Submissions

Author Guidelines

General guidelines

• A template is provided for drafting manuscripts both in .doc and .odt format.
• Do not add blank lines or line breaks to change paragraphs. This document is formatted with a 10-point space between paragraphs.
• Do not add a special indentation in the first line.
• Very important: inclusive (or non-exclusionary) language must be used. For example, instead of “library users,” say “library user persons”; instead of “library directors or workers,” say “the management or director persons or staff or worker persons,” respectively.
• Very important: citations and references must follow the RIBES style. Examples are available online: series of commented cases of citations and references and a style file for Zotero and Mendeley: Revista RIBES – Citation and reference style (last updated: February 23, 2025).
• Very important: author information must be anonymized in the work, both in metadata and in citations and references (e.g., “citation to authors’ work” and “reference to authors’ work,” to be completed once accepted).
• Data from funded projects that could identify authors must also be anonymized for review purposes.
• Footnotes may be added in the text, but note that websites can be cited in references instead of footnotes, and many notes can be integrated directly into the text.
• Table titles go before tables.
• Figure titles go after figures. Very important: figures (charts, images, etc.) should be of high quality.
• If tables and figures are self-produced, no attribution is needed. If from another source, attribution must be indicated, e.g., via citation and reference.
• Book titles mentioned in the text should be italicized and without quotation marks; this applies to English and other languages as well.
• Names of institutions, in Spanish or other languages, including foreign or Spanish companies, should not be enclosed in quotes or italics.
• Numbers in the text may be written as numerals following Fundéu recommendations. In scientific and technical texts, numerals are preferred for clarity. “Un” (a) is written in words; “uno” (one) is written as 1.
• RIBES provides a table with concrete questions and how we resolved them. This may be helpful for specific doubts: dynamic table with frequently resolved issues.

Important note: RIBES may request authors to adapt style aspects, especially regarding citations, references, inclusive language, and figure quality, once the work is accepted for publication by reviewers.

Detailed guidelines

Manuscripts must be submitted in doc, docx, odt, rtf format (other formats may be consulted with RIBES), anonymized, along with a declaration of originality and authorship. Supplementary materials should also be submitted if required for a proper and complete review, as well as a separate file with author affiliations and additional information.

The manuscript format is semi-free (not strictly fixed) but must meet certain minimum standards expected in academic research. RIBES provides the following detailed or specific guidelines in addition to the general ones for manuscript submission.

Submitting the manuscript:

It is necessary to Register a new account or Sign in to an existing account. Submissions via email or other means are not accepted. All metadata must be completed.

Number of works per author in the same volume or year:

In order to ensure a certain diversity of authorship per year and volume in RIBES, we have set a limit of no more than one contribution per author and journal section per year, and no more than two contributions every three years. We understand that there is a difference between single-authored and co-authored works; therefore, if there are any questions regarding this policy, please feel free to contact RIBES for clarification.

Manuscripts from theses, preprints, etc.:

RIBES accepts manuscripts derived from preprints, theses, conference papers, etc. These can be considered “posted” in repositories but not formally published (“to publish”), following Crossref and COPE guidance. Authors must clearly indicate preprints or theses during submission, e.g., in the message to the editor, to ensure transparency.

Manuscripts must not be simple copy-paste from theses; content should be adapted to journal format. If research data has more recent updates, results should be updated accordingly. For further discussion on theses and preprints as manuscripts in journals, see the CRECS list of RedIRIS, initiated on March 6, 2025.

Editorial process:

RIBES has designed diagrams for processes from manuscript receipt, checks, reviewer assignment, to publication in OJS. See Editorial process.

Language:

Submitted works may be written in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Catalan, Galician, etc.

Length:

To facilitate readability and dissemination, recommended maximum length is 7,000 words.

Submission files and format:

At least 3 files must be submitted per manuscript, excluding supplementary materials:

• Manuscript in word processor format: remove all metadata identifying authors, including citations, references, acknowledgments, funding, etc.
• Declaration of originality and authorship.
• File with author information.

Additionally, figures, illustrations, graphics, etc., should be of high quality, and supplementary data/files submitted if required.

RIBES maintains a dynamic table of resolved doubts for internal use, accessible at: https://revistaribes.es/dudas_estilo_ribes/

Citations and reference style:

Important: Access examples at series of commented cases of citations and references. RIBES created a style based on APA 7th edition and other journal models, provided in .csl format for Zotero, Mendeley, etc. Install by importing the .csl file. Check metadata as needed, and see examples with comments.

