Author Guidelines

Authorship

Authorship gives credit, assigns responsibility, and implies academic, social, and financial accountability for the published work. Those who substantially contributed to a paper are credited as authors, understand and take on their roles and responsibilities, and are held accountable for published research.

The journal’s definition of authorship is based on the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). The ICMJE recommends that authorship be based on the following 4 criteria:

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
• Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
• Final approval of the version to be published; AND
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Those who met all four criteria are identified as authors. In addition, responsibilities of co-authors for specific aspects of the work must be indicated. Please see the "Authorship information" section below for details on how to indicate these responsibilities in the manuscript.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools do not meet the authorship criteria and specifically cannot meet the requirement for accountability. Therefore, AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

If the manuscript is authored by a large group or a consortium, all the members should meet all four authorship criteria. The corresponding author(s) must specify the group name and group members in line with the disclosure agreements.

For more information on how to acknowledge non-author contributors, equal contributors, and the corresponding author, please see the following sections.

Changes in Authorship

Any requests for changes in authorship (adding, removing, or rearranging the order of authors) after the initial submission must be accompanied by a written explanation and a signed agreement from all authors, including those being added or removed. The journal follows the COPE flowcharts for handling such requests. Changes in authorship are generally not permitted after the manuscript has been accepted for publication.

Non-Author Contributions

Those who do not meet all the above-mentioned criteria are not qualified as authors; however, those who met at least one of the criteria should be acknowledged as non-author contributors, and their contribution should be specified in the “Acknowledgements” section of the Title Page. For more information on non-author contributions, please see: https://www.icmje.org.

Non-author contributions include but are not limited to administrative support, general supervision, acquisition of funding, technical editing, language editing, and proofreading. Non-author contributions should be specified and indicated on the title page upon submission.

Equal Contributions

Authorship status and authors who contributed to the work equally should be indicated when submitting multi-author articles. Accordingly, authorship status and equal contributions are defined as follows:

• Equal contribution: The authors contributed equally to the research.
• First authorship: The authors share first authorship.
• Equal contribution and first authorship: The authors contributed equally to the research and share first authorship.

Corresponding Author

The corresponding author is the designated author handling all correspondence with the journal, from submission to publication processes, on behalf of the authors. The corresponding author is responsible for complying with the journal's administrative requirements, providing the necessary information and documents, including authorship details, contact details, ethics committee approval, registration documents, and signing publication agreements.

The corresponding author serves as the primary point of contact for any inquiries regarding the work, even after publication.

Cover Letter

A cover letter is required for all submissions, regardless of the article type. The cover letter is important to help the Editor in their preliminary evaluation. The submitting author will be asked to write or paste their cover letter in a designated place in the online submission system (It will not be uploaded as a separate file).

Here, please indicate why you think the paper is suitable for publication in Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions. Statements that the manuscript has not been previously published, is not under consideration by another journal, and that all authors have approved the submission of this version of the manuscript and take full responsibility for the manuscript must be provided.

If the work has been previously presented, or published as an abstract or pre-print, please indicate so in the cover letter and provide details on the title page. If generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been used in any part of the production of the work, this should also be declared both in the cover letter and in the appropriate parts of the submitted files.

Article Types

The manuscripts submitted to Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions should be original, have not been published, and not be under review by any other publication.

It is recommended that the manuscript follow the relevant EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines, depending on the type of study (e.g., CONSORT for randomized trials, STROBE for observational studies, PRISMA for systematic reviews).

Authors must select the article type for their manuscripts and must comply with the limits and structures defined in the table below. For further details, please refer to the specific descriptions of the article types provided below the table.

*Only for the main text; excluding title page, abstract, keywords, tables, footnotes, figure captions, and references.

Research Article

Research articles must present original findings that contribute to the scientific advancement of the subject areas outlined in the Focus and Scope. These studies should provide new information based on original research, and their acceptance is typically based on the originality and importance of the findings.

