Código de ética

CODE OF ETHICS OF THE JOURNAL DIFUSIONES

DIFUSIONES (ISSN 2314–1662) is a peer-reviewed digital academic journal published by Ediciones UCSE, with continuous semiannual periodicity, edited by the Pro-Secretariat of Research of the Academic Department San Salvador of the Catholic University of Santiago del Estero. Its mission is to promote communication and dissemination of the results of multidisciplinary scientific, technological, and artistic research related to the field of culture and communication, focusing on relevant contemporary issues and emerging sociocultural and communicational problems that contribute to improving the quality of life of the community. The journal shall be governed by the following code:

 

SCOPE OF APPLICATION

Art. 1. This code establishes the ethical principles and standards addressed to authors submitting their contributions, as well as to all individuals involved in the processes of reception, evaluation, editing, proofreading, and publication of the Digital Journal DIFUSIONES.

 

PURPOSE OF THE CODE

Art. 2. The purpose of this code is to establish the criteria and values that must guide the ethical conduct of authors, reviewers, and members of the Editorial Committee of the Digital Journal DIFUSIONES, based on the principles set forth herein.

 

PRINCIPLES OF EDITORIAL ETHICS

Art. 3. The interpretation and application of this code shall be subject to compliance with the following principles:

• Principle of Good Faith: Understood as the conduct of all persons referred to in Art. 1, who must always act with rectitude, honesty, and integrity, ensuring that their work does not aim to harm third parties, directly or indirectly.
• Principle of Responsibility: Acceptance, by all participants, of the consequences of their actions throughout the reception, evaluation, and publication process.
• Principle of Transparency: Transparency shall be promoted and shall consist of the maximum publicity of all actions carried out during the reception, review, editing, and publication processes, requiring all involved to provide useful, relevant, comprehensible, and reliable information.
• Principle of Confidentiality: Confidentiality requires that all individuals involved in the publication process preserve secrecy and maintain discretion regarding all information obtained in the course of their work, which may only be used for the advancement of the publication.

 

EVALUATION AND PUBLICATION PROCESS

Art. 4. Submitted manuscripts shall be published in the journal only after successfully completing the evaluation process, which shall proceed as follows:

1. Reception and Admission: The Journal Manager shall receive manuscripts and forward them to the Editors, who will assess their relevance in light of the mission and objectives of the journal, classify them by typology, verify compliance with formal requirements, and, where appropriate, suggest reviewers. Manuscripts failing to meet formal requirements shall be returned for correction.
2. Evaluation Process: Upon acceptance, reviewers shall assume the responsibilities established by the Code of Ethics and the Declaration of Ethics and Good Practices of DIFUSIONES, ensuring a fair evaluation process. Reviewers may accept manuscripts as submitted or provide observations and request modifications to improve quality. Their decision may recommend or advise against publication; in the latter case, reviewers must submit a reasoned report to the Editorial Committee. Evaluation shall be conducted under a double-blind system, preserving the anonymity of both authors and reviewers. If only one reviewer approves a manuscript, an arbitrator shall be appointed to evaluate it, and their decision shall be final for the Editorial Committee.
3. Revision of Observations: Once evaluations are received, the Manager shall forward them to the authors, who will have a reasonable period to implement suggested changes and submit the final version. The Editorial Team shall verify compliance with reviewers’ recommendations or, alternatively, the justification for not adopting them. The Editorial Committee shall then issue a decision regarding publication, which will be communicated to the authors.
4. Publication: Once the manuscript has successfully passed all stages, it shall undergo editing and stylistic revision prior to publication in DIFUSIONES.

 

OBLIGATIONS OF AUTHORS

Art. 5. Authors shall submit unpublished scientific manuscripts that have not been previously published nor are under review by another scientific journal, and must adhere to the editorial standards established by DIFUSIONES. Assertions, conclusions, and information contained in the work must be presented faithfully.

Art. 6. Submission of a manuscript presumes originality and novelty; therefore, authors must explicitly acknowledge the contributions of others and duly cite publications (articles, books, research, reports, among others) upon which their work is based.

Art. 7. Authorship is presumed to be limited to those who have made essential contributions to the conception, design, and execution of the manuscript.

Art. 8. Authors must ensure that all co-authors and collaborators have reviewed the final version of the manuscript and agree with its publication.

Art. 9. Should authors discover a serious error in their manuscript, they must notify the Editorial Committee of DIFUSIONES so that corrective measures may be taken collaboratively.

 

OBLIGATIONS OF THE EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Art. 10. The Editorial Committee is responsible for admitting contributions in accordance with the mission and objectives of the Digital Journal DIFUSIONES, and subsequently deciding which manuscripts shall be published. This decision must be based on the journal’s publication standards and reviewers’ reports, ensuring that evaluation is conducted fairly and according to intellectual quality and originality criteria.

Art. 11. No member of the Editorial Committee may disclose information regarding submitted manuscripts to any individual or institution other than the authors, their affiliated institutions, reviewers, arbitrators, or other members of the Editorial Committee.

 

OBLIGATIONS OF REVIEWERS

Art. 12. Reviewers who, for any reason, cannot complete the evaluation within the required timeframe must notify the Editorial Committee and withdraw from the process.

They must also refrain from evaluating manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist, whether due to friendship, rivalry, or any personal, professional, scientific, artistic, or academic relationship with the authors that may compromise objectivity and quality.

Art. 13. Evaluation must be conducted respectfully, objectively, and impartially. It must not include value judgments or personal criticism of the authors. Reviewers are obliged to express their observations clearly and with justified reasoning.

Art. 14. Reviewers may not share, display, or discuss manuscripts with others. All ideas and information obtained during evaluation must remain confidential and may not be used for personal benefit or to the detriment of third parties.

 

OBLIGATIONS OF ARBITRATORS

Art. 15. In cases of disagreement between reviewers regarding the acceptance or rejection of a manuscript, the Editorial Committee shall appoint an arbitrator whose role is to evaluate the work objectively and impartially.

Art. 16. Arbitrators shall be subject to the same articles regulating the functions and obligations of reviewers, except for specific provisions established in this section.

 

SANCTIONS

Art. 17. Any manuscript that demonstrates partial or total appropriation of original elements contained in a literary, artistic, or scientific work of another author, presenting them as one’s own, shall be considered a clear violation of the principle of Good Faith and an evident act of intellectual dishonesty. Such misconduct shall result in rejection of the manuscript and may lead to civil and/or criminal proceedings, as provided under Articles 71 and 72 (sections c and cc) of the National Intellectual Property Law No. 11.723 and its amendments.