REVIEW PROCESSES FOR MANUSCRIPTS SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION

All manuscripts submitted for publication in article format undergo a rigorous review and evaluation process. Reviews, introductions to thematic or special issues, and editorials are also subject to evaluation, except for peer review.

REVIEW PROCESSES FOR MANUSCRIPTS SUBMITTED IN ARTICLE FORMAT

FIRST EDITORIAL REVIEW

  1. All manuscripts submitted for publication will undergo an initial review by the Editorial Committee to determine whether the content meets the objectives of the Revista IGAL, its editorial line, and the publication guidelines for authors.
  2. Members of the Editorial Committee may submit manuscripts of their own authorship for evaluation; however, the number of articles submitted by Editorial Committee members will be limited to one (1) article per issue. The Editorial Committee, excluding the member(s) who authored the manuscript, will conduct the review regarding the editorial line and publication guidelines.
  3. Once the Editorial Committee determines that the manuscript aligns with the editorial line and objectives of the Revista IGAL, it will undergo a second evaluation to detect plagiarism and to determine whether self-citation exceeds 25%.

SECOND EVALUATION: TURNITIN SYSTEM

  1. The manuscript will be checked using the TURNITIN system to detect the percentage of plagiarism or self-citation. The Revista IGAL’s author guidelines establish that manuscripts must not exceed 25% similarity with other texts previously published by the author.

THIRD EVALUATION: DOUBLE-BLIND PEER REVIEW

  1. Once TURNITIN confirms that the manuscript complies with the journal’s standards, the Editorial Committee will identify two peer reviewers for each submitted work. These reviewers must be specialists within the regional or international academic community, with recognized expertise in the topic addressed, and affiliated with distinct and reputable institutions.
  2. When a manuscript is authored by one or more members of the Editorial Committee, the identification of peer reviewers will be carried out by other members of the Committee, who will maintain the anonymity of the reviewers.
  3. A double-blind review system will be used to ensure the complete anonymity of both the authors and the peer reviewers. Accordingly, the journal is committed to maintaining strict confidentiality regarding the reviewers’ judgments and opinions, sharing only specific recommendations with the author. Likewise, reviewers must avoid revealing their identity or any details that could disclose their participation in the process.
  4. The evaluation will be carried out with total impartiality, emphasizing the relevance of the topic in accordance with the journal’s editorial lines and the specific criteria listed below.
  5. Evaluation criteria include: a) originality of the work; b) length of the manuscript; c) methodology; d) expertise on the subject matter); e) scientific rigor; f) precision of research; g) updated and relevance of the sources or references; h) adherence to editorial standards; i) technical criteria regarding writing, spelling, and grammar in Spanish, English, or Portuguese.
  6. Reviewers will conduct evaluations constructively, with solid arguments, even if they consider that the work should be rejected. Therefore, as much as possible, any criticism, objection, or remark should be explained and/or commented on so that it can be shared with the author(s).
  7. At the end of the evaluation, each reviewer will summarize their overall assessment of the work in the format provided by the Editorial Committee or on separate sheets, presenting specific corrections, observations, and recommendations.
  8. Each evaluation will include a final decision, in one of the following categories: a) accepted; b) accepted with minor revisions; c) accepted with substantial revisions, or d) rejected.
  9. The journal is committed to providing timely responses to submissions without compromising the rigor of the evaluation process. Therefore, reviewers will have specific and limited deadlines to complete the evaluation and submit their recommendations, starting from the moment they accept the invitation.

FOURTH EVALUATION: SECOND REVIEW BY THE EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

  1. Based on the peer reviewers’ feedback, if recommendations are made to the author, the Editorial Committee will return the manuscript—anonymously—to the author for incorporation of the substantial suggested revisions.
  2. Once the author resubmits the revised manuscript, the Editorial Committee—excluding members who are also authors—will conduct a second review to determine whether the suggested modifications and recommendations have been incorporated.
  3. If the Editorial Committee determines that the author has adequately incorporated the substantial recommendations, the manuscript will proceed to the editing stage, which will be conducted by editors specialized in the language of the manuscript.

FIFTH EVALUATION: EDITORIAL REVIEW

  1. The Revista IGAL has expert editors proficient in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

 

REVIEW PROCESSES FOR REVIEWS, INTRODUCTIONS TO THEMATIC OR SPECIAL ISSUES, AND EDITORIALS

  1. The evaluation process for reviews, introductions to thematic or special issues, and editorials is similar to that used by Revista IGAL for other manuscripts submitted for publication, except that these are not subject to peer review. This decision is based on the fact that such texts are written by members of the Editorial Committee or by invited contributors recognized for their expertise in the topics addressed.
  2. These texts undergo evaluation by the Editorial Committee—excluding any member who authored the text—and are checked using TURNITIN to detect plagiarism and self-citation.
  3. The Editorial Committee, excluding any member who authored the review, introduction, or editorial, will examine the TURNITIN results, and if the text complies with the plagiarism and self-citation standards, it will proceed to editorial review.
  4. Every text in the form of a review, introduction to a thematic or special issue, or editorial is subject to editorial review by an independent editor, who reviews the text according to the language in which it was written.