Writing Rules

1. General Principles

  • Manuscripts that have not been previously published or are not under review by other publications are eligible for evaluation by the journal, subject to approval from all authors.
  • The publication language is English, and only manuscripts in English will be considered for editorial and peer review.
  • For quoted text, tables, or graphics from published sources, authors must obtain permission from the original authors or the copyright holders of the source material and document this permission in the manuscript.
  • Particular attention should be given to maintaining the anonymity of the manuscript for the double-blind peer review process.
  • Manuscripts should be written in Times New Roman, 12-point font, with double line spacing and 1.25 cm paragraph indentation, aligned on both sides. A line should be left before each section heading.
  • Page margins should be 2.5 cm from all sides (bottom, top, right, left).
  • Manuscripts submitted for publication undergo a double-blind peer review process.
  • Modifications to author names (including omissions, additions, or reordering) in submitted papers require the consent of all listed authors. Rejected manuscripts, including text, graphics, and supplementary documents, will not be returned to the author.
  • The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the content and overall quality of the journal. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their scientific content, without consideration of the authors' ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or political beliefs. The Editor-in-Chief ensures a fair double-blind peer review for all submissions and maintains the confidentiality of all information related to submitted manuscripts until publication. Errata and corrections are published as necessary.
  • The Editor-in-Chief prohibits conflicts of interest among authors, editors, and reviewers.
  • The Turkish Journal of Traumatic Stress adheres to the editorial and publication guidelines of the European Association of Science Editors (EASE). Authors are advised to consult the EASE Guidelines for Authors and Translators, available in multiple languages at EASE website. These guidelines offer concise, practical advice aimed at enhancing international scientific communication and address ethical concerns, including authorship criteria, plagiarism, and conflicts of interest. Adherence to these guidelines is a priority for the journal's editorial team.

 

2. Authorship and Author Responsibilities

Individuals designated as authors should meet all criteria recommended by the ICMJE, including:

    1. Significant contributions to the conception, design, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data;
    2. Drafting or critically revising the manuscript for intellectual content;
    3. Approval of the final version to be published;
    4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions regarding the accuracy or integrity of any part are appropriately addressed.

Those who do not meet these criteria or contribute in other ways should be acknowledged in the “Acknowledgements” section. Activities such as fundraising, data collection, or research group supervision are insufficient for authorship; technical support, writing assistance, or material provision are examples of contributions suitable for acknowledgment. Only listed authors should have contributed to the manuscript; ghostwriting is unacceptable. The Author Contribution Form, detailing each author's role, should accompany the submission. The order of author names should be mutually agreed upon, and any changes in authorship for submitted or published articles should follow COPE guidelines.

Authors are responsible for ensuring compliance with scientific and ethical standards and for confirming the originality of their work. They must verify that the manuscript is not previously published or under consideration elsewhere in any language. Copyright laws must be observed, with appropriate permissions and acknowledgments for copyrighted material (e.g., tables, figures, extensive quotations). Proper citation of other authors' work, contributions, or sources is required.

All authors must disclose any financial relationships, conflicts of interest, or competing interests that could potentially influence research outcomes or scientific judgment. Any financial support, sponsorship, or project funding must be transparently disclosed.

If an author identifies a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obligated to promptly collaborate with the Editor-in-Chief to issue corrections or retractions as necessary.

 

3. Peer-Review Process

The Turkish Journal of Traumatic Stress employs a double-blind peer review process, ensuring that the identities of both reviewers and authors remain anonymous. The Editor-in-Chief oversees the editorial and scientific content of the journal and makes the final decision on publication.

Manuscripts that pass preliminary review are evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief for originality, methodology, relevance, and alignment with the journal's scope. For manuscripts considered suitable for publication, an unbiased, double-blind peer review process is managed by associate editors. Manuscripts are assigned to two or more independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant field. Reviewers are asked to provide comprehensive, constructive feedback to guide both the editor’s decision and the authors’ improvements. Authors are expected to implement requested changes through the online manuscript submission system. The associate editor then forwards the original manuscript, revised manuscript, and reviewers’ comments, along with a recommendation, to the Editor-in-Chief.

The Editor-in-Chief reviews the manuscript and makes a final decision, which may involve acceptance, rejection, or a request for further revisions.

For manuscripts submitted by editors or editorial board members, the journal invites an external, independent editor to oversee the evaluation. Reviewers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest regarding the research, authors, or funders. They must ensure confidentiality of all information associated with submitted manuscripts and report any suspected copyright infringement or plagiarism to the Editor-in-Chief.

The Turkish Journal of Traumatic Stress adheres to COPE guidelines and flowcharts in managing the peer review process.

 

4. Ethical Publishing

The Turkish Journal of Traumatic Stress is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in publication and aligns with guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the European Association of Science Editors (EASE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the Council of Science Editors (CSE).

