About the Journal

Overview

Journal of Human Sciences is an online, peer-reviewed open access journal published continuously since 1999. It is registered under the title Journal of Human Sciences (ISSN 2458-9489), with İnsan Bilimleri Dergisi (ISSN 1303-5134) as its former title.

The journal publishes original research articles, review and conceptual papers, methodological studies, book reviews, and selected conference-related contributions. It aims to advance scholarly understanding of human, society, and culture through interdisciplinary social science research.

Former journal logo

Former journal logo (archival visual identity)

Aims

Journal of Human Sciences publishes peer-reviewed empirical and theoretical research in the social sciences and humanities. It prioritizes studies that present a clear research problem, offer an original scholarly contribution, engage critically with the literature, and demonstrate methodological rigor and transparency. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches are welcome.

Scope

The journal focuses on research addressing human, society, and culture. It welcomes interdisciplinary contributions from fields such as educational sciences, psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, philosophy, history, as well as related areas that engage with social and cultural processes.

Author Charges

The journal applies an Article Processing Charge (APC) of USD 75, payable upon acceptance of the manuscript. This charge covers production, typesetting, and open-access hosting. Submission is free of charge. Fee waivers are available upon request. For payment procedures and further details, see the Author Guidelines.

Peer Review Process

All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s academic and editorial standards may be declined without external review.

Manuscripts that pass this stage are evaluated through a double-blind peer review process by at least two independent reviewers.

Editorial decisions are based on the scholarly merit, originality, methodological rigor, and relevance of the submission.

Open Access Policy

Journal of Human Sciences provides immediate open access to its content based on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. This license permits users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, and to reuse them for any lawful purpose, provided proper attribution is given and any derivative works are distributed under the same license.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Journal of Human Sciences is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice.

The journal follows internationally recognized ethical guidelines, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Authors are expected to ensure the originality of their work and to appropriately cite or quote the work and/or words of others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

All submitted manuscripts are screened for similarity. Submissions that do not meet ethical standards may be rejected at any stage of the editorial or peer review process.

Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest and confirm that their work has not been published elsewhere or is not under consideration by another publication.

Research involving human participants must include evidence of ethical approval where applicable.

What the journal publishes

The journal considers, within its scope, the following scholarly outputs:

  • Original research articles (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods).
  • Review articles and conceptual papers (when they make a clear scholarly contribution).
  • Methodological papers, research notes, and short communications (when relevant to the field and when they provide a distinct scholarly contribution).
  • Book reviews (critical and scholarly reviews of recently published academic books).
  • Conference-related publications, full research papers derived from conference presentations may be considered, provided they represent a substantial development beyond the original presentation and are submitted as independent manuscripts subject to the journal's standard double-blind peer-review process. Conference proceedings and edited collections are not accepted.
  • Other scholarly contributions that meaningfully advance research and debate within the journal’s scope (e.g., scholarly commentaries or discussion pieces), provided that they meet the journal’s standards of academic rigor and ethics.

All publication types considered by the journal are subject to editorial oversight appropriate to their format and scholarly purpose. Where peer review applies, manuscripts are evaluated according to the journal’s standard academic and ethical criteria.

Editorial and Peer Review

Initial editorial screening

All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening prior to peer review. At this stage, manuscripts are assessed for their alignment with the journal’s scope, academic quality, and compliance with submission requirements.

Manuscripts that do not meet these standards may be declined without external review. Submissions may also be returned to authors for technical revision if they fail to comply with basic requirements such as anonymization, use of the journal template, or completeness of submission files.

Preference is given to manuscripts that demonstrate clear scholarly contribution, conceptual depth, methodological rigor, and analytical coherence.

Double-blind peer review

Submissions are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers under a double-blind peer-review model. A third reviewer may be consulted when additional expertise is required or when reviewer assessments diverge significantly. Communication among editors, reviewers, and authors is managed through the journal's online system.

Publication Model and Frequency

Continuous publication

The journal follows a continuous publication model: once a manuscript is accepted and final editorial steps are completed, it is published in the current issue without waiting for an issue-close date. Supplement and special issue items may also be published under clearly defined editorial responsibility and review procedures.

Frequency

The journal publishes a minimum of two issues per year.

Research Integrity and Publication Ethics

Journal of Human Sciences follows publication-ethics principles consistent with COPE guidance and expects responsible conduct from all parties involved in the publication process.

By completing the submission, authors agree to the journal’s publication ethics and author responsibilities as defined in the About Journal section.

For submission requirements and required documentation, see the Author Guidelines.

Authors

Authors are expected to ensure originality, proper citation practice, accurate authorship attribution, disclosure of conflicts of interest, and—where relevant—responsible data handling and transparent reporting.

Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to provide timely, confidential, and objective assessments; to flag ethical concerns; and to disclose conflicts of interest that could compromise impartiality.

Editors

Editors evaluate submissions solely on scholarly merit, ensure confidentiality, manage conflicts of interest, and protect the integrity of the editorial process. Editors do not serve as required reviewers for submissions handled under their editorship.

Corrections, Retractions, and Withdrawal

Withdrawal during review

Authors may withdraw a submission at any stage prior to acceptance by notifying the editorial office in writing. However, withdrawal of a manuscript during active peer review is strongly discouraged, as it places an undue burden on reviewers and editors who have already invested significant time and effort. If a manuscript is withdrawn after peer review has commenced, the editorial office reserves the right to retain a record of the submission for ethical oversight purposes. The APC is non-refundable in such cases.

Corrections and retractions after publication

The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. When a significant error, integrity concern, or ethical issue is confirmed, the journal may issue:

  • a correction (erratum/corrigendum),
  • an expression of concern (when investigation is ongoing),
  • or a retraction (when warranted).

Retraction notices are published promptly, clearly linked to the affected article, and made freely accessible to ensure transparency and protect the scholarly record.

Transparency Practices

Conflicts of interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to disclose any conflicts of interest that may influence objectivity.

Contributorship and author identifiers

Authors are required to provide an ORCID iD upon submission. Contributorship statements following the CRediT taxonomy are strongly recommended and must be included for multi-authored manuscripts.

Data availability and methodological transparency

Authors are required to include a Data Availability Statement in their manuscript, indicating whether the data supporting the findings are publicly available, available upon request, or subject to restrictions (e.g., ethical or legal constraints). Sufficient methodological detail must be provided to allow independent assessment and replication of the study.

Fees, Funding, and Waivers (APC)

The journal applies a non-refundable Article Processing Charge (APC). For full details regarding the APC, including payment procedures and waiver conditions, please refer to the Author Charges section and the Submissions / Author Guidelines page.

Archiving and Digital Preservation

The journal ensures long-term digital preservation of its content through the following archiving systems:

These systems provide distributed and secure preservation across participating libraries, ensuring permanent and reliable access to the journal’s content.

Metrics and Citations

DOI Registration and Scholarly Infrastructure

All published articles are assigned Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), ensuring persistent identification, reliable citation, and long-term accessibility.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision may do so by submitting a written request to the editorial office within 30 days of receiving the decision. The appeal must clearly state the grounds for reconsideration and provide any relevant supporting information. Appeals are reviewed by a senior editor or a member of the editorial board who was not involved in the original decision. The outcome of the appeal will be communicated to the author within 60 days of receipt. Complaints regarding editorial processes, publication ethics, or journal policies may be submitted to the editorial office at any time. All complaints are handled confidentially and in accordance with COPE guidelines.