Ethics Policy

LUNA AZUL JOURNAL ETHICS POLICY

 

Publication and authorship

 

The Luna Azul Journal is an academic dissemination media that publishes   articles addressing environmental and ecological issues, scientific research or technological development, original reflections, text revisions or bibliographical reviews. The productions, reflections, analysis and revisions can come from any discipline or area of knowledge.

 

The Luna Azul Journal does not accept previously published material therefore all items submitted must be original and unpublished. In turn, while the article is being evaluated, authors commit not to submit the article to any other journal or publication. Authors are responsible for obtaining the appropriate permission for partially reproducing material (text, tables or figures) from other publications and for citing their source correctly. If the author of an article would like to include it in another publication, the journal where it is published must indicate clearly the data of the original publication, prior authorization requested to the Luna Azul Journal editors.

 

For its part, the Journal reserves the right for total or partial reproduction of the material as well as to accept it or reject it; the Journal also reserves the right to make any editorial changes it deems appropriate. In this case, the author will receive written recommendations of the evaluators; if accepted, the author will deliver the article with the suggested adjustments within the dates scheduled by the journal to guarantee its publication.

 

Double blind peer evaluation review process 

 

Each of the articles received is subjected to a process of review and selection. In a first step the originality and relevance of the article is evaluated by the Editorial Committee. Then it is submitted to a double-blind type evaluation by two referees of equal or higher educational level than the author or authors who conceptualize on the article’s scientific quality, structure, foundation, source management, conceptual and methodological rigor, sufficiency of the knowledge of literature on the field, currency and contribution to the field of knowledge, organization and coordination of the sections, quality and clarity of writing, correspondence between the title and abstract of the article content and, finally classification of the article as perceived by the evaluator.

 

Anonymity of both, authors and evaluators, is required in the evaluation process. Similarly, this evaluation is informed to the author of the article via email, in order for him to make the necessary adjustments requested by the evaluators. Once this phase is approved, the article is sent to the evaluators for final judgment and, if there are further requests for adjustment, they will refer the requests to the author for him to make the appropriate changes. During the months following the dispatch of the text, the author is notified of the result of the evaluation process.

 

If there is disagreement with the evaluation made by the peer reviewers, the author or authors will be able to appeal in a reasoned way before the Journal Editor and the Editorial Committee will take appropriate measures, which will be reported to the author via email.

 

Policy authoring

 

The list of signatories should include only those persons who have contributed intellectually to the development of the work. To have helped in the collection of data or to have participated in some technique are not, by themselves, sufficient criteria to appear as an author. In general, to appear as an author, the following requirements must be met:

 

  • Have participated in the conception and performance of the work that has resulted in the article.
  • Have participated in the writing and in possible revisions of the text.
  • Have approved the version that will finally be published.

 

The Journal declines any responsibility for possible conflicts arising from the authorship of the published works.

 

Luna Azul Journal adheres to the guidelines of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Flowcharts).

 

Transmission of copyright

 

The format "Declaration of commitment of the authors", signed by each of the authors, will be sent along with the article.

 

The views and opinions expressed by the authors in the articles and communications published in the journal are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not reflect the criteria or policies of the Editorial Committee, of Luna Azul Magazine or of the institution that publishes them.

 

Publishing rights

 

If the document is accepted for publication, the reproduction rights will be from Universidad de Caldas. As mentioned, each article must be accompanied by the authors' declaration of commitment format, which specifies that the paper is unpublished, indicating that the copyrights are the exclusive property of Luna Azul Journal, in addition to other aspects that are explicit in the document such as its non-simultaneous submission for publication in another journal. On the other hand, the author has the responsibility to obtain the necessary permissions to reproduce any material protected by rights of reproduction and must clearly specify the table, figure or text to be cited and the complete bibliographic reference.

 

Conflict of interests

 

Luna Azul Journal expects authors to declare any commercial association that might pose a conflict of interests about the submitted article.

