p-ISSN: 1300-0551
e-ISSN: 2587-1498

Aims and Scope

Turkish Journal of Sports Medicine is the official journal of the Turkish Sports Medicine Association and is published quarterly in March, June, September and December. It publishes original basic and clinical work in sports medicine and sports sciences. Original research articles, reviews, case reports, technical notes and studies presented at scientific meetings are accepted for evaluation. The journal aims to support and disseminate scientific and educational knowledge related to sports medicine, and introduce physical activity as a preventive and therapeutic agent in almost every field of applied medical sciences. It is an independent peer-reviewed international journal published in English. Manuscripts are refereed in accordance with a "double-blind peer reviewed" process for both referees and authors.

Instructions to Authors

For the international authors, submission of Turkish headings, abstracts and keywords are not required. These will be provided by editorial office.

Authors should sign and send a copyright transfer form, which states that they transfer all rights of the manuscript to the Turkish Sports Medicine Association. Before the receipt of this form, the evaluation process of an article will not be initiated. It is the authors' responsibility to acquire copyright permission for the use of content that has been published in other publications (text, image, etc.). Rejected manuscripts will not be returned to their authors (except for artistic images).

An ORCID ID is required for all authors during the submission of the manuscript. The ID is available at http://orcid.org with free of charge.

The editor reserves the right to reject manuscripts that do not comply with the above-mentioned requirements. Corrections may be done without changing the main text.

The author assures that the manuscript is an original work that has not been previously published and is not currently submitted elsewhere. Only those presented at scientific meetings in the form of abstracts that do not exceed 300 words can be accepted for consideration, if notification of the scientific conference is made. If a submitted manuscript has previously been presented in a meeting; the name, date and the location of the meeting should be stated during submission.

The author should attach the documents revealing all relevant permissions to publish quotations, text, tables, or illustrations from copyrighted sources. The author and the co-authors should sign the statement, by which they accept full responsibility for the accuracy of all content.

All manuscripts are reviewed by the editor and/or associate editors, and by at least two independent reviewers. For rejected manuscripts, return of the original illustrations or photographs is not applicable, unless notified by the author.

The manuscript format should be in accordance with Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication (http://www.icmje.org).

Plagiarism screening is routinely done for every article submitted to the journal by the Editorial Office.

Ethical Principles

The editorial and publication processes of the journal are shaped in accordance with the guidelines of the International Council of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The journal conforms to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (doaj.org/bestpractice).

Manuscripts in the form of clinical, experimental and drug investigations should be approved by the appropriate local ethics committee, and should be performed in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration, revised 2013. Additionally relevant informed consent should be obtained from all subjects prior to the study and this should be stated clearly in the "Materials and Methods" section. Any research about animal experiments must follow the “The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” and should include a clear statement about it.

Authors are required to declare the statement on conflict of interests and terms of financial support.

1. General Guidelines

Manuscripts can only be submitted online at http://journalofsportsmedicine.org. The manuscript text should be written double-spaced with 12 pt size Calibri font, in a "Microsoft® Word" program on A4 sized pages. Margins should be ample, with at least 3 cm of space on both sides. Pages should be numbered consecutively, starting with the title page as "1" at right bottom corner. Manuscript files should be blinded. The main text should not contain any information about the authors' names and affiliations.

The full term for which an abbreviation stands should precede the abbreviation's first use in the text in parentheses, and the use of standard abbreviations listed in the "Scientific Style and Format" is advocated.

Research Article

This is the most important type of article since it provides new information based on original research. The main text of original articles should be structured with Introduction, Material and Methods (with subheadings), Results, Discussion, Conclusion subheadings. Articles should not exceed 4000 words and 40 references.

Review Article

Reviews prepared by authors who have extensive knowledge on a particular field, and whose scientific background reflects itself into a high volume of publications with high citation potential are welcomed. Authors who would like to sent review articles are requried to have at least 5 PubMed indexed articles related to the subject.

These authors may be invited by the journal. Reviews should describe, discuss and evaluate the current level of knowledge of a topic, and should guide future studies. The main text should contain Introduction, Clinical and Research Consequences, and Conclusion sections. Review articles should not exceed 5000 words and 80 references.

Case Report

Case reports should include the title, abstract, key words, introduction, case, discussion and references. It should be limited to 1000 words and 20 references. It should be supported by illustrations and photographs.

