversity across disciplines is respected, accommodating varying expectations.

• Collaborative Reuse: Stakeholders collaborate responsibly in data sharing and use.

• Recognition of Value Addition: Significant data enhancers are acknowledged.

Turkish Neurological Society upholds editorial independence and promotes accessible, quality research. Fairness, transparency, and integrity define our commitment to advancing scientific knowledge.

Research Data
Research data should ideally be made accessible to all researchers without charge whenever possible and with minimal limitations on reuse.

• Researchers should retain control over how and when their research data is accessed and employed, and should be acknowledged and appreciated for their investments in generating and sharing their research data.
• It's crucial to acknowledge that expectations and practices related to research data may differ among disciplines, and it's important to consider discipline-specific requirements.
• Facilitating effective reuse of research data is a shared objective, and all stakeholders should collaborate to pursue this goal collectively, fostering efficiencies and avoiding unnecessary duplication of efforts.
• Platforms, publications, tools, and curation services can enhance the discoverability, utility, reusability, and citation of research data.
• When others contribute value to or incur significant costs in enhancing research data to enable its reuse, these contributions should be duly recognized and appreciated, in alignment with the principles of the CC-BY-NC-ND license.

Copyright

• Authors who publish with the Turkish Neurological Society retain all property rights, excluding copyright. This includes patient rights and the freedom to utilize all or portions of their work in future projects without any associated fees, as well as the ability to produce complimentary copies for personal use.

Open-Access Licence

• Turkish Neurological Society publishes under a CC-BY-NC-ND open-access license.

Preprint Policy

• Turkish Neurological Society welcomes the evaluation of manuscripts derived from material previously submitted to a preprint server. However, authors are required to declare in their cover letter that their work has been submitted to a preprint server at the time of submission, and they must provide the preprint DOI link in the same letter. In return, the preprint should acknowledge the submission to our journal by mentioning the journal's title and submission date. It's important to note that any changes made to the manuscript during the peer-review and revision process should not be reflected in the preprint version.
• Upon acceptance for publication in TJN, authors are expected to update their preprints by changing the status to 'accepted in TJN' and by updating the DOI and URL links to match those of the published version of the article.

Clinical Trial Policy

• All clinical trials, which are any research projects that prospectively assign individuals or a group of people to an intervention, with or without concurrent comparison or control groups, in order to study the relationship between a health-related intervention and a health outcome, must be registered in a public trials registry acceptable to the International Committee of Medical Journals Editors (ICMJE). Authors of randomized controlled trials must adhere to the CONSORT guidelines, and provide both a CONSORT checklist (for protocols, see the SPIRIT guidance) and flow diagram. We require that you choose the MS Word template at www.consort-statement.org for the flow chart and cite/upload it in the manuscript as a figure. In addition, submitted manuscripts must include the unique registration number in the Abstract as evidence of registration. For more detailed instructions regarding clinical trials, please refer to this guideline.

You can register for clinical trials by visiting the following link:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/

To register the relevant record in the system and learn more about the protocol to be followed, please review the link below:
https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/manage-recs/how-register

The other registries are accepted by ICJME:
www.anzctr.org.au
www.ISRCTN.org
www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index/htm
www.onderzoekmetmensen.nl/en
https://eudract.ema.europa.eu/

Corrections

Occasionally, errors in published papers may come to light, necessitating the publication of a correction in the form of a corrigendum or erratum. Since articles are accessible and citable as soon as they are published, any subsequent alterations have the potential to affect those who have read and cited the initial version.

Article Retraction

• Violations of professional ethical codes, such as submitting the same work to multiple journals, making false claims of authorship, plagiarism, or the fraudulent use of data, can occur. Retractions are sometimes employed to rectify errors in the submission or publication process. The practice of authors or editors retracting an article, often with guidance from the academic community, has been an occasional occurrence in scholarly circles for some time.

Article Withdrawal

• Authors submitting manuscripts to the Turkish Journal of Neurology may request withdrawal under certain circumstances. These include the discovery of errors or inaccuracies post-submission, unreasonably long review delays, concerns about journal credibility, or accidental duplicate submissions. Authors must initiate withdrawal by formally notifying the editorial office via email, specifying the reason for withdrawal. The editorial team will assess the request and, upon approval, provide written acknowledgment. It is crucial to adhere to ethical publication practices by completing the withdrawal process with the Turkish Journal of Neurology before submitting it elsewhere. We discourage unethical withdrawals for potential journal benefits and encourage authors to prioritize research merit and alignment with the journal's scope.

