Editorial Policy
ISTANBUL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY DIRECTIVE ON PUBLISHING
PART ONE
Purpose, Scope, Legal Basis, and Definitions
Purpose
ARTICLE 1 - The purpose of this Directive is to regulate the procedures and principles regarding the planning, publication, printing, distribution, and sale of all printed, electronic, or other formats of publications by Istanbul Technical University.
Scope
ARTICLE 2 - This Directive covers textbooks, supplementary textbooks used as course materials in printed, electronic, or other formats belonging to the faculties and units of Istanbul Technical University, research/analysis books not qualified as course materials, scientific and cultural publications, symposium proceedings, and ITU Scientific and Cultural Journals.
Legal Basis
ARTICLE 3 - This Directive has been prepared based on Articles 14 and 48 of the Higher Education Law No. 2547 dated 04/11/1981, as well as the provisions of the "Regulation on University Publications" and the "Regulation on Publications Other Than Textbooks, Mimeographs, and Supplementary Textbooks Used as Course Materials in Universities."
Definitions
ARTICLE 4 - (1) In this Directive, the following terms shall refer to:
a) University: Istanbul Technical University,
b) Rector: The Rector of Istanbul Technical University,
c) Senate: The Senate of Istanbul Technical University,
d) Unit: The Rectorate of Istanbul Technical University and all kinds of academic and administrative units attached to the Rectorate,
e) Publishing Commission: The Publishing Commission of Istanbul Technical University, determined in accordance with the Regulation on University Publications,
f) Publishing Coordinatorship: The unit operating under the University Publishing Commission in accordance with the procedures stipulated in this Directive,
g) Editor: The person in the units attached to the University who ensures the arrangement and preparation for publication of written texts prepared by authors in a specific field, including all kinds of academic publications such as books, journals, etc.,
h) Publication: Textbooks, supplementary textbooks, research-analysis books, edited books, journals, and similar publications published in print or electronically.
PART TWO
Publications
ARTICLE 5 - The works to be published by Istanbul Technical University according to this directive are defined below:
(a) Textbook: An authored or translated work that fully covers the content taught as a course in undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs of the University, prepared in accordance with the application of strategies, methods, and techniques required by the objectives of the course.
(b) Supplementary Textbook: An authored or translated book taught as a course in undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs of the University, covering a part of the course content determined by the relevant boards, suitable for use in the courses within the curricula, mainly aiming to transfer the knowledge available in the relevant literature.
(c) Research-Analysis Book: An original scientific book based on research and analysis, which has been decided by the relevant boards to make significant scientific contributions to its field with the findings it presents.
(d) Edited Book: A book with an editor in which articles by different authors are published, or a proceedings book in which studies presented at scientific events such as congresses, symposia, workshops, panels, etc., organized by University units are published.
(e) Journal: A peer-reviewed scientific periodical published in print or electronically, containing research articles, review articles, and analyses suitable for the academic discipline.
PART THREE
Administrative Organs, Duties, and Powers
Publishing Commission
ARTICLE 6 - The University publishing commission consists of three members to be selected by the University Administrative Board and the Publishing Coordinator, under the chairmanship of a Vice-Rector.
Duties of the Publishing Commission
ARTICLE 7 - (1) The Publishing Commission supervises that all publishing activities are carried out in accordance with the Regulation on University Publications, the provisions of this directive, and the principles determined by the Senate, and fulfills the duties assigned to it by the Regulation on University Publications and this directive. The Publishing Commission makes the final decision in cases where the Publishing Coordinatorship applies to it for the acceptance and rejection of works.
(2) The Publishing Commission evaluates the works that come ready for printing in terms of scientific quality and educational needs, taking into account the evaluation reports of the Publishing Coordinatorship, and decides on whether these works will be published in print or electronically, the printing order, the number of copies, cost and sales prices, and the royalties to be paid to their authors/translators.
(3) The Publishing Commission meets at least twice a year to evaluate the reports of the Publishing Coordinatorship and Journal Editors.
(4) The University Publishing Commission may decide to distribute books whose publication has exceeded five years to students and other interested parties at a discount or free of charge.
Publishing Coordinatorship
ARTICLE 8 - It consists of seven faculty members and a rapporteur, assigned by the Rector upon the recommendation of the Publishing Commission, with at least one member each from the fields of Science, Engineering, Architecture, and Social Sciences, and operates under the Publishing Commission. One of the members is assigned as the Publishing Coordinator by the Rector. The Publishing Coordinator is an ex-officio member of the Publishing Commission.
Duties of the Publishing Coordinatorship
ARTICLE 9 - (1) The Publishing Coordinatorship is responsible for the efficient execution and monitoring of all publishing activities of the University. It evaluates whether the works applying to be published in ITU Press meet the criteria; it has the authority to issue a rejection decision for works that are found not to meet the criteria. In case of an objection to the decision, the work is evaluated by the Publishing Commission and a final decision is made. It carries out the processes excluding peer-reviewed journals. It also fulfills other duties to be assigned to it by the Publishing Commission regarding Article 7.
