1. GENERAL POLICIES

1.1. Purpose of the Journal

The SQAE is an international peer-reviewed journal. The journal aims to increase the quality of education worldwide and in Turkey, the number of scientific studies conducted for this purpose, and their widespread impact.

1.2. Focus and Scope

In line with the aforementioned purposes, the SQAE focuses on the following:

• Quality and accreditation in education, especially in higher education,
• Quality and accreditation in teacher training,
• Theories and practices in quality and accreditation,
• Stakeholder views on quality and accreditation,
• Problems and solutions for quality and accreditation.

In addition, studies on the following topics are also within the scope of the SQAE:

• Studies that examine basic problems and practices at all levels of education from a quality perspective and aim to improve them,
• Studies aimed at improving the competencies and professional development of active faculty members, teachers, and other professionals,
• Quality, accreditation, and continuous improvement-oriented, meta-analysis, content analysis, and profile analyses and studies carried out with large research groups or samples,
• Studies aiming to identify and improve the perspectives and suggestions of students receiving education services regarding quality and accreditation,
• Studies targeting the integration of technology into quality and accreditation processes.

1.3. Publication Frequency

The SQAE is published twice a year, in June and December. The SQAE may publish occasional special issues. Announcements of special issues are made at least six months in advance. The topics to be addressed in the special issues are determined by the Editorial Board, taking into account current debates and developments, in such a way as to create a dossier topic and guide relevant policies.

1.4. Publication Language

All regular and special issues of the journal are published in both Turkish and English. The candidate manuscript can be submitted in Turkish or English for the evaluation process. The submitted manuscript should be written in simple and clear language in accordance with the grammatical rules of the language in which it is submitted and should follow the rules for scientific reporting.

After the candidate manuscript is accepted, the manuscript should then be submitted in both languages. The full text in both Turkish and English is checked by language editors. If the language editors deem the language of the candidate manuscript inadequate, redaction may be requested. For a candidate manuscript for which English language redaction is requested, services can be obtained from the accredited language organizations recommended below. Proof of redaction must be submitted to the Editorial Board. Candidate manuscripts that are not redacted and/or where this is not documented are not accepted for publication.

• Elsevier Language Service: http://webshop.elsevier.com/languageservices/
• Editage: http://www.editage.com/
• Enago: http://www.enago.com/

1.5. Open Access Policy

The SQAE has adopted an open-access policy. Open access has beneficial consequences for humanity by increasing the global exchange of information. The SQAE also supports the Budapest Open Access Initiative (https://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read/turkish-translation/) adopted on September 12, 2012. In this regard, the open-access policies adopted by the SQAE Editorial Board are available at http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/boai-10-translations/turkish-translation.

All manuscripts published in the SQAE are licensed under a Creative Commons Citation 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.tr). This license grants you the right to reproduce, share, and disseminate all published articles, data sets, graphs, and appendices in data mining applications, search engines, websites, blogs, and all other platforms, providing the source is cited. Open access is an approach that facilitates interdisciplinary interaction and encourages different disciplines to collaborate. In this regard, the SQAE provides added value to its field by providing more access to its manuscripts and a more transparent evaluation process. 

As part of the open access policy, the SQAE recommends that libraries include the journal content in their library catalog records. The Association for the Evaluation and Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs (https://www.epdad.org.tr), the publisher of the SQAE, pledges not to charge any library or reader a subscription or fee for access to published electronic articles.

Since the SQAE does not charge manuscript processing fees (review fees or publication fees) and does not charge subscription fees for access to articles, there is no source of income. However, the obligations listed below are the responsibility of the authors of the studies submitted to the SQAE:

• The SQAE publishes articles in full text in both Turkish and English. The SQAE does not provide any translation services in this regard but recommends various accredited companies. In line with the recommendations of the field editors or referees, language editing or redaction processes requested by the Editorial Board of the SQAE can be obtained from the specified companies.
• Authors bear financial responsibility for the plagiarism check, layout and typesetting, bibliography, control of references and citations, and editing of all studies accepted for publication as a result of the evaluation process.

1.6. Confidentiality Statement

Personal information such as names and e-mail addresses submitted to the journal management system of the SQAE will only be used for communication with the authors and the execution of scientific processes. This information will not be used for any other purpose or section and will not be shared with third parties.

