Paper Writing Rules

The title should not contain more than 15 words.

The abstract should not exceed 250 words. Abstracts longer than this limit may be rejected during the editorial pre-evaluation process, as excessive detail at the abstract stage may compromise the originality and confidentiality of the full paper.

Keywords should be written in lowercase, and a maximum of five (5) keywords should be provided.

English Title, Abstract, and Keywords for applications in Turkish will be requested, if accepted.

Abstract

The abstract should concisely present the background and purpose of the study, the methodological approach, the main findings, the practical implications, and the conclusion.

Introduction

The introduction should clearly present the rationale, background, and significance of the study based on relevant literature. At the end of the introduction, the purpose, scope, and research questions or problems of the study must be explicitly defined.

Methodology

The section should describe the research design or model, participants or data sources (such as documents, datasets, or research environments), data collection procedures, data analysis techniques, and evidence of validity and reliability (or trustworthiness and rigor for qualitative studies).

Findings

The findings should be reported systematically, aligned with the research questions or sub-problems, and presented in accordance with scientific writing principles, without interpretation or discussion beyond the reported results.

Discussion

The discussion section should interpret the findings in relation to the existing literature, highlight theoretical and/or practical implications, and critically assess similarities, differences, and contributions relative to prior studies with citations.

Conclusion

The conclusion should clearly summarize the main outcomes of the study in line with its stated purpose and research questions, without introducing new data or arguments. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research should be briefly addressed.

References

All sources cited in the manuscript should be listed in the references section.

Notes

The current APA (7th edition) format must be strictly followed for all references, tables, and figures.

The total length of the manuscript should not exceed 4,000 words, including the title, abstract, keywords, introduction, methodology, findings, discussion, conclusion, and references.

Ethical Agreement

Researchers acknowledge and declare that their research is carried out in accordance with the Principles of Scientific Research Ethics, that personal and institutional data, if any, are used with the consent of the parties and for the stated purposes, and that some or all of the study has not been presented or published.

The authors/speakers further declare that the submitted work has not been simultaneously submitted to another conference, journal, or publication process, and that it does not constitute duplicate publication or self-plagiarism. In the case of an extended or revised version of a previously presented work, this must be explicitly stated and properly referenced.

The accuracy, originality, ethical compliance, and legal conformity of all information, data, analyses, and statements contained in the submission are the sole responsibility of the author(s)/speaker(s). Any ethical, scientific, legal, or administrative consequences arising from violations of these principles shall rest exclusively with the author(s)/speaker(s).

By submitting an abstract and/or full paper to the conference, the author(s)/speaker(s) explicitly acknowledge that Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THEQC) shall not be held responsible for any ethical misconduct, misrepresentation, or legal dispute related to the content of the submission.

Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence

The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is limited exclusively to language enhancement, grammar correction, and editorial assistance. AI tools shall not be used to generate scientific arguments, interpret results, create figures, tables, or visual materials, develop research models or methodologies, perform data analysis, or produce original research content.

For the avoidance of doubt, any use of AI tools beyond linguistic and editorial support shall be considered a violation of this policy and evaluated as an ethical breach.

AI tools cannot be credited as authors under any circumstances. Authors are fully accountable for the content of their submissions, including any ethical, scientific, or legal issues arising from the use or misuse of AI tools.

If AI tools are used in any part of the manuscript preparation, this must be clearly disclosed in the Acknowledgements or Methods section, explicitly specifying the name of the tool, the scope of use, and the purpose of use.

Any use of AI tools must be explicitly declared in the manuscript. Failure to disclose AI usage, incomplete disclosure, or misrepresentation of the scope of AI use may result in rejection of the submission, withdrawal from the evaluation process, removal from the conference program, and/or exclusion from publication.

In cases where undisclosed or improper use of AI tools is identified after acceptance, presentation, or publication, THEQC reserves the right to unilaterally withdraw the paper, remove it from all publication platforms, and take further action deemed necessary. All consequences arising from such actions shall be borne solely by the author(s)/speaker(s), and THEQC shall not be held liable under any circumstances.

Processing of Personal Data

THEQC pays particular attention to ensuring the confidentiality and security of information belonging to its users. This issue is a requirement of THEQC's sensitivity on this matter and an obligation in accordance with the relevant legal legislation (Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data). Within the framework of THEQC's approach to protecting participant information and ensuring full compliance with legal regulations, explicit consent is hereby requested by accepting the following terms:

a) Your personal information, the meeting(s) you attend, and the abstract(s) and paper(s) you submit may be collected, recorded, stored, and processed by THEQC in corporate local and/or cloud-based information systems,

b) If you attend the Conference, audio and/or video recordings of the meeting(s) you attend may be recorded by THEQC in corporate local and/or cloud-based systems,

c) These records may be accessed and used by authorized persons for scientific evaluation, reporting, archiving, accreditation-related activities, and process improvement purposes, within the scope of the official meeting invitation communicated to you by letter and/or e-mail, and

d) Images, recordings, and visual materials representing the Conference and its activities may be used on THEQC's website, social media channels, official reports, and publications for institutional communication, dissemination, and archival purposes.

By accepting this agreement, you expressly declare that you have been informed about the scope and purpose of personal data processing and that you provide your explicit consent accordingly.

All information, including the personal data of our users, shall not be shared with third parties in any manner or form without the explicit consent of the data subject, except for legal institutions and authorities authorized to access such information pursuant to applicable legislation.

THEQC ensures that institutions and service providers from which it receives support services comply with THEQC’s confidentiality, data security, and personal data protection standards.