• Abstract: An unstructured abstract (maximum 250 words) summarizing the study's aim, methods, main findings, and conclusions must be provided. Following the abstract, Keywords (minimum 3, maximum 6) should be listed.
• Main Text: The main text (maximum 4000 words) must be structured under the following headings: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion.
  • Introduction: Establish the study’s position within the existing literature and clearly state its objective(s).
  • Materials and Methods: Describe the methodology, study setting, participants/sample, applied methods, and analysis type.
    • Statistical Analysis: Information on statistical analyses should be provided with a separate subheading under this section. Statistical analyses must be conducted in accordance with international reporting standards. P values, confidence intervals (CIs), and other statistical measures should be presented clearly (e.g., P = .002 rather than P < .01).
    • Clinical Trials: Addicta adopts the ICMJE's clinical trial registration policy. Prospective clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov) at or before the time of first patient enrollment. The registration number must be reported in this section.
  • Results: Present the study’s findings and statistical significance without interpretation.
  • Discussion: Discuss implications, relate findings to previous work, address limitations, and provide a conclusion.
• Limits: Maximum total of 10 tables and figures. Maximum 50 references.

Review

Review articles must provide a comprehensive and critical synthesis of the existing literature on topics within the journal's scope. These articles should summarize the current knowledge base, analyze debates within the field, and propose perspectives for future research. Reviews must go beyond mere summaries of existing studies; they should incorporate critical insights and novel interpretations. Authors with extensive knowledge and expertise in a particular field are especially welcomed.

• Abstract: An unstructured abstract (maximum 250 words) summarizing the review's purpose, scope, and key conclusions. Followed by Keywords (minimum 3, maximum 6).
• Main Text: The main text (maximum 5000 words) should typically follow the Introduction, Materials and Methods (describing the search strategy/selection criteria), Results, and Discussion structure. For narrative reviews, appropriate thematic subheadings may be used within this framework to organize the content logically.
• Limits: Maximum total of 12 tables and figures. Maximum 60 references.

Case Report

Case reports should contribute to medical and psychological knowledge by sharing rare cases, clinically interesting findings, or innovative treatment approaches. These articles must provide practical recommendations for clinical practice and include a comparative analysis with similar cases in the literature.

• Abstract: An unstructured abstract (maximum 200 words) summarizing the case. Followed by Keywords (minimum 3, maximum 6).
• Main Text: The main text (maximum 1200 words) must be structured as: Introduction, Case Presentation, and Discussion.
  • Introduction: Briefly explain the rarity, clinical significance, and context of the case.
  • Case Presentation: Provide detailed patient demographics, history, and findings. Patient confidentiality is mandatory.
  • Discussion: Compare the case with similar cases in the literature and summarize implications for practice.
• Limits: Maximum total of 8 tables and figures. Maximum 20 references.

Case-based Review

Case-based reviews combine the descriptive value of a case report with the depth of a literature review. These articles start with a specific case (or series of cases) to illustrate a clinical challenge or topic, followed by a comprehensive review of the relevant literature. These manuscripts should provide insight into the diagnosis and treatment of challenging cases.

• Abstract: An unstructured abstract (maximum 250 words). Followed by Keywords (minimum 3, maximum 6).
• Main Text: The main text (maximum 2500 words) should be structured as: Introduction, Case Presentation, and Discussion.
  • The Discussion section should incorporate a short literature review of similar cases published in the literature, including a description of the search strategy and a summary table of the cases found.
• Limits: Maximum total of 2 tables and figures. Maximum 40 references.

Letter to the Editor

Letters to the Editor are written to provide academic commentary, critique, additional information, or brief perspectives on a published article or a general topic of interest. These letters aim to encourage scientific discourse or highlight a significant point. They should not contain original data but must present arguments that are consistent with and supported by the existing literature.