1.7. Archiving

 All data and full texts of the manuscripts published in the SQAE are stored on a third-party cloud server in an off-access manner. After the completion of the SQAE's Dergipark process, this information and documents will be stored by ULAKBIM servers.

1.8. Indexes

The SQAE will begin publication soon. Index and screening information will be shared in this section.

1.9. Sponsorship and Advertising

As part of its editorial policies, the SQAE does not accept sponsorship and advertising. However, for the purposes of the SQAE, non-profit scientific and educational activities may be announced on the website.

2. PUBLICATION POLICIES

2.1. Author Guidelines

The manuscripts to be submitted to the SQAE should be prepared using the following Manuscript Templates.

Turkish Manuscript Template | English Manuscript Template

Page Layout: A4 Vertical, Margins (Normal) (2.5cm on 4 sides)

The SQAE does not limit the number of pages or words in manuscripts. However, the Editorial Board or the Scientific Committee may state that a study can be shortened without losing its qualities.

Font Family: Palatino Linotype. Main headings should be written in 11 font size, and text should be written in 10 font size.

Each study should consist of the following main headings:

Title

The title of the study should reflect its content and be inclusive. The first letter of each word should be capitalized, except for conjunctions.

Abstract

This should clearly and concisely reflect the purpose, scope, method, results, highlights, and original value of the study. There is no word limit.

Keywords 

A minimum of five and a maximum of seven keywords reflecting the content of the study should be used.

Introduction

The basis of the study topic, summary information about the sections of the study, its equivalent in the scientific literature, the significance of the study, the research problem, and aims should be detailed in the introduction section.

Method

The study type, study group, data collection tools, validity and reliability, data collection techniques, data analysis, limitations, and ethics committee approval, if necessary, should be detailed in the method section.

Findings

The findings obtained in the study should be explained with relevant tables, figures, graphs, or images in a way that supports the purpose and problem of the study and maintains integrity.

Discussion*

To demonstrate the significance of the study, the findings should be discussed with reference to the literature and with author comments.

Conclusion*

The main ideas emerging from the discussions should be explained in the conclusion.

Recommendations*

Recommendations should be made in accordance with the discussion and conclusion of the study. This section should also include recommendations for future studies and practices in the field that will contribute to the literature.

Acknowledgments**

Acknowledgments should be made to individuals or organizations that made a small contribution to the research.

References

References should be prepared in accordance with the APA 7 citation principles. In-text references and citations should be given in accordance with the language of the full text. Turkish citation procedures and principles for Turkish full text and English citation procedures and principles for English full text should be taken into consideration.

The font family should be Palatino Linotype and line spacing should be 3 pt. The indent should be placed under the fourth letter.

Appendices**

Additional tables, figures, graphics, and pictures should be given on a new page after the bibliography. Each annex should be categorized as Annex 1, Annex 2, etc. and each annex should be titled separately.

*The Discussion, Conclusion, and Recommendations can be placed under a single title by the author(s) or can be given separately.

**If Acknowledgments and Appendices are included, these titles should be given as main headings.

Tables and Figures

The title and text of any tables and figures should be written following the structure in the examples in the Template.

Tables and Figures are preceded and followed by 12 pt spaces.

Table headings and text should be written in 10 pt.

The table and its number should be in bold, e.g. Table 1. Table Heading

If the figure is in the form of a graphic and an editable format, the title and internal text should be in 10 pt.

The figure and its number should be in bold, e.g. Figure 1. Figure Heading

If figures include a picture or a non-editable image, they should be transferred in Word at 300 DPI resolution, and the original figure should also be submitted.

EXAMPLES OF REFERENCES

Book

Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2014). Data analysis handbook for social sciences statistics, research design SPSS applications, and interpretation (20th ed.). Pegem Academy Publishing.

Citation: (Büyüköztürk, 2014, p. 194) 194)

In-Book Chapter

Bayır, D. (1997). An overview of USMARC implementation. B. Yılmaz (Ed.). In A gift to the 25th Anniversary of the Department of Librarianship (pp. 199-218). Hacettepe University, Department of Library Science.

Citation: (Bayır, 1997, p. 207)

Translation Book

Lewis, B. (2000). The Birth of Modern Turkey (M. Kıratlı, trans.). Turkish Historical Society Publications.