All submissions must be original, unpublished, and not concurrently under review by another publication, including full-text conference proceedings. Each manuscript is reviewed by a minimum of two blinded reviewers. The journal reserves the right to employ plagiarism detection software at any stage. Plagiarism, data fabrication or manipulation, and unethical practices regarding human or animal research are grounds for manuscript rejection. This includes any malpractice identified post-publication.

Conflict of Interest

The Turkish Journal of Traumatic Stress requires authors and all individuals involved in the manuscript evaluation process to disclose any existing or potential conflicts of interest that could unduly influence their responsibilities. Disclosures should cover financial ties, academic commitments, personal relationships, and institutional affiliations. Additionally, authors must disclose any financial support received for the research and specify the funder’s role in the study.

Human and Animal Rights

The Turkish Journal of Traumatic Stress adheres to the ethical standards outlined in the World Medical Association’s (WMA) Declaration of Helsinki – Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects (2003 revision) and the WMA Statement on Animal Use in Biomedical Research (2016 revision). Approval of research protocols by an ethics committee, in accordance with the WMA Declaration of Helsinki, is required for experimental, clinical, drug studies, and certain case reports. Authors must provide ethics committee approvals or equivalent documentation when required. In animal studies, researchers must ensure animal welfare, explicitly stating measures taken to minimize pain and suffering.

Ethics Committee Approval and Informed Consent

Manuscripts must include approval of research protocols from national or local ethics committees. Studies involving human subjects must confirm that informed consent was obtained after a thorough explanation of procedures. For minors, wards, or individuals with impaired capacity, authors must confirm that assent was obtained from legal custodians where applicable.

 

5. Declaration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)–Assisted Technology in Scientific Writing

Upon submission, authors must disclose whether they utilized artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies (such as Large Language Models [LLMs], chatbots, or image generators) in producing their submitted work. Authors employing such technologies should detail the use in both the Title Page and within the manuscript, specifying it in a declaration above the references section. For studies that incorporated AI technology, the methodology section should include a thorough description that allows replication, including the specific tool, version, and prompts used where relevant.

Chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT) should not be credited as authors, as they lack responsibility for the work's accuracy, integrity, and originality—essential elements of authorship. Therefore, human authors bear full accountability for content produced using AI-assisted technologies. Authors must review and refine AI-generated content, as AI may produce authoritative-sounding output that could be incorrect, incomplete, or biased. Ultimately, human authors are responsible for the work's content. AI and AI-assisted technologies should not be cited as authors or co-authors, nor should AI be acknowledged as a content creator. Authors must verify that the manuscript, including text and images generated by AI, is free from plagiarism. Proper attribution and full citation of quoted material are mandatory. This guidance applies only to the writing process and does not encompass the use of AI tools for data analysis or insight generation as part of the research.

 

PREPARING YOUR PAPER

1. General Principles

  • Manuscripts should be submitted via the journal's online manuscript submission and evaluation system, available at https://traumaj.com/index.php/pub/about/submissions.
  • Authors must include the following documents with their manuscript:
  • Authors must confirm that the research or case report adheres to ethical standards and that ethics committee approval and/or informed consent were obtained.
  • Manuscripts should be prepared as MS Word documents (not PDFs) according to the AMA Manual of Style, 11th Edition.
  • Authors must confirm that the manuscript is not under consideration by another journal.
  • Disclosure of any commercial or financial interests must be included.
  • Authors should ensure the manuscript has undergone a final review for fluent English.
  • Manuscripts failing the initial technical review will be returned to the corresponding author with requests for technical corrections.
  • All correspondence will be directed to the first-named author unless specified otherwise. Upon receipt of the manuscript, authors will be assigned a submission ID, which should be used in all further communications.
  • Manuscripts must include a title page listing all authors, their affiliations, and the contact information of the corresponding author. Authors’ names and affiliations should not appear in the uploaded manuscript file, as the main document must remain anonymous. Please avoid mentioning author names or affiliations in sections such as Methods.

 

2. Title Page

The title page should contain the following elements (For Sample):

  • A concise, informative title reflecting key concepts without abbreviations.
  • A brief running title of no more than 40 characters.
  • The full names of all authors.
  • Institutional affiliations where the research was conducted, with a footnote for authors’ current address if different from the original institution.
  • ORCID IDs for all authors.
  • Acknowledgments.

Note: The journal adheres to a double-blind peer review process. Ensure that the manuscript is anonymized and include author information only on a separate title page.

 

3. Abstract and Keywords

An abstract must accompany all submissions except for Book Reviews and Letters to the Editor.

Research Article abstracts should be structured with the following subheadings: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusion, and must not exceed 250 words.

Manuscripts should include abstracts in English.

Abstracts should end with 3 to 7 keywords chosen according to Index Medicus. 

Authors can verify Index Medicus keywords using the NLM MESH Browser (NLM MESH Browser).

Page numbering should begin after the abstract pages.

 

4. Main Text File

All identifying information, including author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, or specific institutional mentions, should be placed on a separate page.

