Does academic freedom make sense in Turkey? A content analysis study

Academic freedom has a special significance for universities within the context of higher education. However, it is fair to say that the concept of academic freedom within the Turkish literature is not well developed either conceptually or methodologically. The purpose of this study is to map the existing research and scholarship on academic freedom in Turkey so as to shed light on what is implied and discussed, and what gaps there are. Sixty-one studies were reviewed by following systematic review steps. Content analysis was used as the research design in the current study. The research reveals that academic freedom was discussed as a global, local, and institutional idea, but that in the main these were conceptual debates rather than debates that were empirically grounded. The paper argues that more empirical studies are needed of academic freedom particularly in the Turkish context.