• Structure: No abstract is required. The text should be unstructured but logical. The manuscript that is being commented on must be properly cited.
• Limits: Maximum 500 words. Maximum 5 references. No tables or figures are permitted.
• Review: Letters may be subject to peer review at the discretion of the editor.

Editorial Comments

Editorial comments are usually invited by the Editor-in-Chief. They provide expert insight and critical analysis of the research presented in a specific article published in the journal. These comments are written by authors who have demonstrated expertise or a high reputation in the topic.

• Structure: No abstract is required. The text is unstructured.
• Limits: Maximum 1000 words. Maximum 5 references. No tables or figures are permitted.

Book Review

The journal welcomes reviews of contemporary and noteworthy books within the journal's scope, provided that they have been reviewed by an external expert on the relevant topic. These reviews should provide a critical evaluation of the book, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses, as well as its relevance to the journal's readership.

• Structure: No abstract is required. The text is unstructured. The title page should contain the details of the book being reviewed (Title, Author(s)/Editor(s), Publisher, Year, ISBN).
• Limits: Maximum 1000 words. Maximum 5 references. No tables or figures are permitted.

Manuscript Formatting Guidelines

Prior to submitting a manuscript to the journal, authors are strongly encouraged to carefully review the Manuscript Formatting Guidelines.

Manuscripts should be submitted to the Journal's online submission system by the corresponding author.

The manuscripts should comply with the following format requirements. All submissions must include the following separate files:

1. Title Page: Must be uploaded as a separate file.
2. Blind Manuscript (Main Document): Must not contain any author names or affiliations.
3. Figures: High-resolution files (if applicable).
4. Supplementary Material: If applicable.

Page Format & Style

• File Format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).
• Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt.
• Spacing: Double spacing throughout the text (including abstract, references, and tables).
• Margins: 2.5 cm (1 inch) margins on all sides.
• Page Numbers: Pages should be numbered consecutively at the bottom center.

1. Title Page

The Title Page should be submitted as a separate file and must include the following:

Title Page Template

• Title: Concise and informative (no abbreviations).
• Short Title: A running head of no more than 70 characters.
• Authors: Author details must be presented as specified under the “Author Information” section below and must be consistent with the information provided in the online submission system.
• Word Count: For the main text (excluding abstract and references).
• Number of tables and figures: Must comply with the table and figure limits specified in the “Article Types”.
• Declarations:
  • Author Contributions: A brief description of each author's contribution (e.g., Study Design, Data Collection, Analysis).
  • Ethics Committee Approval: Name of the committee, date, and approval number (mandatory for studies on human/animal subjects).
  • Conflict of Interest: A statement declaring any potential conflicts.
  • Financial Disclosure: Sources of funding (Grant numbers, if any).
  • Data Availability Statement: A statement on where the data supporting the results can be found.
  • Presented or Pre-print or Published as an abstract or as a thesis: If the work has been previously presented, published as an abstract or pre-print, or derived from a thesis, please indicate here.
  • Acknowledgements: Acknowledgments should be extended to those individuals or institutions whose contributions to the study were limited or minimal.
  • AI Declaration: If Generative AI was used, it must be declared here.

Guidelines for Title Page Content

Please ensure that the specific sections of the Title Page are prepared according to the detailed guidelines below:

Title

The title of the study should reflect the content clearly and be precise. Titles should not exceed two lines and should be in sentence case capitalization, except for proper nouns. Titles should not include abbreviations or acronyms unless they are standard.

A short running title with at most 70 characters (including spaces) should also be provided.

Author Information

All authors must be declared at the time of submission and must appear consistently in both the online submission system and the manuscript. The order of authors listed on the Title Page must correspond exactly to the order provided in the online submission system. Authors are responsible for the accurate and complete declaration of their names and affiliations.

The exact and correct names of all authors should be given on the Title Page of the manuscript, listed together and separated by commas.