Editorial

Editorials are primarily provided by the Editor, but brief commentaries (500-750 words) may be submitted for consideration.

Letters to the Editor

This type of manuscript discusses important parts, overlooked aspects, or lacking parts of a previously published article. Articles on subjects within the scope of the journal that might attract the readers’ attention, particularly educative cases, may also be submitted in the form of a “Letter to the Editor”. Readers can also present their comments on the published manuscripts in the form of a “Letter to the Editor.” Abstract, Keywords, Tables, Figures, Images, and other media should not be included. The text should be unstructured. The manuscript that is being commented on must be properly cited within the letter.

2. Title Page / Cover Letter

The title page and cover letter are generated automatically during the online submission process. There is no need to prepare and upload them separately. In addition to the title, a running title of the manuscript (not more than 50 characters including spaces) should be entered. In the cover letter section, authors should state that there is no conflict of interest associated with the manuscript. In the event of a conflict of interest for any of the authors, please provide a disclosure of interest by giving a detailed explanation.

3. Abstract

Original articles should have a structured abstract including the following subheads: Objective, Materials and Methods, Results, and Conclusions. For case reports, the structured abstract is not used. Limit the abstract to 300 words. Abbreviations should be avoided. References, tables and citations should not be used in an abstract.

4. Keywords

Authors must include relevant keywords (2-5) on the line following the end of the abstract. Use appropriate subject headings as listed in www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/MBrowser.html.

5. Tables / Graphs / Illustrations / Photograph

Tables, figures (graphs, illustrations and photographs) should not be placed in the main text. Separate files should be prepared for tables (each table on a separate page) and figures such as graphs, illustrations and photographs. Please supply electronic files for all figures and illustrations including photographs as gif or jpg images with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi, and do not use “embedded” figures.

Each table and figure should have a self-explanatory title and be numbered in their citation order in the text. Arabic numerals should be preferred for tables, , figures and the like. Also, each legend should describe clearly what the illustration represents and what each abbreviation means. Tables should not repeat the data of the text. In the case of the use of a previously published table, figure or illustration, written permission from the publisher should be submitted with the manuscript. Identifying information including names, initials, hospital IDs and pedigrees should not be written. Information or illustrations must not permit identification of patients, and written informed consent for publication must be sought for any photograph.

6. References

References should be arranged in Vancouver style recommended by ICMJE.

Number the references in the order they are mentioned in the text; do not alphabetize. Recent publications should be cited as much as possible. In the text, author's citations must be followed by the reference number in parentheses. At the end of the text, identify references with Arabic numerals. Journal names should be abbreviated in accordance with Index Medicus/MEDLINE/PubMed (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/archive/20130415/tsd/serials/lji.html). In the reference, the names of all authors should be stated up to six or less. Otherwise, the first six names should be followed by "et al." and institutional working groups, if any. Examples related to correct use of references are given below:

(Detailed information is accessible from NIH)

Journal Article: Sarzynski MA, Davidsen PK, Sung YJ, Hesselink MKC, Schrauwen P, Rice TK, et al. Genomic and transcriptomic predictors of triglyceride response to regular exercise. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49:1524-31

Book With a Single Author: Astrand PO. Experimental Studies of Physical Working Capacity in Relation to Sex and Age. 1st ed. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard; 1952.

Editor(s) as Authors: Astrand PO, Rodahl K, Dahl HA, Stromme SB, editors. Textbook of Work Physiology: Physiological Bases of Exercise. 4th ed. Champaign: Human Kinetics; 2003.

Chapter of a Book: Ergen E, Ulkar B. Principles of injury care and rehabilitation: proprioception and coordination. In: Frontera WR, Herring SA, Micheli L, Siver JK, editors. Clinical Sports Medicine. 1st ed. London: Elsevier; 2007. p. 237-55.

Presentation in Proceeding Book: Sa MM, Azevedo R, Malcata A, Machado O. Noise in physical education activities. In: Ergen E, Ulkar B, Guner R, editors. EFSMA 2009. Proceedings of the 6th European Congress of Sports Medicine; 2009 Oct 14-18; Antalya, Türkiye. Bologna: Medimond; 2009. p. 295-8.

Thesis: Eraslan A. Glukozamin sülfatın ön çağraz bağ rekonstrüksiyonu sonrası diz ağrısı ve fonksiyonu üzerine etkisi. Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Sports Medicine Department  Thesis. Ankara: Ankara University. 2010.