 

Due to the nature of the articles that may eventually be published in the journal, it is possible that conflicting interests may arise that may affect impartiality in editorial conditions or against authors. Therefore, each author must try to identify them.

 

In this sense, the authors should attach, along with the article and the declaration of commitment, a communication addressed to the journal expressing in a clear and concise manner if there are conflicts of interest, specifying each of them. In this communication, moreover, they must specify the source of financing of the research carried out as well as the declaration of any commercial, financial or personal link that may affect the article or the publishing institution.

 

Article Retractation Policy

 

Regarding the eventuality of retractation against the publications included in the Luna Azul Journal, which consists of the possibility of invalidating or annulling, in whole or in part, what was said or included previously in a copy of it, the Universidad de Caldas establishes the following policy.

 

Luna Azul Journal is strictly protected by the guidelines given by COPE regarding the grounds for retractation for the articles published in it. The general causes of retraction for publications will be:

 

  1. Non-compliance with requirements in the editorial process.
  2. The proven falseness of information with which the editorial process was carried out.
  3. The verification of bad editorial practices by the authors.
  4. Failure to comply with ethical principles to be observed.
  5. Inclusion of inaccurate or imprecise information in a deliberate manner.

 

Article Retraction Policy

 

Retraction, as the action of withdrawing, reducing or refuting something, expresses the power that assists the author of a work or article to manifest their will to cancel or reverse what has been said or recorded previously.  It is manifested in a practical way and in the possibility of the author to let his readers know by the same means by which the article or work to which he withdrew was made known. Retraction is a personal fact derived from the autonomy of the author's will and from his thought and reflection processes.

 

Procedure for retractation and retraction

 

For cases of retractation and retraction under which it is intended to invalidate or cancel, in whole or in part, what was previously said or included in any copy of Luna Azul Journal, as well as to withdraw  or give up a work, article or opinion recorded in it, the author or third party, with demonstrated legal interests, who intends to use this policy must send a written communication to the Journal Editor       making use of his author's quality or sending the evidence on his legal interest for the application, as the case may be. The author will submit the arguments and provide the necessary evidence to request the withdrawal specifying the scope thereof. For cases of retraction, the author will send the note of retraction that must be included for consideration by the Editor and the Editorial Committee

 

After completing the procedure above, and once verified the documents sent - or after verifying his author's quality in the case of the retraction - the Editor will proceed to expose the case before the Editorial Committee within a term no greater than 10 working days and the Committee will deliberate and decide by voting, under a simple majority (half plus one), on the request. If accepted, the request will be processed within a period no greater than 30 business days.

 

There will be no appeal against the decision. However, the applicant or other person, with a legitimate interest in the subject, may request retractation or retraction again and provide or improve the evidence previously provided. Any member of the Editorial Committee may request and process the procedure for retractation. In the case of retraction, only the authors or right holders can make the request.

 

Once decided on the origin of the retractation or retraction this will be done in the following issue of Luna Azul Journal if it is still editorially possible. Otherwise, it will be included in the next edition. For retraction cases, the note provided by the author will be included.

 

Procedure for duplication

 

For the duplication of texts, which consists of the possibility of copying or reproducing in a textual form one or more times a content or literary work in a new medium (digital or any other format), Luna Azul Journal welcomes the following general procedure: all editorial material, in respect of which duplication has been requested or determined, will be headed with a note that clearly identifies its duplicate quality and differentiates it from the original.

 

To carry out this type of reproduction, the applicant must fill out the internal format of request for duplication and send it to the journal mail (see format). The format must be completed by the person in charge of the procedure, even if it is the same journal that determines its need.

 

Procedure for incorporation of errata

 

Errata for the Luna Azul Journal publications must be understood as the usual method of editing and posterior revision of every article by means of which all errors that have been detected in a copy of the journal are corrected. For this procedure, it should be considered that, if only part of the article contains an error, it can be rectified later by means of an editorial note or errata.

 

If an author or any third party, including the staff of the journal, discovers a serious error in the publication, they must communicate it in a written and precise way to the Editorial Committee to amend it through the "errata".

