Ethics and Quality Guidelines

1. CODE OF ETHICAL CONDUCT

The journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethics in scientific publishing and is a signatory of the code of conduct of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), a leading organization in the establishment of ethical standards for scientific publication. The journal bases its editorial procedures on COPE's international guidelines and standards, adopting its criteria for authors and its flowcharts as a guide for addressing cases of suspected misconduct, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or image manipulation.

Likewise, the journal is a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), committing to contribute to the improvement of research evaluation culture and to value the quality of research rather than focusing solely on metrics such as the impact factor.

By adopting these standards and principles, the journal seeks to foster a culture of transparency, integrity, and accountability in research and scientific publishing. In this way, the journal's code of conduct establishes the principles and responsibilities of editors, reviewers, and authors to ensure the integrity, transparency, and quality of published research.

a) Responsibilities of Editors

  1. Objective decision-making. Editors shall make decisions on the publication of articles based on the scientific quality of the manuscripts and peer evaluations, without considering external factors such as the institutional affiliation, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or language of the authors.
  2. Confidentiality. All information related to manuscripts submitted for evaluation, including the names of authors and reviewers, shall be treated as strictly confidential.
  3. Clear and timely communication. Editors are committed to maintaining clear and timely communication with authors throughout the evaluation and publication process.
  4. Disclosure of conflicts of interest. Editors and members of the editorial committee must declare any conflict of interest that may influence their decisions.
  5. Management of inquiries, complaints, and appeals. The editors of the journal are responsible for ensuring the quality and integrity of the editorial process. They assume the final decision on the publication of articles, based on objective evaluations and established criteria. They also manage authors' inquiries, complaints, and appeals, providing clear and timely responses. To ensure transparency and fairness, editors are supported by an editorial committee, responsible for advising on conflict resolution and the application of ethical standards. All decisions made by the editors will be duly documented and justified.

b) Responsibilities of Reviewers

  1. Objective and timely evaluation. Reviewers shall conduct their evaluations objectively, constructively, and within the established deadlines.
  2. Confidentiality. Reviewers shall maintain the confidentiality of the manuscripts assigned to them.
  3. Declaration of conflicts of interest. Reviewers must declare any conflict of interest that may affect their evaluation.
  4. Compliance with ethical standards. Reviewers commit to complying with the ethical standards of research and scientific publication.

c) Responsibilities of Authors

  1. Authorship. Authorship must be assigned to those who have made significant contributions to the research. Authors commit to following the parameters on authorship and contribution established by the Contributor Role Taxonomy (CRediT).
  2. Originality and honesty. Authors must guarantee the originality of their work and correctly cite all sources used. Should the article be accepted for publication, each author must sign a declaration of originality and copyright assignment as part of the publication phase.
  3. Conflicts of interest. Authors must declare any conflict of interest that may be relevant to their research.
  4. Research data. Authors must retain research data for a minimum period of five years and make it available for verification, if requested by editors or other researchers.
  5. Compliance with ethical standards. Authors must comply with the ethical standards of research, including informed consent in research involving human subjects and animal welfare.
  6. Withdrawal of articles. Authors must notify the editors if they discover significant errors in their published article and collaborate in the preparation of a corrigendum, correction, retraction, or removal.

2. QUALITY, EDITORIAL MANAGEMENT, AND PERSONAL DATA PROCESSING

To ensure the quality, transparency, and efficiency of the editorial process, the journal has clear and objective procedures that encompass everything from the selection and evaluation of articles to their publication and dissemination.

a) Editorial Practices

  1. Peer review. The journal employs a double-blind peer review system to ensure the objectivity of the evaluation.
  2. Plagiarism detection. The journal uses Turnitin software to verify the originality of submitted manuscripts.
  3. Open access. The journal adheres to the principles of open access, meaning that published articles will be freely available online.
  4. Digital preservation. The journal uses the LOCKSS system to ensure the long-term digital preservation of published articles.
  5. Sanctions. In the event of non-compliance with this code of conduct, the journal may take appropriate measures, which may include the retraction of the article, a ban on publishing in the journal, and notification to the institutions of the authors involved.