Web materials: eatright.org [Internet]. Chicago: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; c2016 [cited 2016 Dec 27]. Available from: https://www.eatright.org/.

Fees

There is not any submission or evaluation fee for all manuscripts submitted for publication.

Open Access

Articles are freely available to both subscribers and the wider public with permitted reuse.

Copyright Transfer

Authors accept full responsibility for the accuracy of all content, including findings, citations, quotations and references contained within the manuscript. Copyright assignment is a condition of publication and papers will not be passed to the publisher for production unless copyright has been assigned. All authors will be required to sign the “copyright transfer form following acceptance of the manuscript.

Copyright

Turkish Journal of Sports Medicine is published using the open access model. All content is available free of charge without restrictions from the journal's website at: www.journalofsportsmedicine.org.

Material Disclaimer

Scientific and legal responsibilities pertaining to the papers belong to the authors. The contents of the manuscripts, and accuracy of references along with the copyright authority of the figures and tables are also the author's responsibility. Neither the Turkish Sports Medicine Association, nor the Editor, the Editorial Board or the publisher accept any responsibility for the articles.

Peer Review Process

1. Submission of Paper

The corresponding or submitting author submits the paper to the journal. This is via an online system.

2. Editorial Office Assessment

The journal checks the paper’s composition and arrangement against the journal’s Author Guidelines to make sure it includes the required sections and stylizations. The quality of the paper is not assessed at this point.

3. Appraisal by the Editor-in-Chief (EIC)

The EIC checks that the paper is appropriate for the journal and is sufficiently original and interesting. If not, the paper may be rejected without being reviewed any further.

4. EIC Assigns an Associate Editor (AE)

Associate Editors handle the peer review.

5. Invitation to Reviewers

The handling editor sends invitations to individuals he or she believes would be appropriate reviewers. As responses are received, further invitations are issued, if necessary, until at least 2 acceptances are obtained.

6. Response to Invitations

Potential reviewers consider the invitation against their own expertise, conflicts of interest and availability. They then accept or decline. If possible, when declining, they might also suggest alternative reviewers.

7. Conduction of the Review

The reviewer sets time aside to read the paper several times. The first read is used to form an initial impression of the work. If major problems are found at this stage, the reviewer may feel comfortable rejecting the paper without further work. Otherwise they will read the paper several more times, taking notes so as to build a detailed point-by-point review. The review is then submitted to the journal, with a recommendation to accept or reject it – or else with a request for revision (usually flagged as either major or minor) before it is reconsidered.

8. Evaluation of the Reviews

The handling editor considers all the returned reviews before making an overall decision. If the reviews differ widely, the editor may invite an additional reviewer so as to get an extra opinion before making a decision.

9. The Decision

The editor sends a decision email to the author including any relevant reviewer comments.

10. Next Steps

If accepted, the paper is sent to production. If the article is rejected or sent back for either major or minor revision, the handling editor includes constructive comments from the reviewers to help the author improve the article. At this point, reviewers be sent an email or letter letting them know the outcome of their review. If the paper was sent back for revision, the reviewers expect to receive a new version, unless they have opted out of further participation. However, where only minor changes were requested this follow-up review is done by the handling editor.

Subscription
Achieved online at http://journalofsportsmedicine.org. Tables of contents, abstracts and full texts of all articles published are free to all readers. The Editorial Office and the Publisher may be contacted for detailed information on any subject.

Plagiarism

Screening for plagiarism is routinely applied with iThenticate to verify the originality of papers submitted to our journal.

Publisher
Turkish Sports Medicine Association
Ege University Faculty of Medicine Sports Medicine Department
PK: 24
35100, Bornova / İzmir, Türkiye
Phone: +90 232 390 23 80
Fax: +90 232 343 80 53
E-mail: tshd@sporhekimleridernegi.org

Permission Requests

Permission requests to reproduce copies of articles for non-commercial use may be obtained from the Editorial Office.

Editorial Office
Dr. Bülent Ülkar
Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Sports Medicine Department, Dikimevi, Ankara, Türkiye
Phone: +90 312 595 71 25
E-Mail: editor@journalofsportsmedicine.org

Technical Contact
Çiğdem Eratak
Yazılım Parkı Bilişim Teknolojileri D.O.R.P. Ltd. Şti.
E-Mail Address: ceratak@yazilimparki.com.tr
Web Address: www.yazilimparki.com.tr