Editorial Policy

Focus and scope

Ecuadorian Science Journal is an open-access scientific publication operating under a continuous publication model: accepted articles are published online as soon as they are ready grouped into two issues (march and september).

It is aimed to disseminate original and unpublished research results, as well as reviews of the state of the art in the areas of engineering, education, administration, and health. It is addressed to the academic community, researchers, graduates, the productive sector, and the wider interested public, and publishes works of both local and international relevance.

Section policy

Research article. Original works presenting results from the authors' research. These include an introduction contextualizing the study's significance, a methodology section detailing procedures, a results section presenting findings, and a discussion interpreting results relative to existing literature..

Review article. Critical summaries of existing literature on a specific topic. These include an introduction outlining the topic's context, a methodology section describing study selection criteria, a results section summarizing findings, and a discussion evaluating evidence quality and recommending future research.

Peer review process

All articles submitted to the Ecuadorian Science Journal are subject to evaluation by academic, national and international peers, experts in the subject, under the modality of double-blind (double-blind peer-review), in which anonymity has preserved both authors and reviewers. Prior to the referee evaluation, the articles are subjected to plagiarism analysis using the iThenticate tool, being 5% the maximum allowed similarities with other sources.

Peer evaluation process phases

Phase 1. The editor reviews the articles received by the Ecuadorian Science Journal; who will carry out the first evaluation to verify that they comply with the journal's policies and guidelines for authors. The articles that meet are reviewed by the editorial committee to evaluate the quality of the content and relevance of the work according to the theme of the magazine.

Phase 2. It is sent the article to the evaluating peers, the possible conclusions of the evaluation by the protocols are modifications three: publish the article without changes, publish the article with changes or not publish the article. The authors have a period of 30 business days to perform the first review of each article; 20 business days for the second review (after the authors' arrangements) and 10 business days for the rest of the reviews. The authors have a period of 20 business days to make their corrections and send the article to the Ecuadorian Science Journal.

Phase 3. The Editorial Committee makes the decision to publish the articles or not, based on the results of the evaluations carried out by the assigned arbitrators. In case there are contradictions in the evaluations regarding the publication of an article, the Editorial Committee will send the article to a third arbitrator and will favor the two evaluations that have the same concept regarding the publication of the article.

In each call, the author of the correspondence must suggest at least four possible evaluators external to their labor institution, which must meet the following conditions:

  • Having a master's degree.
  • Being specialists in the specific subject of the article submitted.
  • Having at least one paper published in the last three years.

The possible evaluators may belong to a university or industry, public or private; of these, you must provide the full name, your highest academic background, your institutional affiliation, and your email. The Editorial Committee will analyze these four potential evaluators in order to expand the database of the Ecuadorian Science Journal arbitrators.

The Editorial Committee of Ecuadorian Science Journal reserves the rights to print, reproduce all or part of the article, as well as to accept or reject it. Likewise, it reserves the right to make any editorial modification it deems appropriate; In this case, the author will receive written recommendations from the evaluators. If you accept them, you must submit the article with the suggested adjustments within the dates set by the magazine to guarantee its publication within the programmed issue.

Plagiarism policy

The act of copying the work of others without giving proper credit constitutes a serious violation and is grounds for rejection of any manuscript submitted for publication in Ecuadorian Science Journal. As part of its editorial process, the journal enforces a strict anti-plagiarism policy that ensures the originality and authenticity of scientific contributions. To this end, specialized similarity detection tools such as Crossref Similarity Check (iThenticate), Turnitin, and Urkund are used. These tools compare manuscripts against previously published and indexed documents in electronic databases, as well as resources available on the internet.

Crossref Similarity Check Turnitin Urkund

In addition, Ecuadorian Science Journal encourages authors, reviewers, and the scientific community at large to use complementary similarity detection tools such as Grammarly, Plagium, Copionic, WriteCheck, PaperRater, Plagarisma.net, Viper Plagiarism Scanner, and CrossCheck. Authors found to have engaged in repeated plagiarism practices will be reviewed by the Editorial Committee and may be permanently banned from publishing in the journal.

Publication frequency

It is an electronic biannual publication issued at the end of March, and September until September 2025. Starting with the issue corresponding to March 2026, this journal will adopt a continuous publication model. Articles will be published online individually as soon as they are ready (after peer review, editing, and acceptance). Although the journal may group articles biannually (“March” and “September”) for organizational purposes, publication will not be delayed to coincide with these periods. All articles are part of a single annual volume.

