Submissions

Author Guidelines

Editorial Process

All research articles submitted to Ecocene are peer-reviewed in a double-blind system. Submissions must be non-simultaneous and any conflict(s) of interest should be revealed. The editorial process starts upon the submission of the work to the journal. Preliminary review is conducted in-house by managing editors initially to evaluate the suitability of the work for the journal and then proceed with sending the submitted articles to two anonymous reviewers for assessment. Our timeline for review is 3-4 months. An article needs two favorable reports and a final approval from the editorial team in order to be published. Reviewers are asked to assess the strength of the manuscript’s arguments and the quality of its research. Reviewers are also asked to grade the article on a scale that includes 1.accept; 2. accept with minor revisions; 3. revise and resubmit; and 3. reject. If revision is requested, authors are anonymously informed about the reviewers’ comments. Upon receiving the revised version, we ask the original reviewers to evaluate the new version of the article. Then, there is an in-house evaluation of the revised manuscript. Articles that do not follow the specified author guidelines below will not be processed. We also welcome proposals for special clusters of up to 5 articles (3000- 5500 words) with an optional introduction by the cluster's editor.

Ethics Statement

Ecocene is committed to publishing high-quality content. The editorial operations of the journal are governed by transparent and fair ethical standards. Our publication ethics and our policies are closely aligned with COPE’s (Committee on Publication Ethics) Core Practices document, which can be accessed at: COPE Core Practices. Ecocene reserves the right to issue retractions if the article is proven to have serious misconduct, such as plagiarism. In this case, the journal will take the necessary actions required by the case. The chief responsibility of the editors is to determine which submissions to the journal will be published. Their decisions are made on the basis of the manuscript’s scholarly merit and that the author’s race, gender, religious or political beliefs, ethnicity, or citizenship are not considered.

Originality and Academic Honesty

By submitting to Ecocene, authors affirm that their work is entirely original, that it has not been wholly or partly published elsewhere, and that it is currently not under review at another journal. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their work does not infringe anyone's intellectual property rights, and they must properly follow rules of referencing and citation for any sources referred to in their work. Authors are expected to uphold academic integrity and refrain from any form of plagiarism or other academic misconduct.

All submitted manuscripts are checked for textual similarity using iThenticate after submission and before the peer-review process begins. The similarity score is used as an initial screening tool and does not, by itself, constitute a determination of plagiarism. A similarity score may result from properly quoted or cited material, references, commonly used terminology, methodological descriptions, or other legitimate textual overlap. The editorial team therefore assesses the nature and sources of the detected similarities when evaluating a manuscript.

Manuscripts are handled according to the extent and nature of the detected similarity:

• Up to 25% similarity: The manuscript may proceed to editorial assessment, provided that the detected similarities do not indicate plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct. Where necessary, authors may be asked to revise passages or improve citation and referencing.
• More than 25% and up to 30% similarity: The manuscript will be returned to the author(s) for revision of the overlapping content and/or correction of citations and references. The manuscript may be reconsidered after the required revisions have been made.
• More than 30% similarity: The manuscript may be rejected without peer review, particularly where the detected overlap is substantial or cannot be adequately explained by legitimate quotations, references, standard terminology, or other acceptable forms of textual similarity.

If plagiarism is identified by an editorial board member, editor, reviewer, or other person at any stage of the publication process—including before or after acceptance, during copyediting, or at the proof stage—the Journal will investigate the matter in accordance with its publication ethics procedures. Depending on the nature and extent of the suspected plagiarism, authors may be asked to revise the manuscript, provide appropriate citations, or clarify the source of the material. Where substantial plagiarism or other serious academic misconduct is confirmed, the manuscript may be rejected or, where applicable, an already published article may be subject to correction, retraction, or other appropriate editorial action.

The Journal emphasizes that similarity and plagiarism are not synonymous. A similarity percentage is an indicator of textual overlap and must be interpreted in context. Conversely, plagiarism may be present even when the overall similarity percentage is relatively low if, for example, distinctive ideas, passages, or materials have been used without appropriate acknowledgment.

Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy

Ecocene: Cappadocia Journal of Environmental Humanities recognizes that generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies may be used as supporting tools in research and manuscript preparation. Such tools may assist with language editing, grammar, translation, formatting, or other limited tasks, but must not replace human scholarly judgment, authorship, or accountability.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scholarly content of their manuscripts. Substantive use of generative AI in the preparation of a manuscript should be disclosed to the Journal, including the AI tool used and the purpose of its use. AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.

Authors should carefully review and verify AI-assisted content, including factual statements, references, quotations, and citations, as AI systems may produce inaccurate, fabricated, or improperly attributed information.

Reviewers and editors must protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and peer-review materials. Confidential manuscripts, reviewer reports, or other unpublished editorial materials must not be uploaded to public or unsecured generative AI systems. AI tools must not replace the independent judgment of reviewers or editors, and editorial and peer-review decisions remain the responsibility of human editors and reviewers.

The use of AI must comply with applicable copyright, privacy, confidentiality, research integrity, and publication ethics requirements. Ecocene may update this policy as AI technologies and standards in scholarly publishing evolve.

Complaints and Appeals Policy

Ecocene: Cappadocia Journal of Environmental Humanities is committed to handling complaints and appeals in a fair, transparent, and timely manner. Authors, reviewers, and other parties involved in the Journal's editorial and publishing processes may submit complaints or appeals concerning editorial decisions, publication procedures, ethical issues, or other aspects of the Journal's operations.

Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision should submit a written appeal to the Editors-in-Chief, clearly stating the reasons for the appeal and providing any relevant supporting information. Appeals should address specific concerns regarding the editorial or peer-review process and should not simply disagree with an editorial decision.

The Editors-in-Chief will consider appeals on a case-by-case basis and may consult members of the Editorial Board or independent reviewers where appropriate. An appeal may result in the decision being reconsidered, maintained, or, where necessary, referred for further editorial assessment. The outcome of an appeal will be communicated to the author, and the decision following an appeal will normally be final.

Complaints concerning editorial conduct, peer review, publication ethics, conflicts of interest, authorship, plagiarism, or other aspects of the Journal's publication process should be submitted to the Editors-in-Chief through the Journal's official contact channels. Complaints concerning the Editors-in-Chief may be addressed to the publisher, Cappadocia University Press, where appropriate.

Complaints will be acknowledged and investigated in a fair and impartial manner. Where necessary, the Journal may consult relevant members of the Editorial Board, reviewers, authors, or other appropriate parties and may refer to recognized publication-ethics guidelines and procedures.

Copyright Information and Permissions

Ecocene does not require authors to transfer or assign copyright in their articles to the Journal or to Cappadocia University Press.

The author(s) retain copyright in their work.

By accepting publication in Ecocene, the author(s) grant Cappadocia University Press and Ecocene a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to publish, reproduce, distribute, communicate, make available online, archive, preserve, index, and otherwise disseminate the Article in print, electronic, digital, and other formats.

This publication license does not prevent the author(s) or any other person from exercising the rights granted under CC BY 4.0.

Publication Charges

Ecocene demands no submission fees or page charges from authors.

Submission Guidelines

• Ecocene only accepts online submissions. No faxed or hard copy submissions will be accepted.
• All submissions should follow the Chicago Manual of Style (17^th Edition) Author-Date System. Style guidelines can be found HERE. Articles that do not conform to these guidelines will not be considered for review.
• Please upload two copies of your manuscript. In one copy, make sure to remove any information that identifies the author both from the content and the name of the document. 

1. File Format: All submissions are only accepted as a MS Word file (.doc, .docx) with a maximum size of 10 MB Artworks should be in a valid image format. Images should be in jpeg format with the following size and quality: 1500-1000 px width / jpeg quality 8/300 dpi.

