EVALUACIÓN POR PARES

The Editorial Board of the Revista Gestión y Desarrollo Libre will evaluate each submitted article according to specific criteria. The article must be relevant and relate appropriately to the theme and focus of the Journal, address relevant issues, and be aligned with the field of management and development. The article should have coherence, a logical structure, and a consistent presentation of arguments; therefore, the article should follow the Journal's style and formatting standards. The Editorial Board will assess whether the article significantly contributes to existing knowledge in management and development and offers new approaches, ideas, research, or perspectives that enrich the field. It is also essential that the article is original and has not been previously published in any other journal or medium, as the Journal seeks to promote the production of new knowledge. Once the Editorial Committee has evaluated an article against these criteria, it will decide whether it is suitable for publication in the Journal. Authors must ensure that their articles meet these requirements before submitting them to the Journal, as this will increase the chances of their articles being accepted for review and possible publication. The evaluation of an article or academic paper considers some key aspects:

1. The first aspect is scientific rigor, which refers to the soundness and reliability of the methodology used in the study or research. Reviewers assess whether the experimental or methodological design is adequate to address the research question and whether the data were collected and analyzed appropriately and accurately. They also check whether reliable sources are cited and used and whether sound scientific principles are applied.
2. A second aspect is the clarity of the text, related to the wording, which is essential for readers to understand the article's content quickly. Reviewers evaluate the article's structure, the sections' organization, the writing quality, and the results presentation. A clear text facilitates effective communication of information and avoids confusion.
3. A third aspect is related to the innovativeness of the article; innovativeness refers to the originality of the work presented in the article. Reviewers seek to identify whether the study contributes new knowledge, approaches, or perspectives to the field of study, as an innovative article may be more valuable and attractive to the academic community.
4. A fourth aspect is the usefulness/interest for the readers, in this case, assessing whether the article has relevance for the target audience. Reviewers consider whether the paper addresses an important question or problem in the field and whether the results or conclusions interest other researchers, practitioners, or people interested in the topic. A fifth aspect relates to the conclusions, which must be supported by the data and results presented in the article. The reviewers assess whether the conclusions are consistent with the evidence provided and whether they are derived from a sound and logical analysis. They also check whether the implications of the conclusions are adequately discussed.
5. A sixth aspect is the impact factor, which is crucial to consider when evaluating a research article. The impact factor refers to how much a specific article or journal has influenced the scientific community and the academic literature. The higher the impact factor, the higher the work is generally considered to have a more significant potential to influence the field and be cited by other researchers.

Peer review

The double-blind peer review process is a common standard in the review of academic and scientific articles, in which articles submitted to a scientific journal are reviewed anonymously by experts in the field. Both authors and reviewers remain anonymous during the process, which helps to ensure an unbiased and objective review. Revista Gestión y Desarrollo Libre provides reviewers with specific guidelines or criteria for evaluating articles. These guidelines may include aspects such as the topic's relevance, methodology used, clarity of presentation, and other criteria relevant to the quality of the article. Authors who submit their articles to the journal agree not to withdraw them from the review process until the evaluation is completed. It is essential to maintain the review process's integrity and ensure that all articles are reviewed fairly.

Authors must take into account these variations over time. Therefore, it should be made clear that the review is conducted anonymously by experts in the field, specific assessment guidelines are followed, authors are expected to refrain from withdrawing their articles during the process, and it is recognized that review time may vary depending on several factors.

Publication time

The estimated publication time is three months between receipt of the article and publication: first editorial review (15 days), evaluation (45 days), and publication (30 days). However, this time may vary depending on several factors, such as the complexity of the article, the availability of reviewers, and other editorial processes.

Selection of reviewers

Having qualified and objective reviewers is essential while reviewing articles for an academic journal. The above requirements are common standards for evaluating articles' quality and impartiality. Master's and, preferably, Ph.D. degrees ensure that reviewers have a high level of academic training and are familiar with the standards of quality and academic rigor required to review research articles in economics, management, and accounting. Reviewers with a Ph.D. tend to have more experience and knowledge in the field, allowing them to assess the quality and relevance of articles more accurately. Reviewers must not have conflicts of interest with the authors or the content of the articles they review. Conflicts of interest can bias the review and undermine the integrity of the process. Reviewers must declare any potential conflicts, such as personal or professional relationships with authors, funding of projects related to the article, or personal interests in the study results. Also, not being on the editorial or scientific board of the journal avoids additional conflicts of interest. Editorial board members often have editorial decision-making responsibilities, and reviewers should not be part of the editorial board to ensure independence and objectivity in the review process.

Furthermore, they should not be members of the scientific committee of the journal, as this could also influence their objectivity. Therefore, these requirements aim to ensure that the journal's review process is transparent unbiased, and guarantees the quality of the published articles. The journal can maintain its reputation and credibility in economics, management, and accounting by following these guidelines.

Decision

The peer review process for the Journal Gestión y Desarrollo Libre follows a set of apparent alternatives for making decisions on the publication of an article. These alternatives are:

1. It can be published without changes. If both reviewers agree that the article is ready for publication without substantial changes, the author is informed of this decision and sent to the editing stage.
2. It can be published with minor modifications. If both reviewers agree that the article is valuable but requires some minor corrections, the author is informed of the changes to be made. The author has a deadline to make corrections and resubmit the article.
3. Not to be published due to non-compliance with editorial requirements: If both reviewers determine that the article does not meet the editorial requirements or is unsuitable for publication, the author is informed of this decision.
4. Dispute between reviewers: If one of the reviewers considers that the article should be published and the other believes that it should not be published, a third referee is appointed impartially (maintaining the "double-blind" review modality). This third referee will evaluate the article and issue an opinion. Once the third evaluation has been received, the author will be informed of the final decision.

It is important to note that the Journal follows international ethical standards for scientific research, such as those adopted at the 2nd World Conference on Research Integrity in Singapore in July 2010, which means that reviewers and authors are expected to adhere to rigorous ethical standards in the process of reviewing and publishing articles, including honesty, integrity, and transparency in research.