Open access policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content based on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Authors who publish in Ecuadorian Science Journal acknowledge and accept the following conditions:

  • Authors retain the copyright of their works and grant Ecuadorian Science Journal the under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license.  This license allows third parties to share the work as long as proper credit is given to the authors and the original publication in this journal, and that any derivative works are distributed under the same license.
  • Authors keep the copyright and authorize Ecuadorian Science Journal to disseminate the work through the channels it deems appropriate (OJS platform, repositories, indexers, etc.).
  • Authors are free to share, copy, distribute, perform, and publicly communicate the published version (post-print) of their work, provided the original publication in Ecuadorian Science Journal is properly acknowledged.
  • Third parties may share and adapt the work for non-commercial purposes only, as long as proper credit is given to the authors and the original publication in this journal, and any derivative works are distributed under the same CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

All works published in Ecuadorian Science Journal are licensed under:

Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

You are free to:

  • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.

Under the following terms:

  • Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in a way that suggests the journal endorses you or your use.
  • NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
  • ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.

Conflict of interests

The authors must declare that they do not have any potential or real financial, personal or any other type of conflict with other persons or organizations in the next two years after submitting the article, which may negatively influence the work done. See the “Conflict of Interest” form in the Open Journal System.

Authorship changes

It refers to the addition, removal, or re-accommodation of the order of the authors. Before the article is published, the corresponding author may request the Editor to add, remove, or modify the order of the authors. You must indicate the reason for modifying and send a written communication signed by all the authors certifying that everyone agrees with the modification. In the case of addition or removal, the written communication must include confirmation by the author (s). Once the article is published, no addition, removal, or modification in the order of the authors is accepted.

Article processing charges (APCs) and article submission charges

Ecuadorian Science Journal does not charge for the nomination, evaluation, and publication of the submitted articles. The publication does not generate any cost for authors and readers since GDEON Publisher assumes the expenses related to editing, management, and publication. The evaluating peers do not receive any financial compensation for their valuable contributions.

Publication ethics statement

Ecuadorian Science Journal is committed to ethics high standards and good practice for knowledge dissemination and transfer, in order to ensure rigor and scientific quality. That is why it has taken as reference the Code of Conduct, which has been established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for scientific journal editors.

This statement clarifies the ethical behavior of all parties involved in the act of publishing an article in this journal, including the author, the chief editor, the Editorial Board, the peer-reviewer­­­­­ and the publisher.

Ethical Guideline for Journal Publication
The publication of an article in the peer-reviewed Ecuadorian Science Journal is an essential building block in the development of a coherent and respected network of knowledge. It is a direct reflection of the quality of the work of the authors and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed articles support and embody the scientific method. It is, therefore, important to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the act of publishing: the author, the journal editor, the peer reviewer, the publisher, and the society.

Publisher and Editor
The publisher of Ecuadorian Science Journal takes its duties of guardianship over all stages of publishing extremely seriously and we recognize our ethical and other responsibilities. We are committed to ensuring that advertising, reprint or other commercial revenue has no impact or influence on editorial decisions. In addition, Ecuadorian Science Journal and its Editorial Board will assist in communications with other journals and/or publishers where this is useful and necessary. Readers will be informed about who has funded research and their role in the research.

Publication decisions: The editor of the Ecuadorian Science Journal is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The validation of the work in question and its importance to researchers and readers must always drive such decisions. The editors may be guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The editors may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.

Fair play: An editor at any time evaluates manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality: The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest: Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author.

Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and through the editorial communications with the author may also assist the author in improving the paper.

Promptness: Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse himself from the review process.

Confidentiality: Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

Standards of objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

Acknowledgment of sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.

Authors
Reporting standards: Authors of reports of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

Data Access and Retention: Authors are asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data (consistent with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), if practicable, and should, in any event, be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.

Originality and Plagiarism: The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication: An author should not, in general, publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.

Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.

Fundamental errors in published works: When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

Statement on Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI and AI-assisted technologies should not be listed as authors or co-authors, nor cited as such. Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by human beings. Authors should report the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies by adding a statement at the end of their manuscript, before the References list. Example:  During the elaboration of this work, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] with the aim to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as necessary and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.

Archiving

1) Long-term preservation: This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. More information.

2) PKP PN: This journal also participates in the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN), which provides preservation services for any OJS journal.

3) Internal: This journal maintains external hard drive backups, which are updated on a semiannual basis to ensure additional preservation and redundancy.

In addition, this journal has a deposit and self-archiving policy that allows authors to archive the published version (post-print) on personal websites, repositories, blogs, institutional websites, or any other electronic platform (blue policy in Sherpa/Romeo).