Ethical standards

PUBLICATION ETHICS AND STATEMENT ON NEGLIGENCE

Estudios Internacionales publishes articles which meet the highest standards of quality and ethics. These ethical standards are maintained throughout  all stages of publication  and apply to all those involved in the publication of our journal, among others, to authors, the journal’s editorial team, reviewers and publishers. Plagiarism as well as any other ethical misconduct are strictly prohibited.

DUTIES OF THE EDITORIAL TEAM

• Selection of published material: Estudios Internacionales’ editorial team is responsible for choosing articles to be published. The editorial team shall abide with the journal’s ethical regulations as well as with all legal guidelines, including but not restricted to, those forbidding defamation, violation of copyright and plagiarism. The editorial team may freely  discuss decisions regarding selection of articles  with the editorial board, the academic council or reviewers.
• Non -discrimination clause: the editorial team shall examine manuscripts and adopt decisions regarding articles independently of authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnical origin, nationality or political affiliations.
• Confidentiality agreement: the editorial team and any member of the drafting team are bound not to disclose information regarding received manuscripts to persons other than the relevant author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisors or publishers.
• Transparency and interests: the editorial team shall not use any material not published in its own research, unless with the author’s express written consent. The editorial team shall abstain from accepting manuscripts that involve a conflict of interests as a result of any possible connection, whether mutual or competitive, with institutions, companies, authors, etc.

DUTIES OF EVALUATORS/REVIEWERS

• Confidentiality: any manuscripts sent for revision shall be considered a confidential document. It shall not be discussed or disclosed to third parties or individuals.
• Timeliness: owing to time sensibilities at the time of revising manuscripts, reviewers shall report to the editor and turn down  the revision of an article in case he/she considers himself/herself unable  to review the material in a timely manner, or  if he/she  does not have the appropriate expertise on the subject dealt with.
• Objectivity requirements: critical comments shall be expressed in a neutral manner, and opinions shall base critics on  reasonable arguments.
• Editorial review: reviews provide  critical information for the editor and the decision-making process. Reviewers can also help editors communicating with authors and making suggestions for improving the article through  editorial communications.
• Acknowledgment of sources: reviewers shall bear in mind the relevant published material that has not been quoted by the author and whether there is a significant similarity between the published material and the manuscript under consideration.
• Transparency and interests: private information or ideas collected through peer review shall remain private and not be used for the reviewer ’s benefit. Reviewers shall abstain from reviewing manuscripts that represent a conflict of interests as a result of whatever possible connection, whether competitive or mutual, with institutions, companies, authors, etc.

AUTHORS’ DUTIES

• Principles applicable to the relevant research: authors are responsible for submitting the original research, a truthful description of work demanded by an article and an objective discussion of the significance of results. The article shall offer an honest explanation of the essential data. The written report shall include enough details and references so that others may replicate the research. Deliberate false or incorrect statements are non ethical and shall not be tolerated.
• Redundant, multiple or simultaneous publication: authors shall generally abstain from publishing identical material describing basically the same research in more than one journal or other type of primary publication. Presenting the same subject in several journals and/ or publishing the same text in various revues is ethically unacceptable from an editorial standpoint and shall not be admitted.
• Authenticity and plagiarism: authors shall ensure that their submission is wholly original and that the text or materials they have used make are correctly referenced . Any type of plagiarism  is editorially unethical and shall not be tolerated.
• Copyright: authorship belongs to individuals that have contributed in a significant manner to the article’s elaboration, design, implementation or understanding. All individuals having contributed significantly to the article shall be mentioned as coauthors. Other individuals who have contributed to other substantive parts of the research shall be acknowledged or appear as contributors. The main author is responsible for including all the paper’s coauthors and other contributors and ensure that all coauthors have revised and approved the final version of the document and consented in its submission for publication.
• Acknowledgment of sources: the article shall duly acknowledge the participation of other authors in the article. Authors shall mention publications of those who influenced the substance of their work. Private research, such as conversations, communication or dialogue with third parties is forbidden, unless by their written consent. Information gathered by confidential means, such as manuscript revisions or requests of subsidies is forbidden, save with the specific written consent of the person providing these services.
• Transparency and interests: all authors shall disclose in the final version of their paper any financial or other type of conflict that might interfere with the research results and interpretations.  All financing obtained for the project shall be disclosed.
• Fundamental errors in a published research: if an author realizes that his published research contains an important error or misconception, he shall immediately notify the journal`s director or publisher and contribute to recover or correct his article.

METHOS FOR HANDLING ETHICAL MISCONDUCT

Acknowledgment of an ethical misconduct

• When misconduct or unethical actions are identified, they shall be reported to the Director and editor.
• Misconduct and unethical action include, but are not restricted to, the abovementioned examples, such as plagiarism or research falsification.
• Individuals who report an ethical misconduct shall provide information and enough evidence to initiate an investigation. All reports shall be given serious consideration and be treated in a similar manner, until the relevant result or agreement has been reached.

Investigation

• The editor shall be responsible for electing the appropriate manner to conduct the investigation and to this end may request the advise of the editorial committee, the academic commission or the reviewer.
• Evidence shall be gathered in a manner that shall avoid magnifying the issue and the proliferation of accusations.

Sanctions (in order of importance)

• Notifying the author or reviewer the existence in the article of a misunderstanding or incorrect application of ethical norms.
• Writing a letter or statement addressed to the author indicating the ethical misconduct and issuing a warning.
• Publication of an official comment including the details of the misconduct.
• Publication of an editorial comment detailing the misconduct.
• Official withdrawal and elimination of the relevant article from the journal, together with notifying the author`s supervisor or evaluating team, as well as readers of the publication.
• Imposing a formal embargo on the author’s submissions for a specific period.

ETHICAL NORMS AND PRACTICES

Estudios Internacionales is devoted to the academic community and publishes exclusively material that meets the highest quality standards. It therefore trusts that all those participating in its publication comply with the following ethical and conduct norms.

Editors

1. They are responsible for all the material published in the journal.
2. They shall keep in confidence all documents received.
3. They shall evaluate documents objectively
4. They shall detect and correct errors in submitted documents
5. They shall permanently remind reviewers that theirs is an impartial activity
6. They shall do their best so that the publication meets the highest quality standards.

Authors

1. They shall submit original documents of highest academic relevance.
2. Papers submitted shall include all relevant references. Plagiarism shall not be tolerated.
3. They shall notify editors of whatever errors they may find in their papers.
4. They shall notify editors if they have received any help from benefactors for carrying out their work.
5. They shall be wholly responsible for the content of their manuscripts.

Reviewers

1. They shall maintain their work in strict confidence .
2. They shall review objectively  the material received, acting strictly according to their content.
3. They shall notify editors when they come across any difficulties in the documents submitted to them.