Citation: Lewis, 2000, p.12

Article

Karakelle, S. (2012). The links between metacognitive awareness, intelligence, problem-solving perception, and need for thinking. Studies on Quality Assurance in Education, 37(164), 237-250. https://doi.org/10.15390/EB.2014.3078

Citation: (Karakelle, 2012, p. 245)

Electronic Article

Karakelle, S. (2012). The links between metacognitive awareness, intelligence, problem-solving perception, and need for thinking. Studies on Quality Assurance in Education, 37(164), 237-250. Retrieved from http://egitimvebilim.ted.org.tr/index.php/EB/article/view/779/376.

Citation: (Karakelle, 2012, p. 240)

Dissertation

Mantar, E. (2003). Continuing education in librarianship: A review on university libraries in Ankara. [Unpublished master's thesis]. Hacettepe University.

Citation: (Mantar, 2003, p. 67)

Proceedings

Çakmak, T. and Körpeoğlu, H. (2012). Web content management within the organizational identity framework: A Study for Hacettepe University Department of Information Management web content management system. In BOBCATSSS 2012 Information in E-motion January 23-25, 2012 (pp. 91-93). Amsterdam: Hogeschool van Amsterdam.

Citation: (Çakmak and Körpeoğlu, 2012, p. 92)

Web page

UNESCO. (2013). World Heritage list. Retrieved from http://whc.unesco.org/en/list.

Citation: (UNESCO, 2013)

2.2. Copyright Transfer

Manuscripts submitted to the SQAE for publication must be original studies that have not been previously published in any form or submitted for publication elsewhere.

Authors must agree to waive the copyright of their studies and transfer their copyright to the Association for the Evaluation and Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs [https://www.epdad.org.tr] upon submission for evaluation. The Editorial Board of the SQAE is authorized to publish the article. However, the following rights of the authors are reserved:

• Patent rights,
• All unregistered rights other than copyright,
• The right to reproduce the study for their own purposes, provided that they do not sell it,
• The right to use all or part of the study in the author's books and other academic studies, provided that the author cites the source,
• The right to make the study available on personal websites or in the open archive of the university, provided that the study is credited.

Authors submitting manuscripts to the SQAE should fill out the Copyright Transfer Form [Link]. The author(s) must sign the completed form with a wet signature. The signed form must be scanned and uploaded through the system. The wet signed form must also be submitted in printed form to the Association for the Evaluation and Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs, Merdivenköy, Mah. Karaman Sok. No: 2 K: 2/5, Kadıköy/İstanbul 34732, TURKEY by mail. Manuscripts of authors who do not submit the Copyright Transfer Form will not be published.

All manuscripts published in the SQAE are licensed under a Creative Commons Citation 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.tr). This license grants the SQAE the right to reproduce, share, and disseminate all published articles, data sets, graphs, and appendices in data mining applications, search engines, websites, blogs, and all other platforms, providing the source is cited. Open access is an approach that facilitates interdisciplinary interaction and encourages different disciplines to collaborate. In this regard, the SQAE provides added value to its field by providing more access to its manuscripts and a more transparent evaluation process.

2.3. Ethics Committee Approval

In social sciences, the Ethics Committee is a committee that evaluates research proposals submitted in order to protect the rights of human participants before, during, and after the research, to prevent them from being harmed, and to ensure that their informed consent is obtained. This committee examines research proposals in terms of the above-mentioned issues, and if it finds them appropriate, it grants Ethics Committee approval and issues a document to this effect.

• The Ethics Committee approval document must be submitted for all candidate manuscripts that require Ethics Committee approval.
• The flowchart at this address can be used to decide whether a study requires Ethics Committee approval: https://trdizin.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TRDizin_etik_ilkeleri_akis_semasi.pdf.
• Researchers who are not affiliated with any institution should apply to the Ethics Committees of universities in their province/region before the data collection process of their studies and obtain an Ethics Committee approval certificate.
• For articles produced from theses, it is sufficient to submit the Ethics Committee approval obtained for the thesis. A separate Ethics Committee approval for the candidate manuscript is not expected.

*Institutional and individual research and application permissions obtained for research do not replace Ethics Committee approval.

2.4. Blind Review and Evaluation Process

Blind peer review is a method applied for the impartial evaluation of scientific publications. This method forms the basis of the objective evaluation process of scientific studies and is preferred by many scientific journals. Referee opinions are decisive for the publication quality of the SQAE. All manuscripts submitted to the SQAE are blinded according to the following steps:

Type of Blind Refereeing

The SQAE uses the double-blind method in the evaluation of all studies. In the double-blinding method, the identities of the authors and reviewers are concealed from each other.

Initial Evaluation Process

The manuscripts submitted to the SQAE are first evaluated by the editors. At this stage, manuscripts that do not comply with the purpose and scope of the journal, are weak in terms of language, expression and grammatical rules in Turkish and English, contain critical errors in scientific terms, have no original value, and do not meet the publication policies are rejected. Authors of rejected manuscripts will be notified within two months at the latest from the date of submission. Eligible manuscripts are sent to a field editor for preliminary evaluation.

Preliminary Evaluation Process

During the preliminary evaluation process, the field editors examine the introduction, literature, method, findings, conclusion, evaluation, and discussion sections of the manuscripts in detail in terms of originality and the journal's publication policies and scope. Manuscripts that are found to be inappropriate as a result of this review are returned with the field editor's evaluation report within one month at the latest. Manuscripts that are found appropriate are included in the refereeing process.

Refereeing Process

Manuscripts are peer-reviewed according to their content and the expertise of the referees. The field editor reviewing the manuscript recommends at least two referees from the SQAE referee pool according to their field of expertise or may suggest a new referee suitable for the field of study. Referee suggestions from the field editor are evaluated by the editors and the manuscripts are forwarded to the referees. Referees must guarantee that they will not share any process or document about the manuscripts they evaluate.

Referee Reports

Reviewer evaluations are generally based on originality, methodology, compliance with ethical rules, consistent presentation of findings and results, and literature review. This examination is carried out according to the following elements:

1. Introduction and literature: The evaluation report includes the presentation and aims of the problem addressed in the study, the importance of the subject, the scope and timeliness of the relevant literature, and the originality of the study.
2. Method: The evaluation report includes information about the suitability of the method used, the selection and characteristics of the research group, validity and reliability, as well as an opinion on the data collection and analysis process.
3. Findings: The evaluation report includes opinions on the presentation of the findings obtained within the framework of the method, the accuracy of the analytical methods, the consistency of the findings reached with the objectives of the research, the presentation of the tables, figures, and visuals, and the conceptual evaluation of the tests used.
4. Evaluation and discussion: The evaluation report includes a discussion of the topic based on the findings and an opinion on the relevance to the research question(s) and hypothesis(es), generalizability, and feasibility.
5. Conclusion and recommendations: The evaluation report includes an opinion on the contribution to the literature and recommendations for future studies and practices in the field.
6. Style and expression: The evaluation report includes an opinion on whether the title of the study covers the content, the proper use of English or Turkish, and whether the references and citations are given in accordance with the language of the full text in accordance with APA 7 rules.
7. Overall assessment: The evaluation report includes an opinion about the originality of the study as a whole, its contribution to the educational literature, and practices in the field.

During the evaluation process, referees are not expected to make corrections to the typographic features of the manuscript.

Referee Evaluation Process

The time given to the referees for the evaluation process is four weeks. Corrections received from reviewers or editors must be completed by the authors within one month in accordance with the Correction Guidelines (Link). Referees can decide on the appropriateness of a manuscript by reviewing the corrections made, and they can request corrections more than once if necessary.

Evaluation Result

The opinions from the referees are reviewed by the field editor within two weeks. As a result of this review, the field editor submits the final decision on the manuscript to the editors.

Editorial Board Decision

The editors prepare the Editorial Board's opinions on the manuscript based on the opinions of the field editor and referees. The Editorial Board opinions are sent by the editor to the author(s) together with the field editor and referee recommendations within one week. Manuscripts that receive a negative opinion in this process are returned without requesting a plagiarism check. The final decision for the manuscripts for which a positive opinion is given is based on the results of the plagiarism check reports.

How Long Does the Publication Evaluation Process Take?

The publication evaluation process for manuscripts submitted to the SQAE is expected to be completed in approximately six months. However, the period between the date on which the referees or editors request corrections from the author(s) and the date on which the author(s) complete the corrections is not included in these six months.

