Buenas Prácticas Editoriales

Good Editorial Practices

Code of ethics and good editorial practices

Revista @limentech, Ciencia y Tecnología Alimentaria

The Revista Científica de la Facultad de Ingenierías y Arquitectura is committed to the promotion of ethical conduct as a scientific-technical publication, taking as a reference the principles proposed by the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) in the "Guide of good practices for journal editors" (http://publicationethics.org/files/u2/Best_Practice.pdf). The journal's editorial committee will ensure that associate editors, reviewers, authors and others respect the ethical principles during all phases of the editorial process, taking the necessary corrective measures in case of possible conflicts. All this in order to provide readers and the general public with high quality works that comply with the ethical principles of a digital publication. The most important rules are highlighted below:

Editorial Committee:

  • Ensure that the members of the Editorial Committee, Associate Editors and Reviewers correspond with the corresponding profiles, to actively contribute to the development and good management of the journal.
  • Provide details on the functions and duties of the members of the Editorial Committee, Director, Executive Editor, Associate Editors, Reviewers and Authors.
  • Consult members of the editorial committee in a timely manner to assess their opinions on the operation of the journal and on scheduled changes to the journal's policies and guidelines.

 Editor, Executive Editor and Associate Editors:

  • Promote discussion and input from authors, readers, reviewers, and editorial board members on ways to improve editorial processes.
  • Encourage and value academic peer review processes, continually evaluating editorial processes.
  • Support initiatives aimed at reducing academic misconduct and educating authors about publication ethics.
  • Update the journal's objectives and policies considering the performance of authors and reviewers.
  • Encourage responsible behavior and discourage misconduct.

 Reviewers:

  • Know the guidelines for reviewing papers, responding in an assertive and timely manner.
  • Report any potential conflicts of interest related to the review of a paper.
  • Comment on ethical issues and possible research misconduct raised in the papers.
  • Guarantee the originality and confidentiality of the work, being attentive to redundant publication and plagiarism.
  • Have tools to detect related publications, by consulting the executive editor or associate editors.

Editorial and peer review processes:

  • Ensure that the people involved in the editorial process receive adequate training and are informed about the latest guidelines, recommendations and advances in peer review and journal management.
  • Guarantee simple and timely mechanisms in the processes of reception, evaluation, information and publication of the papers received, ensuring their prompt publication.
  • Review peer review practices periodically, in order to adopt immediate correctives that ensure a successful, ethical and timely process.

Quality assurance:

  • Maintain a vigilant and critical conduct focused on detecting falsified data or controversial information in the papers received.
  • Guarantee a quality review by academic peers, through timely information of the review guidelines and compliance by the authors of the recommendations emanating from this process.
  • Ensure that the published version of the paper corresponds to the one corrected by the authors in accordance with the academic peer review.

Protection of individual data:

  • Ensure the confidentiality of data related to published work and the individuals involved.
  • Academic integrity:
  • Encourage ethical conduct in the research process involved in the development of the work presented by the authors, especially when it involves people, animals or the environment.

Intellectual Property:

  • Implement the anti-plagiarism policy in works received, through the use of specialized computer programs, routinely and especially when there are suspicions of plagiarism.
  • Support authors whose copyrights have been violated or who have been victims of plagiarism.

Publishing entity:

  • Ensure the establishment of guidelines that guarantee harmonious relations between the different entities involved in the editorial process.
  • Establish regular communications with the coordination and editorial committee of the journal, in order to know and promote the development plans related to the editorial process.
  • Recognize the performance of the personnel involved in the editorial process and promote the intellectual production of the journal at national and international level.

 

Ethical guidelines for publication in the journal

The publication of a peer-reviewed article in the @limentech Journal, Food Science and Technology, is an essential element in the development of a coherent and respectful network of knowledge. It directly reflects the quality of the work of the authors and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed articles support and represent the scientific method. Therefore, it is important to agree on the standards of ethical behavior that all parties involved in the process of each scientific publication should have, such as: the author, the journal editor, the peer reviewers, the publisher and the society.

Saberes del Conocimiento as editor of the Journal @limentech, Food Science and Technology, aware of its duties in all stages of a serious publication, declares the recognition of its own ethical responsibilities and those of its peers. Saberes del Conocimiento is committed to ensure that advertising, reprinting or other commercial revenues have no impact or influence on editorial decisions. In addition, Saberes del Conocimiento and the journal's Editorial Board rely on communication with other journals or publishers, whenever useful and necessary.

Duties of authors

(These guidelines are based on the policies proposed by Elsevier).