In this respect, protecting all data relating to THEQC and its users from unauthorized access, unlawful processing, misuse, alteration, corruption, loss, or destruction, and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data constitute THEQC's primary approach.

Data subjects retain the right to withdraw their explicit consent at any time in accordance with Law No. 6698. Withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to such withdrawal.

THEQC shall not be held liable for any claims, damages, or disputes arising from the processing of personal data carried out in compliance with this policy and applicable legislation. Any legal responsibility arising from inaccurate, misleading, or unlawful information provided by participants shall rest solely with the relevant author(s)/speaker(s).

THEQC establishes detailed internal regulations in this regard and meticulously considers the protection of user data across all practices and processes.

Peer Review and Editorial Processes

Abstracts and full papers submitted to the Conference are subject to peer review and editorial evaluation processes conducted in accordance with the scientific and ethical criteria determined by THEQC. The scope, method, and implementation of the evaluation process are entirely at the discretion of THEQC.

The peer review process may be conducted, where deemed appropriate, in the form of single-blind review, double-blind review, or editorial pre-evaluation. Reviewers are appointed by THEQC from among individuals with relevant academic and professional expertise. Reviewer opinions are advisory in nature, and final decision-making authority rests exclusively with THEQC.

The author(s)/speaker(s) acknowledge and accept that the peer review process does not constitute any guarantee of acceptance, presentation, or publication, and that their submissions may be rejected, returned for revision, or excluded from the evaluation process based on reviewer and/or editorial assessments.

Within the scope of the editorial process, THEQC reserves the right to examine and evaluate:

•           the scientific adequacy of the submission,
•           compliance with ethical principles,
•           the accuracy and completeness of declarations regarding the use of artificial intelligence,
•           risks of plagiarism and self-plagiarism,
•           compliance with applicable legislation and conference rules.

The responsibility for completing any revisions requested during the peer review and editorial evaluation process within the specified timeframe and scope lies solely with the author(s)/speaker(s). Revisions that are not submitted on time or are deemed insufficient may result in rejection of the submission or removal from the evaluation process, for which THEQC shall bear no responsibility.

The author(s)/speaker(s) acknowledge and declare that, with respect to the peer review process:

•          they shall not request the disclosure of reviewer identities,
•          the right to object to reviewer reports may be restricted or entirely closed at the discretion of THEQC, and
•          editorial decisions are final and binding.

If, after completion of the evaluation process or following acceptance or publication, ethical violations, scientific misconduct, false or misleading statements, non-compliance with regulations governing the use of artificial intelligence, or violations of applicable legislation are identified, THEQC reserves the right to unilaterally withdraw the paper, remove it from publication, exclude it from the conference program, and, where deemed necessary, notify the relevant institutions and authorities.

No differences of opinion, delays, or outcomes arising from the peer review or editorial evaluation processes shall give rise to any right, claim, objection, or compensation demand against THEQC. All risks and consequences associated with these processes are borne solely by the author(s)/speaker(s).

Submission of an abstract and/or full paper to the Conference and/or participation in the Conference constitutes explicit acknowledgment and acceptance that all provisions governing the peer review and editorial processes have been read, understood, and agreed to.

Full Paper and Abstract Publication Process

Abstracts and full papers submitted to the Conference are subject to scientific, ethical, and editorial evaluation processes. These processes are conducted in accordance with the procedures and principles determined by THEQC. The author(s)/speaker(s) acknowledge and accept that the submission of an abstract and/or full paper for evaluation does not constitute any guarantee of acceptance, presentation, or publication.

All responsibility for the scientific content, originality, compliance with ethical principles, conformity with applicable legislation, and adherence to the declared rules of the submitted abstracts and full papers rests exclusively with the author(s)/speaker(s). In this context, THEQC shall not be held liable under any circumstances for any ethical, scientific, legal, or administrative consequences arising from the content of the submissions.

Abstracts and/or full papers that are accepted following the evaluation process may be published by THEQC in electronic and/or printed formats deemed appropriate, including but not limited to conference proceedings, the conference website, institutional digital archives, open-access platforms, and similar media. The author(s)/speaker(s) acknowledge and declare that they grant an irrevocable, unrestricted, and non-exclusive permission, without any limitation as to time, scope, or medium, for the publication and dissemination of their abstracts and/or full papers in these outlets.

THEQC reserves the right, at its sole discretion and without any obligation to provide justification, to decide on any of the following:

•           publication of abstracts only,
•           non-publication of full papers,
•           publication of an extended abstract in place of the full paper,
•          complete withdrawal of a paper from publication or non-publication, even if it has previously been accepted.

If, at any stage following the evaluation process or after publication, ethical violations, scientific misconduct, incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading declarations regarding the use of artificial intelligence, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, non-compliance with legislation, or submission of false or misleading information or documentation are identified, THEQC reserves the right to remove the paper from the conference program, withdraw it from publication, delete it from the proceedings and institutional digital archives, and, where deemed necessary, notify the relevant institutions and authorities. Any and all consequences, sanctions, and legal liabilities arising from such actions shall rest solely with the author(s)/speaker(s).

By submitting an abstract and/or full paper to the Conference and/or by participating in the Conference, the author(s)/speaker(s) expressly acknowledge and declare that the exclusive authority to decide on the publication or non-publication of their submissions lies with THEQC, and that they shall not assert any rights, claims, objections, or compensation demands in this regard.

For matters requiring clarification regarding these terms and conditions, please submit your request via e-mail to theqcsecretariat@yokak.gov.tr.