The main text file should be in Word format and include the following:

  • A concise, informative title incorporating main keywords (abbreviations should be avoided).
  • An English abstract
  • Up to seven keywords
  • The main body structured as follows:
    • Introduction
    • Method
      • Participants
      • Procedure
      • Measures
      • Data Analysis
    • Results
    • Discussion
    • Acknowledgments
    • References
    • Tables (each with a title and footnotes)
    • Figure legends: Provide a comprehensive list of legends within the text; figures should be submitted as separate files.

 

5. Manuscript Types

Research Article
Research articles present substantial and original scientific findings within the journal’s scope. They consist of an abstract, keywords, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, references, and tables/figures. Abstracts and body text must follow the specified format. Ethics committee approval and informed consent must be obtained and mentioned in the manuscript. Research articles are limited to 3500 words.

Case Report
Case reports provide detailed documentation of novel, interesting, and unique case studies, offering solutions to healthcare challenges through innovative methods and tools. They serve as an educational resource for readers. Case reports include an unstructured abstract, keywords, introduction, case presentation, discussion, references, tables, and figures. The maximum word count is 1500, with a limited number of figures, tables, and references. Written informed consent from the patient must be obtained and noted in the manuscript.

Guest Editorial
Guest Editorials, written as review articles, are contributed by individuals with extensive experience or recognized expertise in a field. The Journal invites authors to write on specific subjects relevant to clinical practice, summarizing, evaluating, and discussing current knowledge. Submissions not meeting these criteria will not be accepted as Guest Editorials. Manuscripts should contain an unstructured abstract that accurately summarizes the article, keywords, an introduction, and a conclusion.

Letter to the Editor
Letters to the Editor are considered if they do not exceed 500 words, contain no tables or figures, and are submitted with the note “for publication.” All authors must sign the letter. Only commentaries or critiques submitted within three months of the publication of the relevant article will be accepted.

 

6. Standards for Tables, Graphics, and Figures

Tables offer concise and efficient data presentation, allowing for a desired level of detail and precision. Using tables instead of text can help reduce the length of the manuscript. Tables, graphics, and figures should be numbered with Arabic numerals in the order they appear within the text and referenced accordingly.

Tables should have double spacing, with a maximum length of 120 characters and 70 lines. Each table must be placed on a separate page and given a title. Each column or line should have a brief or abbreviated heading. Explanatory material should be included in footnotes rather than in the heading. Nonstandard abbreviations must be defined in footnotes, and statistical measures, such as standard deviation and standard error of the mean, should be identified.

If authors include a picture, figure, or table from another source, they must obtain permission from the copyright holder, provide the necessary documentation, and cite the source in the text. Legends must accompany all figures, being brief and specific, and should be listed on a separate page at the end of the manuscript.

All electronic artwork can be submitted through the online manuscript submission system. Figures should be uploaded as separate digital files in JPEG format. Electronic images, such as photographs, radiographs, CT scans, and scanned figures, should have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.

 

7. References

In-text citations and references must follow the AMA Manual of Style, 11th Edition. Preference should be given to the latest, most relevant sources, as this helps ensure the paper’s timeliness and relevance to the field. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references, which must be properly cited and formatted. References should be cited in superscript following punctuation in the text. For ahead-of-print publications, the DOI should be included in the reference list. Journal titles should be abbreviated according to Index Medicus/MEDLINE/PubMed standards. If there are six or fewer authors, all should be listed; for seven or more authors, list the first three followed by “et al.” in the reference list. For guidance on reference formatting, consult the AMA Manual of Style, 11th Edition for Endnote.

Examples of reference formats for various publication types are provided below:

  • Journal Article: Thompson-Hollands J, Lee DJ, Allen ES, et al. The significant others’ responses to trauma scale (SORTS): applying factor analysis and item response theory to a measure of PTSD symptom accommodation. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2024;15(1):235-238.
  • Book Section: Watson PJ, Friedman MJ, Gibson LE, Ruzek JI, Norris FH, Ritchie EC. Early intervention for trauma-related problems. In: Ursano RJ, Norwood AE, eds. Trauma and Disaster Responses and Management. New York: American Psychiatric Association Pub; 2003:97-107.
  • Book with a Single Author: Yaşar AB. Change In the Brain with EMDR Therapy. 1st ed. İstanbul: Psikonet Publishing Co; 2024.
  • Thesis: Karaş H. The relationship of childhood trauma, dissociative experiences, and depression with pain in female patients with fibromyalgia: a cross-sectional study. Dissertation. Gelişim University; 2017.
  • Website: Leading social media platforms used by marketers worldwide as of January 2024. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/259379/social-media-platforms-used-by-marketers-worldwide/.
  • Epub Ahead of Print Articles: Chiu HTS, Low DCW, Chan AHT, et al. Relationship between anxiety sensitivity and post-traumatic stress symptoms in trauma-exposed adults: a meta-analysis. J Anxiety Disord. 2024 Dec 26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102857. [Epub ahead of print].