(2) The Publishing Coordinatorship meets at least once a month to evaluate the applications made.
Editor
ARTICLE 10 - (1) The Editor is the person who ensures the arrangement and preparation for publication of written texts prepared by different authors in a specific field as books, journals, and all kinds of academic publications.
(2) In edited books, all necessary procedures until the printing stage of the work are carried out by the Editor. The responsibility for the edited book belongs to the Editor.
Editor-in-Chief
ARTICLE 11 - (1) Scientific journal editors are referred to as the Editor-in-Chief (Baş Editör).
(2) The Editor-in-Chief is the person who manages the entire publication and peer-review process from the arrival of the submission to the journal until its publication, and is responsible for the quality of the journal's content. The Editor-in-Chief may assign associate editors if needed. The Editor-in-Chief is called "Editor-in-Chief" in journals published in English.
(3) The Editor-in-Chief is assigned by the Publishing Commission from among the teaching staff holding at least a doctoral degree for a term of three years. An Editor-in-Chief whose term expires may be reassigned.
Duties of the Editor-in-Chief
ARTICLE 12 - The duties of the Editor-in-Chief are as follows:
a) To carry out the necessary work to improve the scientific quality of the journal content,
b) To ensure the formation of additional journal boards such as the advisory board and ethics committee according to need, together with the Editorial Board,
c) To conduct the peer-review process in a fair, impartial, and rapid manner,
d) To notify the authors of the evaluation results in accordance with the previously announced periods,
e) To ensure that plagiarized or unlawful (e.g., libel, copyright infringement, etc.) content is not published in the journal,
f) To carry out the necessary work for the journal to be indexed in national and international field and citation indexes,
g) To ensure that all kinds of editorial and publication processes of the journal are carried out in accordance with international academic and ethical standards.
Journal Editorial Board
ARTICLE 13 - The Journal Editorial Board consists of representative members from various disciplines recommended by the Editor-in-Chief and approved by the Publishing Commission. The Journal Editorial Board is called "Editorial Board" in journals published in English.
Duties of the Journal Editorial Board
ARTICLE 14 - The duties of the Journal Editorial Board are as follows:
a) To form the reviewer pool by selecting scientists from various sub-disciplines who have made a name for themselves nationally and internationally, and to keep this pool up to date,
b) To ensure that the articles submitted to the journal comply with the publication principles of the journal and to decide whether they are within the scope of interest of the journal,
c) To support the Editor-in-Chief in all publication and peer-review processes of the journal.
PART FOUR
Principles Regarding Textbooks, Supplementary Textbooks, and Research Books
Application and Evaluation
ARTICLE 15 - (1) Authors send their publication drafts prepared in a computer environment to the Publishing Coordinatorship. The Publication Proposal Form (ANNEX-1) must be attached to the documents to be sent.
(2) The Publishing Coordinatorship conducts a preliminary review of the publication in terms of format and content, and decides whether it complies with the publication principles of Istanbul Technical University. In this process, if necessary, it consults with Teaching Assistants who are experts in the relevant field within the University. As a result of the preliminary review, publications other than proceedings books are sent to three faculty members who are experts in their fields to obtain referee opinions. In case of necessity, opinions may also be requested from the sector outside the faculty members. If the positive referee reports constitute the majority, the publication of the work is recommended.
(3) The Publishing Coordinatorship sends its recommendations regarding the acceptance of publications in print or electronically and other matters contained in Article 7 in the form of a report to the Publishing Commission.
(4) The Publishing Coordinatorship may request the publication to go through an additional editorial process in terms of language and layout if it deems necessary.
(5) The author(s) of the work accepted for printing transfer the publication rights to the University by signing the "İTÜ Yayınevi - Telif Hakkı Devir Formu" or "ITU Press - Copyright Assignment Form" (ANNEX-2, ANNEX-3).
(6) For translated publications, the translator must obtain written copyright transfer forms from the author or the person/institution holding the publication right. If it is requested that the translation and royalty fees be paid from the University budget, this request is resolved by the University Administrative Board upon the recommendation of the Publishing Commission.
(7) For edited books, it is mandatory for the Editor to obtain signed copyright transfer forms from the chapter/proceedings authors of the book.
Principles of Publication Acceptance
ARTICLE 16 - (1) The works are required to be prepared in a computer typing environment in accordance with the principles determined by the Publishing Commission and delivered ready for printing. Visual materials used in the work are prepared to have the technical specifications determined by the Publishing Commission.
(2) The corrections requested by the printing house during the printing period are fulfilled by the author within the period determined by the Publishing Coordinatorship.
