Ethical standars

Declaration of Ethics

Assuming the need to make explicit the criteria and procedures that should safeguard the relations between this medium and its authors, as well as to objectify the rights and responsibilities that each one has in the process of participation in the public communicational space, Re-presentaciones, periodismo, comunicación y sociedad reports and promotes an adequate framework of practices that are detailed below. These are based on the guidelines proposed in this respect by the Committee on Publication Ethics, COPE, in its Code of Conduct and best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

General duties and responsibilities of Editors of Re-presentations, journalism, communication and society:

• To strive to meet the needs of their readers and authors.
• To constantly improve the journal.
• To ensure the quality of the material published.
• To defend freedom of expression.
• To safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of academic records.
• Prevent commercial needs from compromising the free consultation and use of content, intellectual and editorial standards.
• Always be ready to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions and apologies when necessary.

Specific to readers

Whether by means of direct mention or through specific requests, editors and publishers will always provide all information relating to the origin of the publication, sources of funding; role of possible funders or sponsors; origin and/or financial sponsorship of published articles, as available upon submission by the authors.

Likewise, information on editorial policy, publishing criteria and indexing work will be made publicly available.

Relationship with authors

Editors will take all necessary steps to ensure the quality of the material they publish, specifying, where appropriate, the purposes and standards required of the various sections into which the content is organised.

The editor's decisions concerning the acceptance or rejection of a manuscript for publication will be based solely on the importance, originality and clarity of the manuscript, and on the relevance of the study to the stated contents of the journal. This decision is final.

By publishing the requirements for the preparation of manuscripts or originals in the journal, the publisher informs about these details on the website.

By means of the respective publication on the home page of the journal, the editor will inform the authors of the method of evaluation of originals, review guidelines, deadlines for responses, appeal mechanisms, treatment of copyright, and resolution of conflicts of interest.

Any change in the persons and criteria of the journal's editorial management will not affect authors (and their papers) accepted for publication prior to the changes.

Relations with reviewers

Re-presentaciones, periodismo, comunicación y sociedad will publish guidelines for the evaluation of manuscripts by means of which authors will know what the reviewers of their papers will consider.

Re-presentaciones, periodismo, comunicación y sociedad will take steps to ensure and safeguard the privacy of peer reviewers' identities. Authors will be informed of any changes in this regard in a timely manner.

The journal's Editorial Team will have an informed mechanism for receiving and dealing with complaints and grievances, as appropriate.

Promoting debate

Re-presentaciones, periodismo, comunicación y sociedad will publish all criticisms or well-founded opposition received in connection with the publication of an article or opinion. Only derogatory, offensive or denigrating terms will prevent this reproduction. The authors of the criticised material will, in turn, be given the opportunity to respond in accordance with the rules of respect and cordial communication.

Promoting Ethical and Academic Integrity

The Editorial Team will ensure that the contents to be published conform to internationally accepted ethical criteria. If necessary, they will ask authors for the relevant ethical safeguards (Ethics Committees, Review Boards, etc.). Obtaining these safeguards does not, however, imply that the materials proposed by authors are per se ethically sound. The Editorial Board of the journal reserves the right of final sanction; such sanction is final.

The editors will promote ethical safeguards in both published and unpublished work. To this end, priority will be given to addressing concerns with the authors or those directly concerned. If necessary, due to the magnitude or implications of the ethical misconduct, they may refer the case(s) to other persons and institutions.

If it is found that significant inaccuracies, misleading or misleading mentions, or distorted information have been published in the journal, Re-presentaciones. Periodismo, comunicación y sociedad will call upon the authors for immediate correction in the online version of the journal. This should be clearly explained in the publication itself. If, for any reason, the correction cannot be made, the editors reserve the right to remove the content under discussion.

Conflict of interest

Re-presentaciones. Periodismo, comunicación y sociedad has mechanisms and formulas to address and resolve various conflicts of interest that may arise between its managers; between the managers and the authors; between the authors and the reviewers; between its contents and its readers.

With respect to the journal and its editorial environment (authors, reviewers, readers), the reception of complaints, claims, appeals and responses transmitted to the editor, who will determine the steps to be taken and the persons and instances to be appealed to.

In the event that complaints are directed against the editor, the communication should, in the first instance, be addressed to the editor. If the complaint is not satisfactorily dealt with or resolved, it may be addressed to the journal's management, which may, if necessary, have recourse, in agreement with the complainant, to the determination of a final arbitrator whose decision is binding on the parts.

Plagiarism and self-plagiarism

There is an extensive bibliography on the subject where the problem is characterised in its multiple dimensions. This journal is concerned about the phenomenon through the following actions:

1. Detection by electronic means: the titles of works, names of authors and contents are reviewed and checked in academic web search engines.
2. Specialised tools such as Turnitin are also used.
3. Style detection: by cross-checking suspicious paragraphs, a task entrusted to our executive editorial team with the support of technological tools and Artificial Intelligence.
4. On the other hand, presumptions or judgements of (self-) plagiarism and other forms of misleading use of previous productions are subjected to the following steps:

• Qualification of the suspicion or fault by the journal's Executive Editorial Committee.
• Communication of the suspicion of fraud (with data and evidence) to the author or authors.
• Indication of the time limit for complaints and/or clarifications. The deadline, except for reasons of force majeure, is peremptory, and shall not be extended beyond 30 calendar days from the time of communication to the affected parts.
• Weighting, in appropriate cases, of clarifications and endorsements of assurance from questioned authors.
• Resolution and final verdict by Re-presentations, journalism, communication and society on the final destination of the work in question within a period of no more than 60 days. The verdict is final.

The whole procedure will be in writing and will be duly backed up in the magazine's management archives. If necessary, Re-presentaciones, periodismo, comunicación y sociedad may request the advice or opinion of experts from outside the editorial body in order to have elements for a better resolution.

The only sanction to which authors who have effectively consummated the lack of plagiarism and self-plagiarism (have not given a clear and conclusive answer to the doubts and objections) will be subject to will be the impossibility of submitting new texts and communications to the journal for a period of three years. The journal reserves the right, depending on the nature and effects of the problem to be addressed, to communicate the results publicly and/or pass on the background to other administrative, jurisdictional and academic bodies concerned with the matter.

Note: for the purposes of definitions of concepts and qualification of the eventual detection of this fault, this journal will abide by those stipulated by COPE.