Article Refusal

• Turkish Journal of Neurology has established clear guidelines for manuscript refusal to maintain the quality and integrity of our publication process. Manuscripts may be refused for reasons such as misalignment with our journal's scope, substandard quality, ethical violations, prior publication, or failure to adhere to submission guidelines. Our refusal process involves an initial assessment, peer review, or a final editorial decision, with authors promptly notified of the outcome. Appeals are considered when authors provide compelling evidence addressing the reasons for refusal. We encourage authors to submit their best work in accordance with our guidelines, ensuring transparency and adherence to ethical standards.

Article Replacement

• In situations where an article, if acted upon, could potentially present a significant health risk, the authors of the original article may decide to retract the flawed original and replace it with a corrected version. In such cases, the standard retraction procedures will be followed, with the exception that the retraction notice in the database will include a link to the corrected and republished article, along with a record of the document's history.

Expressions of Concern

• If significant concerns arise regarding the honesty or integrity of a submitted or published article, it is the publisher's duty to ensure that the matter is appropriately handled, typically by involving the authors' affiliated institution. Once a decision is reached by the sponsoring institution, the publisher will be promptly informed. If it is determined that a fraudulent paper was indeed published, a retraction will be issued. Alternatively, at the discretion of the Editor in Chief, an expression of concern may be published regarding certain aspects of the work's conduct or integrity.

 

Appeals and Complaints Procedure:

This procedure pertains to appeals against editorial decisions, complaints about procedural lapses (e.g., extended processing times), and grievances related to publication ethics for the Turkish Journal of Neurology. The initial point of contact for such matters is the Editor-in-Chief overseeing the journal and/or the Editor responsible for the paper. If any of these individuals are implicated in the complaint, the Turkish Neurological Society should be approached.

• Scientific Content Complaint (e.g., appeal against rejection):

-The Editor-in-Chief or Handling Editor reviews the complaint.
-They assess the rejection decision, consider the need for additional opinions, or decide if the appeal is valid.
-The complainant is informed of the decision, with an explanation if necessary.
-Decisions on appeals are final, as new submissions are prioritized over appeals.

• Process Complaint (e.g., review duration):

 

-The Editor-in-Chief, sometimes with the Handling Editor, investigates the concern.
-The complainant receives feedback.
-Relevant individuals are informed to improve processes.

• Publication Ethics Complaint (e.g., misconduct):

 

-The Editor-in-Chief or Handling Editor follows guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics.
-For complex cases, advice may be sought from the Turkish Neurological Society.
-A definitive action is taken, and feedback is given to the complainant.

AI Policies
Turkish Neurological Society adheres to the WAME guidelines concerning ChatGPT and Chatbots in the context of scientific publications:

• Chatbots are not eligible to be listed as authors.
• Authors are expected to maintain transparency when employing chatbots and should furnish details on their usage.
• Authors bear responsibility for the tasks undertaken by a chatbot in their paper, including ensuring accuracy, avoiding plagiarism, and providing proper attribution for all sources, including content generated by the chatbot.

Digital Archiving and Preservation Policy
Digital preservation is a set of processes and activities that ensure the retrieval and distribution of information now available in digital formats to guarantee long-term, perpetual access. The preservation policy includes the following measures:

• Website Archiving

 

All of the electronic content (website, manuscript, etc.) is stored in three different sources. Content on a server is online and accessible to readers. A copy of the same content is preserved as a backup on other servers. Should a server fail, other resources can be brought online, and the website is expected to be available in 24-36 hours.

• Abstracting/Indexing Services

 

Turkish Journal of Neurology’s Abstracting/Indexing services store essential information about articles. In addition, some of our journals' Abstracting/Indexing services archive metadata about the article and electronic versions of the articles. In this way, copies of articles are presented to the scientific community through these systems as an alternative to journals.

• Author Self-Archiving Policy

 

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their articles on personal and institutional websites after publication (while providing full bibliographic details and a link to the original publication).
Written permission from the publisher is required for commercial use of the content.

Recommendations

• Turkish Neurological Society has embraced the guidelines outlined in the ICMJE's "Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals." and DOAJ’s “Transparency & Best Practice”.
• As the Turkish Neurological Society, we recognize the significance of these recommendations. Consequently, we ensure that all our editors, authors, and reviewers are informed about and adhere to the guidelines provided in this document throughout the publication process.