For each author listed in the manuscript, the following information must be provided and keyed to the authors’ names. This information should be placed in the footer of the Title Page:

• Full author names: First name, middle initial(s) (if any), and surname
• Affiliation: Institutional information must be provided in the exact sequence below (in line with availability). If an author’s affiliation has changed, the institution where the research was conducted should be listed, followed by the current affiliation or status, if applicable.
  • Department, Institute or Faculty, University or Institution, City, Country
• E-mail address: A valid e-mail address for each author
• ORCID: A valid ORCID iD (link) for each author

Example:
Jane Doe¹, John Smith², Ayşe Yılmaz², Ahmet Yılmaz^2,3

Author Contribution

Author contributions must be detailed on the Title Page to ensure transparency. Authors are required to complete the "Authorship Contribution Table" provided in the Title Page template. In this table, contribution roles should be selected based on the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy), while ensuring that all listed authors meet the ICMJE definition of authorship.

Ethics Committee Approval

Studies requiring ethics committee approval must include a statement in the Materials and Methods section of the main document (blinded) and on the Title Page (full details).

• Main Document: "The study was approved by the [BLINDED] Ethics Committee."
• Title Page: "The study was approved by the Hacettepe University Ethics Committee (Date: January 01, 2024, Decision No: 2024-01)."
• For case reports, informed consent must also be declared.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must declare any potential conflict of interest on the Title Page. If there is no conflict, use the standard wording: “The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest to disclose.”

Funding

Authors are required to disclose all funding and financial support received.

• Standard Wording: "The authors declare that the study received no funding." OR
• "The authors declare that the study is supported/funded by [Name of Institute], grant number: [ABC-12345]."

Data Availability Statement

All authors are required to include a Data Availability Statement on the Title Page. This statement will be published in the final article. The statement should indicate whether the data are available, where they can be found (e.g., a repository link), or explain why they cannot be shared (e.g., privacy or ethical restrictions).

A Data Availability Statement is mandatory for manuscripts that report, generate, or analyze research data. For manuscript types that do not involve the use or generation of research data, inclusion of this statement is not mandatory.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments should be extended to those individuals or institutions whose contributions to the study were limited or minimal (e.g., technical help, writing assistance, general support). Acknowledgements should be a brief statement included only on the Title Page to ensure blind review.

2. Blind Manuscript (Main Document)

The main document is the file that will be sent to reviewers. It must be anonymized.

• Do not include author names, affiliations, or contact details.
• Do not include the Acknowledgements section in this file (as it may reveal identity).
• Blinding: Use third-person language when referring to your own previous work (e.g., instead of "we showed [Ref]", use "a previous study showed [Ref]"). Mask the name of the institution in the Methods section (e.g., "The study was conducted at [BLINDED]").

The Main Document should appear in the following order:

1. Title
2. Abstract: Unstructured (without subheadings), adhering to the word limits defined in "Article Types".
3. Keywords: 3-6 keywords selected from MeSH (Medical Subject Headings).
4. Main Points: 3 to 5 bullet points highlighting the most significant results and clinical/social implications of the study (Plain language recommended).
5. Main Text: Structured according to the Article Type (e.g., Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion).
6. Tables: Embedded in the text.
7. Figure Legends: Descriptive captions for figures.
8. Figures: Embedded in the text.
9. References: Formatted according to APA 7th Edition.
10. Appendices: If applicable.

Guidelines for Main Document Content

The content of the blind manuscript should be prepared according to the specific guidelines and formatting rules provided below:

Title

The title of the study should reflect the content clearly and be precise. Titles should not exceed two lines and should be in sentence case capitalization, except for proper nouns. Titles should not include abbreviations or acronyms unless they are standard.

A short running title with at most 70 characters (including spaces) should also be provided.

Abstract

Abstracts should briefly and clearly include the aim of the study, its scope, method, main findings, and results. Abstracts should be unstructured (without subheadings) and should not include non-standard abbreviations or citations. Abstracts that exceed the word limit specified in the "Article Types" table will not be accepted.

