Editorial Policy

1. Focus and Scope

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería (ISSN: 1794-4953, e-ISSN: 2619-6581), founded in 2004, is an open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal published semiannually by Universidad Libre de Colombia. The journal adopts a multidisciplinary (inter- and transdisciplinary) approach within the field of Engineering and Technology, encompassing all areas and disciplines included in Major Area 2 of the OECD Frascati Manual Classification of Scientific Areas.

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería publishes original, previously unpublished research articles in any language—with a preference for Spanish and English—providing a forum for academic discussion and the dissemination of knowledge that advances the frontiers of Engineering, basic sciences, and applied statistics.

2. Mission and Vision

The mission of Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería is to disseminate high-quality scientific, technological, and innovation-driven knowledge across the diverse fields of engineering, fostering multidisciplinary (inter- and transdisciplinary) research, knowledge transfer, and sustainable development. The journal is committed to strengthening the academic community through the publication and scholarly discussion of original, rigorous, and relevant research results, thereby contributing to scientific and technological progress at the local, national, and international levels.

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería aspires to serve as a Latin American platform for the dissemination and critical discussion of engineering knowledge, recognized for its editorial quality, academic impact, and contributions to the advancement of engineering and innovation. The journal seeks to consolidate its indexing in internationally recognized databases and abstracting services, promoting open-access knowledge dissemination and the development of collaborative research networks.

3. Thematic Scope and Target Audience

Articles published in Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería cover, from a multidisciplinary perspective, topics within Engineering and Technology as classified by the OECD, with particular emphasis on the following disciplines: Biotechnology, Computer Science, Materials Science, Applied Statistics, Energy and Fuels, Informatics, Civil Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Naval Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Production Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mining Engineering, and related fields.

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería is directed at the national and international scientific and academic community—including engineers, researchers, and scholars—interested in advancing knowledge in engineering disciplines from a multidisciplinary (inter- and transdisciplinary) and Latin American perspective. The journal operates on a strictly non-profit basis.

As an official publication of the Faculty of Engineering of Universidad Libre, Seccional Bogotá and Barranquilla, the journal promotes the dissemination of research articles and scientific work across various fields of engineering, basic sciences, and statistics, with a commitment to publishing innovative contributions of significant influence to their respective fields or related disciplines.

4. Article Types and Submission Languages

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería accepts full-length research articles in Spanish and English; submissions in other languages are also considered. The editorial team is dedicated to the rigorous reception, evaluation, and publication of manuscripts, upholding high-quality standards that ensure the generation, appropriation, and exchange of knowledge for research, development, and innovation.

In accordance with the classification established by MinCiencias (Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Colombia), submitted manuscripts must correspond to one of the following article types:

Scientific and Technological Research Article. A document presenting, in detail, the original results of completed research projects. The structure typically comprises four major sections: Introduction, Methodology (or Materials and Methods, Experimental Section), Results, and Conclusions.
Reflection Article. A document presenting the results of completed research from an analytical, interpretive, or critical perspective on a specific topic, drawing on original primary sources.
Review Article. A document resulting from completed research in which published or unpublished findings within a scientific or technological field are systematically analyzed and synthesized, with the aim of reporting advances and developmental trends. Review articles must include a comprehensive bibliographic review of at least 50 references.
Short Communication. A brief document presenting preliminary or partial original results of scientific or technological research that, given their significance, require prompt dissemination.

5. Publication Frequency

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería is published semiannually. Each digital issue is officially released as follows: the first issue, covering the January–June period, before June 30; and the second issue, covering the July–December period, before December 31.

The journal may also publish occasional special or thematic issues related to specific topics, as well as issues dedicated to the dissemination of results presented at scientific events in which the journal participates as a co-organizer.

When the editorial pipeline contains a surplus of manuscripts that have successfully met the evaluation criteria for publication, Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería may implement an advance online publication modality through its OJS platform for articles that have completed both the peer-review and copyediting processes. This approach ensures broader dissemination of scholarly content, enabling readers to access the most recent research immediately, without waiting for the scheduled digital edition.

6. Funding

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería is a journal of Universidad Libre, funded exclusively through institutional resources. This financial independence guarantees a rigorous and transparent editorial process, with no submission, evaluation, or publication fees charged to authors. Accordingly, authors may publish their work at no cost, in support of free and open dissemination of scientific knowledge.

7. Open Access, Copyright, and Publication License

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería, edited and funded by Universidad Libre, provides unrestricted open access to all published content, in accordance with the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. This policy maximizes article accessibility, enhances the global visibility of authors, and facilitates the broad dissemination of research findings under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license.

Authors retain full patrimonial and moral rights over their work and bear sole responsibility for its content; published articles do not compromise the principles or policies of Universidad Libre or the Editorial Committee. Authors are required to sign an authorization form and submit a declaration of originality and copyright assignment, granting Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería and Universidad Libre the right to reproduce the article in both print and electronic formats without economic compensation, as a contribution to the advancement of scientific, technological, and cultural knowledge. Following publication, articles may be reproduced without prior authorization, provided that the author(s), title, year, volume, issue number, and page range are duly cited, along with the source: Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería.

Open Access Statement (Diamond Open Access Model)

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería adheres to a Diamond Open Access publishing model, under which accepted manuscripts are deposited and published on the journal’s website at no cost to the authors. All Article Processing Charges (APCs) are fully covered by Universidad Libre as the institutional sponsor of the journal.

8. Crossref Policy

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería complies with the highest international standards in scholarly publishing. Each published article is assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), and its associated metadata are registered with Crossref to facilitate persistent identification, retrieval, and citation.

9. Content Archiving and Preservation

To ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of its published content, Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería employs the LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) system, a distributed digital preservation initiative that maintains multiple geographically dispersed backup copies. The journal also respects authors’ rights to self-archive their manuscripts in institutional or personal repositories, thereby enhancing research visibility and ensuring long-term public access.

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería preserves its content through the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN), developed by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP). The LOCKSS-based PKP PN provides decentralized and distributed preservation, seamless perpetual access, and the safeguarding of the original, authentic version of all published content. The PKP PN ensures that journals not enrolled in other digital preservation services—such as CLOCKSS or Portico—are preserved for long-term access.

In addition, Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería conducts regular backup procedures, with copies stored on external devices in accordance with the data security protocols established by Universidad Libre.

10. Content Responsibility

Avances: Investigación en Ingeniería fosters enriching and pluralistic academic debate; however, responsibility for the content of published articles rests exclusively with the authors. The positions, arguments, and statements presented therein are the result of independent academic and research inquiry and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of Universidad Libre or any other participating institutions.