 

PEER REVIEW POLICY

Peer-Review Policy

• Turkish Journal of Neurology is an independent, non-biased, periodical publication that adheres to the double-blind peer review process.
• Manuscripts submitted to the Turkish Journal of Neurology, the sole publication of the Turkish Neurological Society, undergo a thorough evaluation based on impartial and objective peer-review principles. The dedicated team of expert reviewers assesses each submission with the utmost rigor, ensuring the quality and integrity of the scientific content.
• A rigorous peer-review process is maintained, which includes an in-depth analysis of the manuscript's methodology, scientific validity, originality, and overall contribution to the field of neurology.
• The commitment to impartiality and objectivity in the peer-review process is a cornerstone of publication ethics. This diligent evaluation process is believed to contribute significantly to the excellence and credibility of the research published.
• Authors can expect to receive constructive feedback from the reviewers, aimed at enhancing the clarity and impact of their work. This iterative process ultimately results in the publication of high-quality research in the Turkish Journal of Neurology.
• Dates when the manuscript was received and accepted are stated in the issue the manuscript is published.
• The Editor-in-Chief and associate editors have the right to reject, return manuscripts for revision, or revise the format of manuscripts that do not comply with publication rules.
• Turkish Journal of Neurology must be informed about manuscripts that are requested to be withdrawn, along with the justifications. The decision is made in accordance with the editorial policies.

FINANCIAL POLICIES
Financial and Advertising Policies

• Turkish Journal of Neurology is funded through the resources of the Turkish Neurological Society.
• No fee is charged from the authors during the submission, evaluation and publication process.
• Turkish Neurological Society does not impose any fees on readers.
• Turkish Neurological Society does not allow advertisements in its journal.

ETHICAL POLICIES
Publication Ethics

1. Duties of Publisher

• Handling of Unethical Publishing Behavior

Turkish Neurological Society will take all appropriate measures to modify the article in question, in close cooperation with the editors, in cases of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism. This includes the prompt publication of an erratum, disclosure, or retraction of the affected work in the most severe case. Together with the editors, the publisher will take reasonable steps to detect and prevent the publication of articles in which research misconduct occurs and will under no circumstances promote or knowingly allow such abuse to occur.

Editorial Autonomy

Turkish Journal of Neurology is committed to ensuring the autonomy of editorial decisions without influence from commercial partners.

Intellectual Property and Copyright

Turkish Journal of Neurology protects the property and copyright of the articles published in the journal and maintains each article's published version of the record. The journal provides the integrity and transparency of each published article.

Scientific Misconduct

Turkish Neurological Society takes all appropriate measures regarding fraudulent publication or plagiarism.

2. Duties of Editors

 

• Decision on Publication and Responsibility

The editor of the journal strives to meet the needs of readers and authors, and to provide a fair and appropriate peer-review process. The editor is also responsible for deciding which articles submitted to the journal should be published and guided by the policies subjected to legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editor might discuss such policies, procedures, and responsibilities with reviewers while making publication decisions. The editor is responsible for the contents and overall quality of the publication.

Objectivity

Articles that are submitted to the Turkish Journal of Neurology are always evaluated without any prejudice.

Confidentiality

The editor must not disclose any information about a submitted article to anyone other than editorial staff, reviewers, and publisher.

Conflicts of Interest and Disclosure

Turkish Journal of Neurology does not allow any conflicts of interest among authors, reviewers, and editors. Unpublished materials in a submitted article must not be used by anyone without the express written assent of the author.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

Authors are obliged to notify the journal's editors or publisher immediately and to cooperate with them to correct or retract the article if significant errors or inaccuracies are detected in the published work. If the editors or publisher learn from a third party that a published work contains a material error or inaccuracy, the authors must promptly correct or retract the article or provide the journal editors with evidence of the accuracy of the article.

3. Duties of Reviewers

Evaluation

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts without regard for the origin, gender, sexual orientation, or political philosophy of the authors. Reviewers also ensure a fair, blind peer review of the submitted manuscripts for evaluation.

Confidentiality

All the information relative to submitted articles is kept confidential. The reviewers must not be discussed with others except if authorized by the editor.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

The reviewers have no conflicts of interest among authors, funders, editors, etc.

Contribution to editor

Reviewers help the editor make publishing decisions and may also assist the author in improving the manuscript.

Objectivity

Reviewers offer objective judgments and evaluations. The reviewers express their views clearly with appropriate supporting arguments.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers ought to identify a relevant published study that the authors have not cited. Reviewers also call to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.

4. Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards

A submitted manuscript should be original, and the authors ensure that the manuscript has never been published previously. Research data should be represented literally in the article. A manuscript should include adequate detail and references to allow others to replicate the study.