Keywords

Keywords increase the discoverability of articles. Authors should select 3-6 keywords that reflect the scope of the article. The selection of keywords should be from MeSH (Medical Subject Headings). Authors can use the MeSH on Demand tool to identify appropriate keywords.

Example: Conflict resolution, ingroup favouritism, social identity.

Main Points

To ensure the core message of the study is immediately accessible, all manuscripts (excluding Letters to the Editor and Book Reviews) must be accompanied by 3 to 5 "Main Points." These points should be presented as a bulleted list and must:

• Highlight the most significant results of the study.
• Emphasize the primary clinical or social implication.
• Be written in clear, plain language that is easily understandable by specialists in the field.

Main Text

The main text should be structured according to the specific guidelines provided under the "Article Types" section above (e.g., Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion for Research Articles).

• Ethics Statement in Main Text: Include a statement in the Materials and Methods section regarding ethics approval, but ensure de-identification (e.g., "The study was approved by the [BLINDED] Ethics Committee.").

Tables and Figures

Visual elements such as tables and figures must be referred to in the body text (e.g. Table 1, Figure 1). They should be numbered in the order of appearance.

• Figures: Must be high resolution (min. 300 DPI). Allowed formats: JPEG, TIFF, PNG.
• Tables: Must be editable Word tables, not images. Each table must have a descriptive title placed above the table.

Captions: Figure captions should be placed below the figure.

References

Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions strictly adheres to the APA (American Psychological Association) Style, 7th Edition. Authors are responsible for ensuring that all citations and references are accurate and formatted correctly.

All sources cited in the text must be included in the reference list, and all references listed must be cited in the text of the manuscript. References should be listed alphabetically by the surname of the first author (NOT numbered). In-text citations should be placed at the end of the sentence where possible.

The reference list should be prepared in APA 7 citation style. For detailed information, please review the citation and referencing style guides and examples from the links below.

• Reference examples
• In-text citation examples

Authors are directly responsible for correct citation and adherence to the specified reference and citation style. The use of reference management tools such as Zotero, Endnote, and Mendeley is strongly recommended.

In-text citation guides and examples:

• Format references involving single authors, multiple authors, corporate authors, and abbreviations in accordance with APA 7 examples.
• Format in-text and parenthetical citation cases according to APA 7 examples.

For other in-text citation examples, review the APA In-text Citation Examples page.

Reference list examples:

• Journal article
• Book/E-book
• Book chapter
• Full-text conference proceeding
• Conference presentation or abstract
• Published dissertation
• Unpublished dissertation
• Web page

For all other reference examples, review the APA Reference Examples page.

Reference List Formatting:

Include the DOI for all references where available (e.g., https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx). Do not place a period after the DOI.

Appendices

Appendices additional lists, tables, graphics, etc., should be given separately at the end of the manuscript. Each appendix should be numbered and titled (e.g., Appendix 1. List of Data Collection Tools).

Formulas and Equations

For clarity and consistency in formulas and equations, please follow these guidelines:

• Number each formula in parentheses at the end, e.g., (1).
• Use the Word mathematical processor (font size 12pt).
• Present variables in italics and numbers in plain text.
• Example: "...as depicted in Equation 1."

Units

• Ensure that all units of measurement are in SI units.
• Use a period in decimal fractions (e.g., 1.24).
• Maintain a single space between the number and the unit (e.g., 4 kg, 22 °C), exceptions: angular definitions (10°), percentages (25%).
• The abbreviation of liter is "L".

Electronic Supplementary Materials

Multimedia files (e.g. video, audio, large datasets) or large datasets can be submitted as Electronic Supplementary Materials.

• Formats: .xlsx, .csv, .jpeg, .avi, .mp4, .pdf.
• Naming: Number consecutively (e.g., ESM_1.pdf).
• Citation: Mention all ESM in the main text.
• Size Limit: Max 128 MB per file.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions complies with the current ICMJE and COPE guidelines, and acknowledges the guidance of the Turkish Council of Higher Education in the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technology.