2.5. Online Study Submission Guide

Author(s) who wish to submit manuscripts for evaluation to the SQAE can do this by becoming a member of the journal management system on the journal website.

The author(s) should follow the instructions on the website to become a member and submit manuscripts.

2.6. Revision Guidelines and Submission Guidelines

Editors, field editors, and/or referees may request one or more revisions and improvements for the manuscripts under review in the SQAE.

The author(s) are obliged to complete the requested revisions and improvements in a complete and timely manner and providing explanations for the changes made. It is expected that they will do this with the awareness that the requested revisions and improvements are objective and aim to increase the originality of the manuscript.

The author(s) should upload the requested revisions and improvements to the system according to the relevant instructions.

2.7. Study/Manuscript Retraction

The SQAE is committed to holistic and complete publishing for researchers and librarians. It is aware that the way to achieve this is to publish credible original research articles. In accordance with the SQAE publication policies, the duties and responsibilities of the author(s) and the Editorial Board during the withdrawal of a study or manuscript are given below.

Authors

The author(s) must cooperate with the journal editor in retraction procedures if they become aware of an inaccuracy or error in their published, early view, or manuscript under review.

Author(s) who wish to retract their manuscript(s) under review are obliged to fill in the Retraction Form (Link) and send the scanned version with the wet signature of each author to the Editorial Board via e-mail at sqae@epdad.org. The Editorial Board reviews the retraction notification and responds within one week. Authors cannot submit their manuscripts to another journal for review unless the Editorial Board approves the retraction request of the manuscripts whose copyrights have been transferred to the SQAE at the submission stage.

Editors 

The SQAE Editorial Board is obligated to initiate an investigation into copyright and plagiarism suspicions regarding a manuscript that has been published, is in early view, or is under review.

As a result of the investigation, if the Editorial Board determines that there is copyright and plagiarism in the manuscript under evaluation, it retracts the manuscript from the evaluation and returns it to the authors by citing the detected situations in detail.

If the Editorial Board determines that copyright infringement or plagiarism has occurred in a manuscript that has been published or is in early view, it will take the following retraction and notification actions within one week.

For a study in which an ethical violation was detected:

1. The phrase "Retracted" is added at the beginning of the title in the electronic display.
2. Instead of the Abstract and Full Text contents in the electronic display, the reasons for the retraction of the manuscript, and detailed evidence sources, if any, are published together with the notifications of the institutions and organizations to which the author(s) are affiliated.
3. A retraction notice is announced on the main page of the journal website.
4. The phrase "Retracted: Study Title" is added to the table of contents of the electronic and printed copy of the first issue to be published from the date of retraction.
5. Starting from the first page, the reasons for the retraction and the original citations referring to it are shared with the public and researchers.
6. The above retraction notices are sent to the organization(s) to which the author(s) are affiliated.
7. The above-mentioned retraction notices are forwarded to the institutions and organizations where the journal is indexed and to the National Library Presidency to be recorded in the indexing systems and catalogs.

In addition, the Editorial Board may inform the publishers or Editorial Boards of previously published studies by the author(s) of the manuscript(s) that an ethical violation has occurred, in order to ensure the validity and reliability of the published studies or so that they can be retracted.

2.8. Appealing the Evaluation Result

The author(s) reserves the right to object to the opinions of the Editorial Board and the Scientific Committee, which are conveyed as a result of the evaluation in the SQAE. The author(s) should send their objections to the opinions and comments made as a result of the evaluation of their manuscript(s) to sqae@epdad.org by email, using scientific language and citing their basis. The objections made are reviewed by the Editorial Board within one month (the field editor and referees of the manuscript may be asked for their opinions on the objections made) and the author(s) are provided with a positive or negative response. If the author(s)' objections to the evaluation result are accepted, the Editorial Board restarts the evaluation process by appointing new referees appropriate to the subject area of the study.

3. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND POLICIES

3.1. Publication Ethics

The editorial processes implemented in the SQAE are the foundation for the impartial and reputable development and dissemination of knowledge. The processes implemented in this regard have a direct impact on the quality of the manuscripts of the authors and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed studies are studies that embody and support the scientific method. In this regard, all stakeholders in the process (authors, readers, researchers, publishers, referees, and editors) must comply with standards for ethical principles. Within the scope of the SQAE publication ethics, all stakeholders are expected to bear the following ethical responsibilities.