Dois, handles, and web links should start on a new line; shortening is not needed, as RIBES has its own tool.

Font and paragraph style:

Font is free but must be legible and academic (avoid Comic Sans). Recommended size ≤12. Possible fonts: Liberation Serif, Liberation Sans, Times New Roman, Arial, or equivalents. No bold, color, or underline emphasis; acronyms/abbreviations explained at first occurrence.

Sections of the manuscript:

Manuscripts must include title, abstract, keywords, and funding (if applicable); same in English. Sections must be clearly distinguished; subsections/subitems may be bolded or numbered. Section font size may be 12. Acknowledgments can be added before references.

Abstract and length:

We recommend to include information about the topic of the manuscript, The objectives, method, main results (highlights), implications and conclusions. The length should be around 200 words. To do this, you can follow the IMRD structure (Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion/Conclusions).

Tables, charts, figures, and other elements:

Tables, charts, figures, etc., should be placed as close as possible to the paragraph where they are mentioned. A title should be added, so that they are identifiable when mentioned in the text. The title may precede the table, graphic, etc. After revision, and in case of acceptance of the manuscript, graphs, figures, etc., will be requested, if necessary with a specific resolution so that they are legible in the final version of the paper.

Notes in text:

Notes should be added in the text with a number and not using the superscript. The number will be inserted inside square brackets where the notes go, and immediately after the paragraph where they appear, the square bracket should be added with both the number and the content of the note. For example [1], and immediately after the paragraph where the note appears: [1] content of the note (new line).

Supplementary materials and software used:

In RIBES we are committed to publish the data sets used in research that as the base for the conclusions. In this sense, data should be provided at the time of the review so that reviewers can verify and guarantee that the study is replicable and the conclusions reached are valid. It is advisable to provide as many details as possible: .csv files with data, or spreadsheets in .ods, .xls, .xlsx, or .txt files with commands, syntax or commands launched in R-type software (Rstudio, etc.), or files in software formats such as SPSS or whatever is used. It is recommended to inform about the software used in the article if any specific software has been used in statistical studies or similar (e.g. Rstudio, SPSS, etc.).

Inclusive language (non-exclusionary, gender-neutral):

We think this point only applies to content written in Spanish. We advocate for inclusive or non-exclusive language. Authors are encouraged to consider various formulations. In instances where a review identifies challenges in the readability of the work, RIBES will communicate this to authors to collaboratively find a solution. The objective is to ensure that the message is clear and reaches everyone without exclusion.

Use of software for text similarity detection:

Commonly known as "plagiarism detection software," this type of software identifies text from a manuscript that matches content from existing publications. Proper citation prevents such matches from being considered plagiarism. In RIBES, we employ text similarity detection software to uphold ethical standards. If we receive a manuscript with a high degree of text similarity to others, we first assess the originality of the text and the extent of overlap (e.g., a text with over 50% similarity indicates that more than half of the work is present in previous publications). Our evaluation goes beyond the resulting similarity percentage, focusing on a thorough analysis of the text itself rather than just the percentage. In cases of uncited text or a high degree of similarity to previous works, we thoroughly examine the situation and make a decision, notifying the authors. This analysis of text similarity or coincidence occurs even before formal reviews.

Recommendation for self-review and peer review before submission:

In RIBES, we recommend conducting a self-review of your manuscript before submitting it for formal review. We find it beneficial to read the manuscript on different devices (such as a tablet, computer, printed paper, or using text-to-voice tools) as this often helps identify spelling and grammatical errors that may have been overlooked. Additionally, having colleagues from the field or the co-authors review the manuscript is always advisable for the same reasons.

Review results:

Diagrams show process from manuscript receipt to OJS publication: Editorial process. Summary:

• Within 15 days, editorial board evaluates interest; if not, authors notified.
• If accepted for review and guidelines met, double-blind peer review occurs, ≤90 days.
• Post-review, editorial board communicates acceptance, conditional acceptance, resubmission, or rejection. Communication within 90+15 days.
• If revisions requested, submit within 15 days.
• After final acceptance, proof corrections must be done within 5 days.
• Proof corrections: focus on typos or grammar; content changes not allowed. Deadline 5 days.

Important: From volume 2, 2025, RIBES publishes reviews transparently. Reviews include unified editorial messages, reviewer scores on 10 items, no reviewer names. Available in PDF, EPUB, XML JATS, and HTML.

Citations and references (reminder):

Important: Examples and extended guidance available at series of commented cases of citations and references.