At submission, the authors must disclose whether they used AI-assisted technologies (such as Large Language Models [LLMs], chatbots [eg. ChatGPT], machine learning, image creators or similar technologies) in any part of the production of the submitted work. If they did, they must confirm that they take responsibility for the integrity of the generated content. Disclosure of AI use must include the name and manufacturer of the AI tool, the date(s) of use, and how it was used in relation to the manuscript. Authors who use these tools should describe how and where they used them, and to what extent.

If AI was used for writing assistance, this should be stated on the Title Page as a separate declaration. The authors should fill in the designated parts on our title page template.

If AI was used for data collection, analysis, or figure generation, this should be described in detail in the Materials and Methods section. It is appropriate to use AI in the collection or analysis of data only if this methodology has already been approved by an ethics board (for studies requiring ethical approval).

In either case, the use of AI should also be declared in the cover letter.

AI-assisted tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot be responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the work, cannot determine the presence of conflicts of interest, and these responsibilities are required for authorship (see above, Authorship Criteria). Similarly, AI should not be cited as an author.

Before using any AI-assisted technology, authors should understand how it works, and its potential risks. Authors should carefully review and edit any AI output because AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that may be incorrect, incomplete, or biased. AI can use a wide variety of data as input, and produce output that may be hard to trace back to its original source. Mere declaration of the use of AI is not enough to avoid legal or ethical violations, including plagiarism. Authors must be able to assert that AI has been used within the extent of applicable laws, and that there is no plagiarism in their paper, including in the text and images completely or partly produced by the AI tool. Authors are responsible for all aspects of any submitted material that includes the use of AI-assisted technologies.

Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions runs plagiarism and AI-use checks on all accepted manuscripts prior to publication. We discourage large-scale use of AI-assisted technology to the extent that the original human contribution to the work is brought to question (eg. large portions of text written almost completely by AI). Failure to properly disclose the use of AI-assisted technology at submission, both in the cover letter and in the appropriate part of either the title page (for writing assistance) or the main document (for methodology) as described above may result in the reversal of the acceptance decision, or in the retraction of a published manuscript.

This does not include basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references etc.

Language Editing

The official language of the journal is English. Manuscripts must be written and submitted in clear, grammatically correct English. Submitted manuscripts should adhere to proper grammar and spelling conventions, as well as reflect accuracy and consistency with the relevant scientific literature.

Upon acceptance, manuscripts undergo professional language editing and proofreading provided by the journal’s service provider, Akdema Informatics and Publishing. This process ensures the linguistic quality and readability of the article. The edited manuscript is then sent to the corresponding author for final review and approval to ensure that the scientific content and meaning remain accurate before publication.

Post-Acceptance and Production Process

Authors are responsible for actively participating in the production process following the acceptance of their manuscript.

Once accepted, the manuscript enters a rigorous production workflow provided by the journal’s service provider, Akdema Informatics and Publishing. Timely cooperation from authors is essential to ensure rapid publication.

1. Plagiarism Check: To uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, all accepted manuscripts undergo a final plagiarism screening before entering the layout phase. This ensures that the final version meets the journal's similarity index requirements.
2. Language Editing and Copyediting: To ensure accuracy, consistency, and readability, accepted manuscripts are professionally edited. Grammar, spelling, and adherence to the journal's style are checked.
3. Reference Checking: All references are verified for accuracy and completeness.
4. Galley Proofs: After the layout and typesetting process, the Galley Proof (PDF) is sent to the corresponding author. This is the final opportunity for authors to check for any typesetting errors, missing figures, or layout issues.
   • Authors are expected to return their corrections or approval within 72 hours.
   • Major changes to the text or authorship are not permitted at this stage.
5. DOI and Publication: Upon final approval by the author, the article is assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and published online.