The following ethical duties and responsibilities are based on the guidelines and policies published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) [https://publicationethics.org] as open access.

3.2. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

The author(s) who submit a manuscript to the SQAE are expected to comply with the following ethical responsibilities:

• The manuscript submitted by the author(s) is expected to be original. If the author(s) utilize or use other studies, they are required to cite and/or quote them completely and accurately.
• People who do not contribute intellectually to the content in the creation of the manuscript should not be specified as authors.
• All manuscripts submitted for publication should disclose all conflicts of interest and affiliation, if any exist.
• The author(s) may be requested to provide raw data on their manuscripts as part of the review process, in which case the author(s) should be prepared to provide the expected data and information to the Editorial Board and Scientific Committee.
• The author(s) must have a document showing that they have the rights to use the data utilized, the necessary permissions related to the research/analyses, or that the consent of the experimental subjects has been obtained.
• In the case that the author(s) becomes aware of an inaccuracy or error in their manuscript that has been published, is in early view, or is under review, the author(s) must notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor in correcting or retracting the manuscript.
• Authors cannot submit their manuscripts to more than one journal at the same time. Each submission can only be initiated following the completion of the previous submission. Manuscripts published in another journal cannot be submitted to the SQAE.
• It cannot be proposed to change the author(s)’ responsibilities (such as adding an author, changing the author order, or removing an author) of a manuscript that is under review.

3.3. Ethical Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

The SQAE editors and field editors should follow the ethical duties and responsibilities published in open access by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors [https://publicationethics.org/files/Code_of_conduct_for_ journal_editors_Mar11.pdf] and the COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors [https://publicationethics.org/files/u2/Best_Practice.pdf]  [https://publicationethics.org/].

General Duties and Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for every publication published in the SQAE. In the context of this responsibility, editors have the following roles and obligations:

• Making efforts to meet the information needs of readers and authors,
• Ensuring the continuous development of the journal,
• Carrying out processes to improve the quality of the studies published in the journal,
• Supporting freedom of thought,
• Ensuring academic integrity,
• Maintaining business processes without compromising intellectual property rights and ethical standards,
• Demonstrating openness and transparency in terms of publication in matters requiring correction and clarification.

Relations with the Reader

Editors should consider the knowledge, skills, and experience needed by all readers, researchers, and practitioners in making decisions. Editors should ensure that the published manuscript aids the reader, researcher and practitioner, and that it contributes to the scientific literature and is original. Editors are also obliged to take into account feedback from readers, researchers and practitioners, and to provide explanatory and informative feedback.

Relations with Authors

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

• Editors should make a positive or a negative decision based on the significance, original value, validity, clarity of expression of the studies, and the aims and objectives of the journal.
• Studies that are suitable for publication should be included in the preliminary evaluation stage unless they have major problems.
• Editors should not ignore positive referee recommendations unless there is a major problem with the manuscript.
• New editors should not change the decisions made by the previous editor(s) unless there is a major problem.
• Blind Refereeing and Evaluation Process [Link] should be published and editors should prevent possible deviations from the defined processes.
• Editors should publish an Author's Guide [Link] detailing every aspect that authors can  expect of them. These guides should be updated periodically.
• Authors should be provided with explanatory and informative notification and feedback.

Relations with Referees

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

• Determining the referees in accordance with the subject of the study,
• Providing the information and guidelines that the referees will need during the evaluation phase,
• Ensuring that there is no conflict of interest between authors and reviewers,
• Keeping the identity of the referees confidential in the context of blind reviewing,
• Encouraging the referees to evaluate the manuscript in an unbiased, scientific and objective manner,
• Evaluating referees on metrics such as punctuality and performance,
• Determining practices and policies to improve the performance of referees,
• Taking the necessary steps to dynamically update the referee pool,
• Preventing unkind and unscientific evaluations,
• Taking steps to ensure that the referee pool consists of a wide range of referees.

Relations with the Editorial Board

Editors should ensure that all Editorial Board members carry out the processes in accordance with editorial policies and guidelines. They should inform Editorial Board members about editorial policies and keep them informed about developments. They should train new Editorial Board members on editorial policies and provide them with the information they need.