(3) In the event that unlawfulness in terms of scientific, ethical, or University legal entity arises in the printed work, immediate collection and destruction of the printed or electronic product shall be pursued. In such a case, the author/authors or Editor of the work are responsible for any material and moral loss that the University may encounter.
(4) Authors who wish to withdraw or change their publication apply to the University Publishing Coordinatorship by stating their justification.
(5) Competent experts are consulted for the examination of works written in alphabets other than the Latin alphabet, in old script, or in foreign languages other than commonly used foreign languages.
(6) The Senate may take a decision to publish the works in open access.
Copyrights
ARTICLE 17 - (1) Procedures regarding copyrights are carried out according to the provisions of the "Regulation on University Publications."
PART FIVE
Principles Regarding Scientific Journal Publications
Peer-Review Process
ARTICLE 18 - (1) The peer-review process is carried out as follows:
a) It is essential that the peer-review process is carried out in accordance with international ethical standards.
b) The Editor-in-Chief and the Journal Editorial Board conduct a preliminary review of the paper in terms of format and content, and decide whether it complies with the journal publication principles. Papers that do not meet sufficient standards textually or do not comply with the journal publication principles are returned to the author for correction.
c) As a result of the initial evaluation, it is decided to publish the paper found sufficient within the framework of referee reports, to request corrections, or to reject the paper, and the author is notified of the situation as soon as possible. In the event that one of the referee reports is acceptance and the other is rejection, a third referee may be assigned for the article, or the editorial board and editorship reserve the right to make the final decision on this matter without deeming it necessary to assign a referee again.
d) During the peer-review process, the names of authors and referees are kept confidential.
Publication Principles Regarding Journals
ARTICLE 19 - The publication principles regarding journals are as follows:
(1) All processes of journals published electronically under the name of Istanbul Technical University (article submission, peer-review processes, online author approvals, etc.) are carried out through the institutional e-archive of Istanbul Technical University or another system determined by the University in such a way that the relevant units and persons can obtain information and follow up at any time.
(2) Papers submitted to the journal must not have been published elsewhere or sent to be published. If the papers are accepted for publication, Istanbul Technical University owns all publication rights; they cannot be published elsewhere without the permission of Istanbul Technical University. In case of citation from published papers, it is mandatory to specify the source.
(3) Papers submitted to the journal must be prepared in accordance with scientific ethics rules. In this regard, compliance with the Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive (See https://www.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Kurumsal/mevzuat/bilimsel-arastirma-ve-etikyonetmeligi.aspx) is required. Furthermore, an understanding open to developments in the field of scientific ethics is adopted, based on but not limited to the guidelines of the ITU Social and Human Sciences Human Experiments Committee (SB-INAREK), Health and Engineering Sciences Human Experiments Committee (SM-INAREK), and the internationally recognized Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
(4) There are no submission and page fees for Istanbul Technical University journals.
(5) The Journal Editorial Board, taking into account the article density to be published in the relevant issue, has the right to publish an article whose peer review has resulted positively in subsequent issues of the journal.
(6) Authors are obliged to report their titles, the institutions they work for, correspondence addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. City and country information must also be included after the University and faculty addresses. Authors must also submit the scientific researcher and contributor number (ORCID information) they will obtain via the address https://orcid.org/register.
(7) Authors are responsible for acting in accordance with the writing rules (word count, font, paragraph spacing, showing references in text and as a list at the end of the text) explained in the "Writing Rules" section during the preparation process of the articles.
(8) If the publications are not written in the Latin alphabet, at least the abstract, summary, and extended abstracts deemed appropriate are given in Turkish and / or English together with their bibliographic entry (article title, keywords), and a bibliography written in the Latin alphabet is also included in such papers.
(9) Publications are published regularly according to the announced journal release periods and transmitted to the relevant places in time to be indexed in databases.
(10) Journals are issued at least twice a year. In the event that the journal is not published within the year, the Editor-in-Chief transmits the justification for the non-publication of the journal to the University Publishing Commission with a report.
Copyrights
ARTICLE 20 - (1) Procedures regarding copyrights are carried out according to the provisions of the "Regulation on Publications Other Than Textbooks, Mimeographs, and Supplementary Textbooks Used as Course Materials in Universities."
PART SIX
Miscellaneous and Final Provisions
ARTICLE 21 - (1) "Istanbul Technical University Publications" cannot be written on textbooks that are not published in accordance with the rules of this directive.
(2) Teaching staff cannot print and reproduce books and all kinds of materials to be recommended as course materials in our University on their own account.
Responsibility
ARTICLE 22 - (1) The legal and criminal responsibility for all kinds of publications organized under this Directive belongs to the author. (2) The scientific and linguistic responsibility for the works to be published belongs to the authors.
ARTICLE 23 - In cases where there is no provision in this Directive, the provisions of other relevant legislation shall apply.