Originality

Authors must ensure that their study is entirely original. References to the literature should be appropriately cited.

Multiple Publications

Authors should not submit the same study to multiple journals. Simultaneous submission of the same study to more than one journal is unacceptable and constitutes unethical behavior.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Acknowledgment to the work of others must be given. Authors should cite publications of relevance to their own study.  All of the sources for the author’s study should be noted.

• Authorship of a Paper

Authorship of a paper ought to be limited to those who have made a noteworthy contribution to the study. If others have participated in the research, they should be listed as contributors. Authorship also includes a corresponding author who is in communication with the editor of a journal. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included in a paper.

Research Ethics Policies

• At the Turkish Neurological Society, we hold the ethical treatment of animals and the protection of human participants in research studies with utmost importance. We strive to provide a platform for research that adheres to ethical principles hereinbelow, ensuring the welfare of animals used in research and the protection of human participants' rights and well-being. We are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in all submissions involving animal research and studies involving human participants, data, or biological material. When submitting your manuscript to the Turkish Journal of Neurology, please ensure that you include the Ethic Committee approval document. In the 'Material and Method' section of your manuscript, make sure to clearly indicate the following:

• • Ethics Committee Approval: State that you have obtained approval from the Ethics Committee.
  • Adherence to International Guidelines: Mention that your study adheres to relevant international guidelines.
  • Patient Informed Consent: Confirm that you have obtained informed consent from the patients involved in the study.

These requirements apply particularly to case reports where the data or media used could potentially reveal the identity of the patient. Please ensure that these details are included when you submit your manuscript.

Human Participant Study Ethical Standards:

For studies involving human participants, data, or biological material, authors must confirm that their study was approved by the appropriate institutional and/or national research ethics committee. This confirmation should include the name of the ethics committee that granted approval or exemption. Authors must also certify that their study was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards set forth in the Declaration of Helsinki and its subsequent amendments or comparable ethical standards.
In cases where doubt exists about the study's adherence to the Declaration of Helsinki or comparable standards, authors are required to provide a clear explanation for their approach. Authors must demonstrate that any aspects of the study that are doubtful in their ethical alignment were explicitly approved by an independent ethics committee or institutional review board. Additionally, authors must respect participants' right to privacy.

Animal Research Ethical Standards:

Authors submitting manuscripts involving animal research must provide detailed information on the ethical treatment of animals. They should follow the Basel Declaration and ICLAS guidelines to ensure animal welfare and scientific integrity. Adherence to the ARRIVE checklist is essential, covering housing, care, handling, and procedures performed on animals. Authors should explicitly state compliance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and consider the AVMA Guidelines for anesthesia and euthanasia.

• We disapprove of such unethical practices as plagiarism, fabrication, duplication, and salamization, as well as efforts to influence the review process with such practices as gifting authorship, inappropriate acknowledgments, and references. In case of suspicion, the authors will be asked for additional explanation. Further actions will be made according to COPE Flowcharts.
• Plagiarism is a grave concern and one of the most prevalent ethical issues in the field of medical writing. Turkish Neurological Society strictly prohibits any form of plagiarism. In alignment with our publication policy, all submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using specialized software, such as iThenticate and others. Submissions with high similarity scores may face rejection both prior to and following acceptance.

Informed Consent Policy

• All research involving human participants requires their informed consent to participate. This consent should be obtained from participants or their legal guardians in the case of underage children. The manuscript should clearly state that informed consent was obtained. Studies involving vulnerable groups or situations where full consent might be challenging will be carefully reviewed. Consent is necessary for all personally identifiable data types.

Conflict of Interest

• Conditions that provide financial or personal gain create a conflict of interest. This situation is directly related to the objective handling of conflicts of interest during the scientific process and the planning, implementation, writing, evaluation, editing, and publication of scientific studies.

• All contributing authors are required to declare any conflicts of interest related to themselves, their institutions, or any financial or material support they may have received, when submitting their manuscript by completing and sending ICMJE Disclosure of Interest Form. These declarations will be publicly disclosed in the Conflict of Interest section at the end of each manuscript.
• Editors are also obligated to disclose any potential conflicts of interest between themselves and the authors or their affiliated institutions.
• The evaluation is double-blinded, meaning no one, except the Editor-in-Chief, knows the authors' identities or affiliations to prevent conflicts of interest.
• Turkish Journal of Neurology’s editorial team comprises experts in their respective fields, and they are vigilant in preventing conflicts of interest. However, in the event that a conflict of interest arises, the Editor-in-Chief will follow the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to address and resolve the matter appropriately.