b) Commitment to Quality and Visibility

  1. Rigorous selection. The journal applies rigorous evaluation criteria to ensure the academic quality of published articles.
  2. Broad dissemination. The journal seeks to maximize the visibility of research through various strategies, such as indexing in Abstracting and Indexing Systems (AIS) and the use of impact measurement tools.
  3. Continuous updating. The journal keeps up to date with the latest trends in scientific publishing and uses information and communication technologies to improve its processes.

c) Personal Data Protection

Personal information provided by authors during the editorial process is used exclusively for academic and administrative purposes related to the publication of their content. To this end, the journal is guided by the following principles:

  1. Confidentiality. To guarantee the confidentiality of authors' personal data.
  2. Transparency. To inform authors about the use that will be made of their personal data.
  3. Regulatory compliance. To comply with national and international regulations on data protection.

d) Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Assisted Technologies

The journal recognizes the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies to improve the efficiency and quality of scientific research. AI is defined as any computer system capable of performing tasks that would normally require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, and decision-making.

Authors may use AI tools for various tasks, such as idea generation, grammar review, translation, or information retrieval. However, authors are responsible for:

  1. Declaring the use of AI. Authors must explicitly declare the use of any AI tool in the preparation of the article, specifying the tools used and how they were employed.
  2. Ensuring originality. Authors must ensure that AI-generated content is original and does not constitute plagiarism.
  3. Verifying information. Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated information.

The journal will evaluate the use of AI in each article, considering whether it has been used appropriately and transparently. The journal reserves the right to reject articles that do not meet these requirements. Additionally, the journal recommends that authors:

  1. Consult the guidelines of AI tools. Each AI tool has its own guidelines and limitations. Authors should familiarize themselves with these guidelines before use.
  2. Cite correctly. If AI-generated information is used, it is important to properly cite the tool and any data sources used.
  3. Do not delegate authorship. Final responsibility for the content of the article rests with the authors, and the use of AI does not exempt authors from their ethical responsibility.

e) Modifications to Published Articles

The journal is committed to maintaining the highest quality and accuracy in all its published content. To ensure this, a rigorous process of peer review and copyediting has been established prior to publication. However, if errors or inaccuracies are detected after publication, the following actions may be taken:

  1. Corrections. Corrections are considered to be typographical, formatting, or content errors that do not significantly affect the scientific validity of the article. Examples of corrections include spelling errors in names, affiliations, references, poorly formatted tables, etc. When an error is detected, its impact is assessed and, if necessary, the corresponding correction is made. This correction will be published as an addendum to the online article and, where appropriate, a footnote will be included in the print version.

To preserve the integrity of the scientific record, the journal does not permit certain types of changes to articles once published, whether in print or online format. These changes, which could significantly alter the original meaning of the work or generate confusion in the scientific community, include:

Authorship modifications: Changes to the list of authors (additions, deletions, or changes in order), or to the institutional affiliations of authors, will not be permitted. These decisions must be made and agreed upon prior to publication to ensure the transparency and accountability of each author in the work.

Alterations to bibliographic information: Changes to the title, abstract, keywords, citations, and references will not be permitted after publication. Such modifications could affect the indexing of the article in databases and hinder its retrieval by other researchers.

Substantial modifications to content: Significant changes to the content of the article will not be permitted, including the addition or deletion of sections, the modification of tables or figures, or the alteration of the results presented. These changes could alter the conclusions of the study and raise doubts about the reliability of the data.

  1. Retractions. A retraction is a more severe measure used when a published article contains significant errors that compromise the validity of the findings, or when scientific misconduct has occurred, such as data fabrication, plagiarism, or duplicate publication. The decision to retract an article is made collegially and is based on a thorough investigation. A formal retraction will be published explaining the reasons for the decision, and the original article will remain accessible but clearly marked as "retracted."
  2. Removals. The removal of an article is an exceptional measure reserved for extreme cases in which the publication of the article poses a serious risk to public health, national security, or the rights of third parties. Examples include serious violations of privacy, defamation, or incitement to hatred. The decision to remove an article is made in consultation with legal advisors, and the reasons for the removal are documented.