2. Structure: Please make sure that your article conforms to all the following items. These requirements apply to the textual components of all kinds of submission.

a. Font, spacing, margins, and page size: All articles should be double-spaced on A4 (21 cm x 29.7 cm) paper throughout including endnotes and references. Use Times New Roman 12 throughout the text excluding endnotes and references (they should be Times New Roman 11). The main text should have margins of 3 cm on all sides. Please justify the entire text except for the references, which should be aligned to the left.

b. Titles and subheadings: Use Times New Roman 12 for the title and all subheadings. They should all be centered, bold, and written in title case.

c. Author’s name and affiliation: The title of the article should be followed by the author’s name, primary affiliation, and e-mail address. Each item should be given in a separate line. 

d. Abstract and keywords: Place the abstract right after the authorial information. Add 4-6 keywords below the abstract. Use double-spaced text and Times New Roman 12 for the abstract and keywords. Each keyword should be separated with a comma.

e. Block quotations: Quotations of prose longer than 5 lines of print or of poetry more than two lines should be blocked. Use Times New Roman 12 and double-spacing for block quotations. Margins for block quotations should be indented at 1.25 cm from both sides. Use single hard returns before and after a block quotation. 

f. Paragraph indentation and spacing: Use no indentation for the first line of the first paragraph. This also applies to the first paragraphs of the sections (if any) separated by subheadings. All other paragraphs should be indented at 0,75 cm. Do not use hard returns between the paragraphs. Avoid hitting the spacebar consecutively. Do not use any space before punctuation marks. Do not use any space before or after hyphens, en dashes, or em dashes. 

g. Images: An image embedded in a submission should not exceed one third of a page. This corresponds to approximately 11 cm in width and 8 cm in height, depending on image type. Images should be at least 300 dpi in resolution. All visual materials should come with a caption, written in Times New Roman 12 and centered below the visual.

h. Special Formatting: Avoid advanced formatting tools such as page or section breaks so that your submission can be easily reformatted later when necessary.

3. Language and Spelling: Ecocene publishes articles only in English.

• Please use American spelling throughout your work.
• Words in a language other than English should be italicized (e.g. Zeitgeist).
• Similarly, authors should use italics to indicate emphasis or special usage rather than quotation marks or underlining.
• Use double and curly quotation marks when quoting. Use single and curly quotation marks for quotations within quotations.

  Special Issues Policy

  Ecocene: Cappadocia Journal of Environmental Humanities publishes special issues on selected themes that fall within the scope of the Journal. Special issues are subject to the same editorial and peer-review standards and procedures that apply to regular issues of the Journal.

  Guest Editors

  Guest editors are appointed by the Editors-in-Chief based on their academic expertise, research experience, and suitability for the proposed theme of the special issue. The qualifications, academic standing, and potential conflicts of interest of proposed guest editors are reviewed and approved by the Editors-in-Chief before their appointment.

  The Editors-in-Chief retain ultimate responsibility for all editorial decisions and the overall integrity of the editorial and peer-review process, including for special issues. The appointment of guest editors does not transfer the Journal's final editorial authority to them.

  Peer Review and Editorial Independence

  All submissions to special issues are subject to the Journal's standard peer-review policies and procedures. Articles submitted to a special issue are evaluated according to the same criteria and academic standards as articles submitted to regular issues.

  Guest editors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest. A guest editor must not participate in the peer-review, editorial assessment, recommendation, or final decision-making process concerning their own submission or any submission with which they have a conflict of interest.

  Guest editors' own manuscripts are handled independently by the Editors-in-Chief or by an independent editor designated by the Editors-in-Chief. The guest editor concerned has no access to the peer-review process or editorial decision concerning their manuscript.

  The Editors-in-Chief ensure that appropriate independent reviewers are selected and that the review and decision-making process for guest editors' manuscripts is conducted independently and in accordance with the Journal's usual peer-review standards.

  To safeguard the editorial independence and academic integrity of special issues, articles authored or co-authored by guest editors must not constitute more than 25% of the total articles published in the special issue.

  The Editors-in-Chief are responsible for monitoring compliance with this requirement and for ensuring that the composition of each special issue remains consistent with the Journal's editorial and ethical standards.

  Through these procedures, Ecocene aims to ensure that special issues maintain the same standards of editorial independence, peer-review integrity, transparency, and academic quality as the Journal's regular issues.