 

To carry out this type of corrections to the editorial material, once the occurrence of the fact and the way to solve it has been determined, the errata will be included in one of the initial pages of the next issue of the journal if it is still editorially possible. Otherwise, it will be included in the following edition.

 

Procedure against originality and plagiarism

 

For the purposes of this policy, originality must be considered from two perspectives: first, as the certainty that the work comes from who claims to be its author; and second, that it be original and different from others previously created. The concept of plagiarism also refers to the fact that the work or article is distinguished from unauthorized copies, falsifications or derivations or the unauthorized or inappropriate use of fragments of other works.

 

It is the responsibility of the authors to guarantee the originality of the articles contributed to the journal as well as the veracity of the data and results included in them, expressing in a clear and concise manner that the contents are original and have not been copied, invented, distorted or manipulated.

 

Plagiarism or unauthorized use of other people or third parties’ contents, in all its forms, is totally rejected by Luna Azul Journal. Likewise, multiple or redundant publication are considered serious faults to ethics. The journal uses the Turnitin software that generates a percentage of coincidences with other publications in the field.

 

The authors will refrain from sending to Luna Azul Journal, texts that have been submitted for consideration at the same time in another journal, being possible to publish contents that extend texts already published or under consideration, if the text on which it is based is duly cited.

 

As for retractation events, in cases of plagiarism or unauthorized use of other people or third parties duly verified contents, the complainant must send a written communication to the Editor in which he will present the arguments and provide the evidence necessary for his complaint. After having completed the procedure above, and once the documents sent are verified, the Editor will proceed to expose the case before the Editorial Committee within a term not greater than 10 working days. The Committee will decide on its real and effective occurrence and will inform the respective authorities, or those affected.

 

Conflict of interest events against evaluators

 

It is the responsibility of the internal and external evaluators of Luna Azul Journal to declare any conflict of interest that may arise in relation to the works submitted to it.

 

Conflict of interest arise when, in the face of a work put to the consideration of an evaluator or of people who are part of the editorial team, there is a direct personal or professional relationship with the author, enmity, or a relationship of any kind with the research that gave rise to the paper, as well as a deep moral or ethical conflict with the topic examined. In general, members of the editorial team and external evaluators should refrain from reviewing works when they incur any of these or similar situations.

 

The editorial team of the journal will refrain from selecting evaluators to whom they are aware that they are or may be affected by any of the above situations.

 

Declaration of confidentiality of evaluators

 

Always, without exception, whoever makes an evaluation or revision of a work submitted to Luna Azul Journal must consider this as totally confidential until its publication, reason why they will not be able to reveal any aspect of its content or their personal opinions throughout the course of the review process and until the publication is finished.

 

In no case is it possible to make public or use the information under consideration, as well as details, arguments or interpretations contained in the text under review, either for the evaluators’ own benefit or that of third parties. Only in special and duly justified cases can the evaluator can use the advice of experts on the subject, a circumstance that must be informed the Journal.

 

Ethical aspects

 

Where appropriate, an explanation of the procedures followed in the investigation will be included to ensure compliance with the ethical principles and standards of the 1975 Helsinki Declaration and subsequent revisions.

 

Open Access Policy

 

This Journal provides free Access to its content through its Web page (http://Lunazul.ucaldas.edu.co/) under the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

 

The Web contents of Luna Azul Journal are distributed under a Creative Commons Attributions license   

 

 

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at Revista Luna Azul

 

This license allows others to distribute, mix, adjust and build from his work even for commercial purposes provided that the original creation authorship be acknowledged.

 

Privacy statement

 

Luna Azul Journal authorizes photocopy of articles and texts for academic or internal purposes of the institutions, with proper citation of the source. The names and email addresses entered in this journal will be used exclusively for the purpose the journal stated and are not available for any other purpose or another person.

 

DOI System

 

The articles in Luna Azul Journal adhere to the DOI system whereby technical and social infrastructure for the registration and use of identifiers for use in digital networks is established.