Journal of Regional Research
Investigaciones Regionales

Ethical Code

Ethical Code at Investigaciones Regionales-Journal of Regional Research (IIRR-JoRR)

 

Investigaciones Regionales-Journal of Regional Research (IIRR-JoRR) adheres to stringent ethical standards that are inspired by those set out in the ethical code of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), which apply to editors, reviewers, and authors alike.

 

Author Commitments

Upon submitting manuscripts to Investigaciones Regionales-Journal of Regional Research (IIRR-JoRR), authors agree to key commitments that ensure academic integrity:

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors certify that their work is unpublished and free from plagiarism, not incorporating significant parts of other works without proper credit or inappropriately reusing their own previous works. They also guarantee the accuracy of the presented data, confirming that it has not been altered to fit specific hypotheses.
  • Multiple and/or Repetitive Publications: Authors refrain from publishing articles with identical results in multiple journals, and the simultaneous submission of the same work to different publications is considered unacceptable.
  • Source Listing: Authors commit to properly citing all used sources, clearly distinguishing between their own contributions and those of other works.
  • Authorship: Authors ensure that all listed individuals have significantly contributed to the work in terms of conceptualization, development, analysis of results, or writing, and that the order of authors reflects their level of contribution and involvement.
  • Access and Retention: If required, authors are willing to provide access to the data or sources underlying the study for a reasonable period after publication.
  • Conflict of Interest and Disclosure: Authors openly declare the absence of any conflicts of interest that could compromise the impartiality of the results or conclusions, including the disclosure of study funding sources.
  • Errors in Published Articles: Upon discovering significant errors in their publications, authors commit to promptly notifying the journal’s editors to proceed with corrections.
  • Responsibility: Authors take full responsibility for the content of their work, ensuring a thorough and up-to-date review of the relevant literature and a balanced representation of the various perspectives in the field of study.

 

Reviewer Commitments

Reviewers of Investigaciones Regionales-Journal of Regional Research (IIRR-JoRR) undertake critical responsibilities that ensure the rigor and fairness of the review process:

  • Contribution to Editorial Decision: Reviewers play a vital role by providing detailed, constructive, and objective evaluations of manuscripts, significantly contributing to both editorial decisions and the improvement of submitted works. Their analysis is expected to be based on their expertise and carried out impartially.
  • Respect for Time: Reviewers are expected to proactively communicate with editors if they feel unqualified to evaluate a specific topic or if they cannot meet the established deadlines, thus maintaining efficiency and respect for everyone’s time.
  • Confidentiality: Each manuscript should be treated as confidential, and its content should not be discussed with others without the explicit consent of the editors.
  • Objectivity: Peer review should be conducted objectively, with no personal judgments about the authors of the contributions. Reviews should be substantiated and accompanied by clear explanations and, where relevant, specific suggestions for improvement.
  • Text Display: Reviewers should point out any relevant work that the author may have overlooked and report any significant similarities with other published works, thus contributing to the manuscript’s integrity and depth.
  • Conflict of Interest and Disclosure: Information obtained during the peer review process must be considered confidential and not used for personal gain. Reviewers should only review a manuscript if there are no conflicts of interest that could compromise an impartial review.

 

Editor Commitments

Editors of Investigaciones Regionales-Journal of Regional Research (IIRR-JoRR) play a crucial role in maintaining and promoting high ethical and integrity standards in the publication process:

  • Publication Decision: Editors commit to selecting between 2 and 3 specialized and competent reviewers for each manuscript, ensuring a critical and expert evaluation with minimal bias to enhance the objectivity of the review process.
  • Honesty: Manuscripts are evaluated solely based on their scientific merit and content quality, with an impartial approach free from discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnic origin, nationality, or political beliefs of the authors.
  • Confidentiality: Editors are obliged to keep all information related to submitted manuscripts confidential, ensuring that only designated authors, reviewers, and editors have access to it, thus preserving the anonymity and intellectual integrity of the process.
  • Conflict of Interest and Disclosure: Editors commit not to use the content of submitted articles in their own research without the written consent of the authors, ensuring the protection of intellectual rights.
  • Respect for Time: Editors are responsible for strictly observing the deadlines for reviews and the publication of accepted works to ensure the prompt dissemination of findings. Accepted articles are published without unnecessary delays, and if print publication must wait, they are offered online as “online first” to ensure early accessibility.

 

IIRR-JoRR declares that the ethical standards described here are based on the core practices of COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics.