Ethics and quality guidelines
1. CODE OF ETHICAL CONDUCT
The journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethics in scientific publishing, being a signatory to the code of conduct of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), a leading organization in establishing ethical standards for scientific publication. In addition, the journal bases its procedures on the research and publication ethics program of Elsevier, one of the largest scientific publishers in the world.
To guarantee the integrity of the editorial processes, the journal employs the criteria of the international standard for authors of COPE. It uses its flow charts as a guide to address cases of suspected bad practices, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or image manipulation.
In addition, the journal is a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), committing to improving the culture of research assessment and assessing the quality of research instead of 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 responsibility in scientific research and publication. Thus, the journal's code of conduct establishes the principles and obligations of editors, reviewers, and authors to ensure published research's integrity, transparency, and quality.
a) Responsibilities of editors
1) Objective decision-making. Editors will make decisions about the publication of articles based on the scientific quality of the manuscripts and peer reviews without considering external factors such as institutional affiliation, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or language of the authors.
2) Confidentiality. All information related to manuscripts submitted for review, including the names of authors and judges, will be treated confidentially.
3) Clear and timely communication. Editors are committed to maintaining clear and timely communication with authors throughout the review and publication process.
4) Disclosure of conflicts of interest. Editors and editorial committee members must declare any conflict of interest that may influence their decisions.
5) Management of queries, complaints, and claims. The journal editors are responsible for ensuring the quality and integrity of the editorial process. They decide on the publication of articles based on objective evaluations and established criteria. In addition, they manage queries, complaints, and claims from authors, providing clear and timely responses. To ensure transparency and fairness, the editors are supported by an editorial committee advising on resolving conflicts and applying ethical standards. All decisions made by the editors will be duly documented and justified.
b) Responsibilities of the juries
1) Objective and timely evaluation. The juries will carry out their evaluations in an objective, constructive manner and within the established deadlines.
2) Confidentiality. The juries will maintain the confidentiality of the manuscripts assigned to them.
3) Declaration of conflicts of interest. Juries must declare any conflict of interest that may affect their evaluation.
4) Compliance with ethical standards. Juries undertake to comply with the ethical standards of research and scientific publication.
c) Responsibilities of authors
1) Authorship. Authorship must be assigned to those who have contributed significantly to the research. Authors undertake to follow the parameters on authorship and contribution to the article 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. If the article is accepted for publication, each author must sign a declaration of originality and transfer of rights as part of the publication phase.
3) Conflicts of interest. Authors must declare any conflict of interest relevant to their research.
4) Research data. Authors must retain research data for at least five years and make them available for verification if editors or other researchers request it.
5) Compliance with ethical standards. Authors must comply with ethical research standards, including informed consent in research involving human subjects and animal welfare.
c) Responsibilities of authors
1) Authorship. Authorship should be assigned to those who have contributed significantly to the research. The authors agree to follow the parameters of authorship and contribution to the article 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. If the article is accepted for publication, each author must sign a declaration of originality and transfer of rights as part of the publication phase.
3) Conflicts of interest. Authors must declare any conflict of interest relevant to their research.
4) Research data. Authors must retain research data for at least five years and make them available for verification if editors or other researchers request it.
5) Compliance with ethical standards. Authors must comply with ethical standards for research, including informed consent in research with 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 preparing an errata, correction, retraction or deletion.
2. QUALITY, EDITORIAL MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF PERSONAL DATA
To guarantee the quality, transparency, and efficiency of the editorial process, the journal has clear and objective procedures covering the selection and evaluation of articles for their publication and dissemination.
a) Editorial practices
1) Peer review. The journal uses a double-blind peer review system to ensure the objectivity of the evaluation.
2) Detection of plagiarism. The journal uses Turnitin software to verify the originality of manuscripts.
3) Open access. The journal adheres to the principles of open access, which means 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 case of non-compliance with this code of conduct, the journal may take appropriate measures, including retraction of the article, prohibition of publication 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) Wide dissemination. The journal seeks to maximize the visibility of research through various strategies, such as indexing in Indexing and Abstracting Systems (SIR) and using impact measurement tools.
3) Constant updating. The journal stays current with the latest trends in scientific publication and uses information and communication technologies to improve its processes.
c) Protection of personal data
The personal information provided by the 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 based on the following principles:
1) Confidentiality. Guarantee the confidentiality of the authors' data.
2) Transparency. Inform the authors about the use of their data.
3) Regulatory compliance. Comply with national and international regulations regarding data protection.
d) Use of technologies assisted by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The journal recognizes the potential of technologies assisted by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve the efficiency and quality of scientific research. AI is any computer system capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, and decision-making.
Authors can use AI tools for various tasks, such as generating ideas, grammar checking, translation, or searching for information. However, authors are responsible for:
1) Declaring the use of AI. Authors must explicitly declare the use of AI tools in preparing the article, specifying the tools used and how they have been employed.
2) Ensuring originality. Authors must ensure that the content generated by AI is original and does not constitute plagiarism.
3) Verifying the 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 not meeting these requirements. Additionally, the journal recommends that authors:
4) Consult the guidelines for AI tools. Each AI tool has its own policies and limitations. Authors should familiarize themselves with these guidelines before using them.
5) Cite correctly. If AI-generated information is used, citing the tool and any data source appropriately used is essential.
6) Do not delegate authorship. The final responsibility for the article's content lies 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 of its published content. To ensure this, a rigorous peer review and copyediting process 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 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 the corresponding correction is made if necessary. This correction will be published as an addendum to the online article, and if appropriate, a footnote will be included in the printed version.
To preserve the integrity of the scientific record, the journal does not allow certain types of changes to articles once they have been published, both in print and online formats. These changes, which could significantly alter the original meaning of the work or generate confusion in the scientific community, include:
Modifications in authorship: Changes in the list of authors (additions, deletions, or changes in order) or the authors' institutional affiliations will not be permitted. These decisions must be made and agreed upon before publication to ensure 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. These modifications could affect the indexing of the article in databases and make it difficult for other researchers to retrieve it.
Substantial modifications to the content: Significant changes to the article's content will not be permitted, including adding or removing sections, modifying tables or figures, or altering the results presented. These changes could alter the study's conclusions and raise doubts about the reliability of the data.
2) 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 duplication of publications. The decision to retract an article is made collegially and is based on thorough research. A formal retraction will be published, explaining the reasons for the decision, and the original article will remain accessible but marked as "retracted."
3) Deletions. Deletion of an article is an exceptional measure reserved for extreme cases where publication poses a serious risk to public health, national security, or the rights of third parties. Examples include serious violation of privacy, defamation, or incitement to hatred. The decision to remove an article is made in consultation with legal counsel, and the reasons for removal are documented.
