Peer review policy

All research articles published in the journal are subjected to a rigorous double-blind peer review process based on the initial selection of the editor, the anonymous arbitration of external reviewers of expertise in their particular field and the subsequent revisions of the article’s own author(s) when needed.

The Editorial Team will assign the article to a minimum of two specialists who will review the article and provide recommendations to improve it, as well as give their verdict on the acceptance or rejection of the article. A definitive publication will require the positive evaluation of both. If such is not the case, the article will be subjected to a third evaluation. The result will lead to either the acceptance of the work, the need to introduce corrections to re-evaluate the potential acceptance of the work or to its final rejection.

The double-blind peer review process ensures that the assigned reviewers have no knowledge about the identity of the author, just as authors have no knowledge about who is reviewing their work. Notwithstanding, journals are encouraged to publish the list of external reviewers that have collaborated with it the two preceding years.

All reviewers must follow the following ethical principles:

• They must only accept to review manuscripts about subjects in which they are sufficiently experienced, pledging to complete the revision in the accorded period.
• They must be as objective and constructive in their review as possible, refraining from making personal comments that may be defamatory or insulting.
• They must indicate any potential conflict of interest, including any type of relationship with the author(s) that may bias their assessment.
• They must judge the author(s) by their merits, regardless of ethnicity, religion, nationality, sex, seniority or institutional affiliation.
• They must be confidential concerning the peer review process.
• They must provide a review report constructive, thorough, verified and adequately substantial.
• They must notify the journal’s editor concerning similarities between the article in consideration and any published work or manuscript sent for consideration known to them.

The Editorial Board, taking into consideration the reports of the external reviewers, will decide whether to finally publish or reject an article and will always notify their decision to its author(s).