Editors should also:

• Ensure that Editorial Board members evaluate the studies impartially and independently,
• Identify new Editorial Board members who may contribute and have appropriate qualifications,
• Send members of the Editorial Board studies to evaluate that are appropriate to their areas of expertise,
• Interact with the Editorial Board regularly,
• Organize periodic meetings with the Editorial Board for the development of editorial policies and the journal.

Relations with the Journal Owner and Publisher

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

Editorial and Blind Refereeing Processes

Editors are obliged to implement the Blind Refereeing and Evaluation Process [Link] policies in accordance with the journal’s publication policies. In this regard, the editors ensure that each manuscript is reviewed in a fair, impartial, and timely manner.

Quality Assurance

Editors are responsible for the publication of each manuscript in accordance with the journal's editorial policies and international standards.

Protection of Personal Data

Editors are responsible for ensuring the protection of personal data regarding the subjects or images included in the evaluated manuscripts. Unless the explicit consent of the individuals included in the manuscript is documented, they are responsible for rejecting the manuscript. Editors are also responsible for protecting the personal data of authors, referees and readers.

Ethics Committee Approval and Human and Animal Rights

Editors are responsible for ensuring that human and animal rights are protected in the manuscripts under review. They are responsible for rejecting the manuscript in the absence of Ethics Committee approval for the subjects used in the studies and permissions for experimental research.

Prevention of Possible Abuse and Misconduct

Editors are obliged to take precautions against possible abuse and misconduct. In addition to conducting a rigorous and objective investigation in identifying and evaluating such complaints, it is the editor's responsibility to share the relevant findings.

Ensuring the Integrity of Academic Publications

Editors should ensure that errors, inconsistencies or misleading judgments are corrected quickly.

Protection of Intellectual Property Rights

Editors are responsible for protecting the intellectual property rights of all published manuscripts and defending the rights of the journal and the author(s) in case of possible violations. In addition, editors are obliged to take the necessary measures to ensure that the content of all published manuscripts does not violate the intellectual property rights of other publications. See Plagiarism Check [Link]

Constructive Criticism and Openness to Discussion

Editors should:

• Consider how to be most persuasive in their criticism of published manuscripts and adopt a constructive attitude,
• Allow the author(s) of the criticized manuscript(s) the right to reply,
• Not ignore or exclude manuscripts with negative results.

Complaints

Editors are obliged to carefully review complaints from authors, reviewers or readers and respond in an enlightening and explanatory manner.

Political and Commercial Concerns

Neither the owner of the journal nor the publisher, and no other political or commercial factors influence the independent judgment of the editors.

Conflicts of Interest

The editors guarantee the independent and impartial completion of the publication process, taking into account any conflicts of interest between the author(s), referees and other editors.

3.4. Ethical Responsibilities of Referees

The evaluation of all manuscripts by Blinded Refereeing [Link] directly affects the quality of publication. This process provides confidence through objective and independent evaluation of the publication. The SQAE evaluation process is based on the principle of double-blind refereeing. Referees cannot communicate directly with the authors; evaluations and comments are communicated through the journal management system. In this process, referee comments on evaluation forms and full texts are forwarded to the author(s) through the editor. In this regard, referees reviewing manuscripts for the SQAE are expected to maintain the following ethical responsibilities:

• Only studies related to the area of expertise should be accepted for evaluation.
• Evaluation should be carried out with impartiality and confidentiality.
• If it is considered that there is a conflict of interest during the evaluation process, the manuscript should be refused and the journal editor should be informed.
• Due to the principle of confidentiality, the reviewed manuscript should be destroyed after the evaluation process. Only the final versions of the reviewed manuscript should be used after publication.
• Evaluation should be carried out objectively and only concern the content of the manuscript. Nationality, race, gender, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and commercial concerns should not be allowed to influence the evaluation.
• Reviews should be constructive and courteous. Derogatory personal comments, hostility and insulting language should be avoided.
• Manuscripts accepted for evaluation should be evaluated promptly and in accordance with the above ethical responsibilities.

