Submissions

Author Guidelines

USBİLİM Journal of Social Sciences — Author Guidelines

Detailed and up-to-date manuscript preparation guidelines: https://usbilimdergisi.org/yazim-kurallari/

1. Originality and scope

The manuscript must not have been previously published in full or be under simultaneous consideration by another publication. Original research articles, scholarly reviews, thesis summaries, and articles developed from conference presentations previously published only in abstract form must fall within the journal’s aims and scope.

2. File format and text layout

Manuscripts must be prepared in DOCX format using the journal’s Word template. The main text must use 11-point Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing, and justified alignment. Use A4 paper with margins of 2.5 cm on all sides. Set paragraph spacing to 6 pt before and after each paragraph; do not indent the first line or manually insert blank lines between paragraphs. Manuscripts must contain 5,000–8,500 words, including tables and figures but excluding references. An extended abstract must be prepared in addition to the main text.

3. Title, abstract, and keywords

Manuscripts written in Turkish must include titles, abstracts, and keywords in both Turkish and English. For manuscripts written in English, an English title, abstract, and keywords are sufficient. Each short abstract must not exceed 200 words and must use 10-point Times New Roman. Include three to five keywords and one to three JEL codes appropriate to the study. An English extended abstract of 850–1,000 words is required regardless of the manuscript’s language.

4. Citations, references, tables, and figures

In-text citations and references must follow APA 7 style. The reference list must use 11-point Times New Roman, single line spacing, and a hanging indent of 1.5 cm. Authors must verify the authenticity and bibliographic accuracy of all references. Text within tables must use 9-point font, and table titles must use 11-point font. Table titles must appear above tables, and figure captions below figures. Further details are provided in the current manuscript preparation guidelines.

5. Double-blind peer review

Remove author names, affiliations, ORCID identifiers, email addresses, and any other identifying information from the main manuscript file. Document properties and comments must also be anonymized. The title page and declarations containing identifying information must be submitted as separate files.

6. Preparing and uploading submission files

Upload the following documents as separate files during submission:

• Anonymous manuscript (.docx): Prepare the manuscript using the journal’s Word template. This file must not contain author names, affiliations, email addresses, ORCID identifiers, or statements that could reveal the authors’ identities. Remove author information from the Word document’s properties, delete comments, and resolve tracked changes so that no revision history remains visible. Retain the ethical and methodological information necessary to assess the research without revealing the authors’ identities.

• Title page (.docx): Provide the manuscript title or titles, all authors’ names, academic titles, affiliations, ORCID identifiers, and the corresponding author’s contact details. Include special disclosures, such as derivation from a thesis, presentation at a scholarly event, or project funding, in a footnote attached to the title.

• Ethics Declaration Form (.pdf): Complete the sections on ethics committee approval, artificial intelligence use, data access, author contributions, and other declarations. Select the applicable options and upload the form signed by all authors. The declaration concerning the use or non-use of artificial intelligence is included in this form; a separate file is not required.

• Copyright and Publication Permission Declaration (.pdf): Upload the form signed by all authors.

• Author Information and Conflict of Interest Declaration Form (.pdf): Complete the information for all authors, declare whether any conflicts of interest exist, and upload the signed form. If a conflict exists, identify the author concerned and describe the nature of the relationship. Provide funding information in the relevant declaration field.

• Ethics committee approval document, where required (.pdf): For research requiring ethics committee approval, upload the approval document separately. The committee name, approval date, and decision number must match the information provided in the submission documents.

• Current similarity report (.pdf): Upload a similarity report for the current version of the submitted manuscript. The maximum permitted similarity score is 20%. A score below this threshold does not, by itself, establish the absence of plagiarism.

• Suggested reviewers: In a separate file, provide the names, affiliations, areas of expertise, and institutional email addresses of four scholars who hold at least a doctoral degree in a relevant field. Disclose any potential conflicts of interest involving the suggested reviewers. If you cannot suggest reviewers, explain the reason to the editorial office. The selection of reviewers remains at the discretion of the editors.

Signatures and additional pages: All pages of signed documents must be complete and legible. If the available author fields are insufficient, use additional pages bearing the manuscript title.

Confidential review: The title page, author information, signed declarations, and supplementary documents containing identifying information are intended for editorial review and are not shared with peer reviewers. Peer review is conducted using the anonymous manuscript file.

7. Submission and payment

Manuscripts must be submitted through OJS. Submission and peer review are free of charge; no payment or proof of payment is required at submission. The article processing charge applies only to manuscripts accepted for publication and is payable after the acceptance decision has been communicated.

Current fee policy: https://usbilimdergisi.org/makale-islem-ucreti/

Submissions with missing documents or formatting issues may be returned for technical corrections. No author may publish more than one article in the same volume. The journal prepares the final layout; authors do not need to add logos, watermarks, DOIs, or publication details to their manuscript files.