Reporting standards

Authors of original research articles should give an accurate account of the work performed, as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Articles should be clear, detailed, and have references that allow others to replicate the work. Knowingly inaccurate fraudulent statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable. Review articles and other professional publications should also be accurate and objective, and editorial opinion pieces should be clearly identified as such.

Data Retention and Access

Authors are encouraged to provide original data in a paper for editorial review, and should provide public access to such data, or ensure the availability of such data after publication.

Originality and plagiarism

Authors should ensure that they have written wholly original works; if authors have used the work or words of others, or both, they should ensure that these have been properly cited. Plagiarism manifests itself in many forms, from passing off a paper by another author as one's own, to copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another's paper (without attribution), to claiming as one's own the results of research carried out by others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical behavior, which is unacceptable in scientific publications.

Concurrent, multiple or redundant publication

In general, an author should not publish manuscripts that describe essentially the same research published in more than one journal or primary publication. Submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time constitutes unethical behavior and its publication is unacceptable. In general, an author should not submit a previously published article for consideration by another journal. The publication of some types of articles (e.g., methodological guidelines, translations) in more than one journal is justifiable in some cases provided that specific conditions are met. The authors and editors of the journals concerned must agree to the secondary publication, which should reflect the same data and interpretation of the primary document. The primary reference should be cited in the secondary publication.

Due acknowledgment of sources

Proper acknowledgment should always be given to the work of others. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the work reported. Information obtained privately, such as in conversations, correspondence or discussion with third parties, should not be used or reported without explicit written permission from the source. Information obtained in the course of confidential services, such as refereed manuscripts or grant applications, should not be used without the explicit written permission of the author of the work from which the information is taken.

Authorship of the document

The authorship of the paper should be limited to a maximum of three who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the article. If there are other professionals who have participated in substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged and listed as contributors. The lead author should ensure that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the paper, unanimously agreeing to its submission for publication.

Conflicts of interest

All authors must disclose in their manuscript any substantive financial or other conflicts of interest that may arise in the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be credited accordingly. Examples of potential conflicts of interest that should be disclosed include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications, registrations, and grants or other funding. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed as early as possible in the editorial process.

Fundamental errors in published works

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his or her published article, it is his or her obligation to notify the Editor of the journal or the Editorial Board immediately and to cooperate with the Editor to withdraw or correct the paper. If the Editor learns from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, it is the Editor's obligation to promptly correct the article and provide evidence to the author of the correction of the original paper.

Duties of the Editorial Committee

Publication Decisions

The Editor of the @limentech Journal, Food Science and Technology, (peer-reviewed by academic peers) and the Editorial Committee, are responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. Approval of the work in question and its importance to researchers and readers are part of these decisions. The Editor is guided by the policies of the Editorial Board of the journal, and is bound by the legal aspects in force regarding defamation, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The Editor may seek the support of other editors or reviewers in making this decision.

Fair play

An Editor should evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, nationality, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality

Editor and any editorial staff should not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, potential reviewers, other appropriate editorial advisors, and the editor, if appropriate.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a manuscript submitted for publication in the journal should not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author. Insider information or ideas obtained through peer review should be kept confidential and not used for personal gain. Editors should not review an article if they believe that the paper may generate conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or (possibly) institutions connected to the journals.

Participation and cooperation in research

The editor must respond when complaints are filed in relation to a published article, whose collaboration claims the respective credit. Such measures shall be communicated in a timely manner to the author of the article, in addition to applying due process to the request, shall also issue communications it deems relevant to the competent institutions and research bodies, and if the complaint is sustained, the publication must make the correction, retraction, expression of concern, or other note, which may be relevant to clarify such situation. Each identified act of unethical conduct in the publication will be examined, even if it is discovered years after publication.

Duties of reviewers

Contribution to editorial decisions

Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and through communications with the author can also assist in improving the writing and quality of the paper. Peer review is an essential component of formal scholarly communication, and is at the heart of the scientific method. @limentech shares the view that researchers who wish to contribute to publications have an obligation to participate fairly in peer review processes.

Timeliness

Any selected referee who does not feel qualified to review the article should report in a timely manner that he/she is unable to perform his/her review by informing the editor of his/her decision.

Confidentiality

All manuscripts received for review should be treated as confidential documents. They should not be presented or discussed with third parties, except as authorized by the editor.

Standards of objectivity

Comments should be conducted in an objective manner. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly, supported by arguments.

Proper acknowledgement of sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited by the authors. Any previously recorded assertions, observations, derivations, or arguments should be accompanied by the appropriate citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor's attention any substantial or partial similarity between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.

Disclosure of conflicts of interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in an article submitted in the selection process should not be used in the reviewers' own research without the express written consent of the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal gain. Reviewers should not evaluate articles in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies or institutions related to the texts to be evaluated.