3.5. Ethical Responsibilities of the Publisher

The Association for the Evaluation and Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs (EPDAD) [https://www.epdad.org.tr], publisher of the SQAE, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization working for the public benefit. In accordance with its founding philosophy, EPDAD publishes the SQAE. In this regard, EPDAD and the EPDAD Board of Directors act with awareness of the following ethical responsibilities regarding the SQAE:

• Editors are responsible for all the processes regarding the manuscripts submitted to the SQAE. In this regard, the editors are the decision-makers, regardless of economic or political gains.
• EPDAD is committed to independent editorial judgment.
• EPDAD protects the property and copyright of every manuscript published in the SQAE and undertakes to keep a record of every published copy.
• EPDAD has the responsibility to take measures against editorial misconduct, citation fraud and plagiarism.

3.6. If You Encounter an Unethical Situation

If you encounter any unethical behavior or content in the SQAE other than the ethical responsibilities mentioned above, please report it via email to sqae@epdad.org.

4. AFTER ACCEPTANCE

4.1. Plagiarism Check

The SQAE's publication ethics require that every manuscript that has passed the Blind Refereeing Process must be checked for plagiarism to protect its integrity. In this regard, the Turkish and English copies of each manuscript are subjected to a plagiarism check approved by the Editorial Board. The financial responsibilities arising from the plagiarism check belong to the author(s).

Plagiarism checking is performed through Turnitin (https://www.turnitin.com/tr/) and intihal.net (https://intihal.net/) software. The matches revealed by the software for each study are thoroughly analyzed and matches with correct references and citations are extracted. After this extraction, the remaining matches are examined, and errors are detected and reported to the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board makes the final decision about the manuscript in light of the plagiarism check report of each manuscript. The author(s) may be requested to correct errors noted in the report or the manuscript may be returned to the author(s).

4.2. Bibliography, Citation and Attribution Review

Scientific research is developed on the basis of previous studies. In any new study carried out, previous studies are referred to and cited within the framework of specific rules. Intentional or unintentional errors in scientific studies damage the reliability of the study and publication.

The SQAE considers it an obligation within the scope of publication ethics to provide accurate and complete references and citations of the studies accepted as a result of the evaluation. In this regard, each manuscript is checked for bibliography, references and citations after it has been accepted. The financial responsibility for this reviewed belongs to the author(s).

Accepted manuscripts are reviewed using the following steps for Turkish and English full texts:

• The bibliography is checked to ensure it is organized in accordance with the procedures and principles in APA Citation Rules, 7th Edition.
• The in-text references of each citation in the bibliography are checked to ensure they are given according to these procedures and principles, and errors are corrected.
• Citations of in-text references are checked. Missing citations are requested from the authors, and incorrect citations are corrected.

The procedures and principles for citing references in Turkish for Turkish full texts and in English for English full texts are taken into consideration.

4.3. Layout and Typesetting

The SQAE requires a uniform, standard and complete page layout and printing format for the formal integrity and readability of the manuscripts. In this regard, the page layout and typesetting of the manuscripts whose plagiarism and bibliography checks have been completed are carried out by a company approved by the Editorial Board. The financial responsibility for the page layout and the preparation of the print copy belongs to the author(s).

4.4. Assigning the DOI Number

The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) [https://www.doi.org/] is a unique access number that allows the identification and access of any manuscript published electronically. It is mandatory to provide a DOI number for each manuscript published in the SQAE or at early view.

After acceptance, the DOI number is assigned by the Editorial Board to the manuscripts that have been checked for plagiarism, have had their bibliography checked, and for which the printed version has been prepared.

5. LANGUAGE EDITING

Manuscripts submitted to the SQAE should be written in plain and clear language in accordance with the grammatical rules of the full-text language (Turkish and English) and the scientific literature. The manuscript should be written in a clean and fluent style that is free of foreign terms and expressions. In this regard, proofreading the manuscripts before they are submitted for evaluation ensures that the publication processes can be carried out more efficiently.

The Editorial Board may request the use of language editing and redaction services during the evaluation of the submitted manuscripts or after acceptance. The author(s) of the manuscript for which language redaction is requested should obtain service from one of the companies recommended below and submit the proofread document to the Editorial Board.

• Elsevier Language Service: http://webshop.elsevier.com/languageservices/
• Editage: http://www.editage.com/
• Enago: http://www.enago.com/