Proceso editorial y de evaluación de manuscritos

Sekkan is a non-commercial, open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal committed to scientific quality, academic integrity, and editorial transparency. This scientific journal in the fields of social sciences and the humanities is edited by the Facultad de Ciencias de la Comunicación de la Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila and establishes an academic evaluation process aimed at ensuring quality, scientific integrity, and compliance with ethical principles in the communication of knowledge.

All manuscripts received are subject to a structured, confidential, and transparent editorial process aimed at ensuring the academic quality of the published works and compliance with the ethical principles established by the journal.

1. Receipt of Articles

Manuscripts are received and managed in accordance with the editorial procedures established by the journal, ensuring traceability, confidentiality, and monitoring of each stage of the editorial process.

Authors must submit their manuscripts to the journal’s official email address: rsekkan@uadec.edu.mx.

To begin the editorial process, the submission must include:

• The complete manuscript in Word format, prepared in accordance with the journal’s guidelines.
• A declaration addressed to the journal’s Editorial Committee, in accordance with the established format.

At this stage, the manuscript is verified to ensure that it complies with the guidelines established by the journal:

• Type of text: research article or book review.
• Structure: title, abstract, keywords, introduction, methodology, results, discussion — or development section for review articles — and conclusions.
• Length: 7–15 pages.
• Manuscript format: Times New Roman, double spacing, standard margins.
• Citation standards: author-year system based on APA.
• Reference standards: modified APA format with the author’s full name.
• Inclusion of complete metadata: authors, affiliation, ORCID, and corresponding author.

2. Initial Review by the Editorial Team

The Editorial Committee conducts a preliminary evaluation of the manuscript, considering:

Thematic relevance within the journal’s areas of interest.
Originality and academic relevance.
Compliance with editorial standards.

Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria may be rejected at this stage or returned for preliminary adjustments.

All information is treated as confidential.

3. Verification of Originality and Academic Integrity

All manuscripts are submitted to similarity-detection tools as part of the journal’s scientific integrity policies.

The identification of plagiarism, unjustified self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabrication, or manipulation of information constitutes grounds for editorial rejection. When reasonable doubts exist regarding the originality of the work, the journal may request clarifications or supplementary documentation.

Likewise, authors must declare the use of artificial intelligence tools and indicate their function in the preparation of the manuscript. The use of artificial intelligence tools may not replace the intellectual responsibility of the authors regarding the content of the manuscript.

4. Ethical and Legal Declarations

To continue in the editorial process, in the letter addressed to the Editorial Committee, authors must state: the declaration of originality; the declaration of absence of conflict of interest; the declaration of authorship and contribution; compliance with ethical research principles; the use of artificial intelligence tools, when applicable; and the proposal of possible external reviewers affiliated with institutions other than those of the authors.

Only those who have made a significant contribution to the development of the work shall be recognized as authors. Generative artificial intelligence tools may not be recognized as authors of manuscripts.

5. Editorial Assignment

Manuscripts that pass the preliminary review are assigned to the corresponding Area Editor, according to the topic of the work. Editorial assignment ensures specialized evaluation of manuscripts and proper monitoring of the peer-review process.

6. Peer Review

Manuscripts are sent for evaluation to at least two external specialists. The journal uses a double-blind peer-review system, which means that authors do not know the identity of the reviewers, and reviewers do not know the identity of the authors. The reports issued by reviewers are confidential and are used exclusively for editorial purposes.

Reviewers are selected based on their academic expertise, scientific output, and absence of conflict of interest. In the case of contradictory reports, a third evaluation is requested.

7. Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers consider the following aspects:

• Originality and scientific contribution.
• Scientific or humanistic relevance.
• Methodological rigor.
• Clarity of exposition and argumentation.
• Currency and relevance of references.
• Structural coherence.
• Academic and social relevance.

8. Editorial Process Timelines

The editorial process includes the following approximate timelines:

• Initial editorial review: 1–2 weeks.
• Peer review: 4–8 weeks.
• Author revisions: 2–4 weeks.
• Style editing: 1 week.
• Final authorization by the author for publication of the article or review: 1 week.

These timelines may vary depending on reviewer availability.

9. Editorial Decisions

Based on the reports, the manuscript may be:

Accepted without modifications.
Accepted with minor modifications.
Accepted with major modifications.
Rejected.

In the case of modifications, authors must submit the corrected version using the journal’s template, with track changes, as well as a response letter addressing the reviewers’ reports.

The final decision rests with the Editorial Committee.

10. Editing and Publication

Accepted manuscripts enter the stages of style editing, editorial layout, and preparation for publication.

The journal will inform authors in a timely manner of the definitive acceptance of the work and the issue in which it will be published.

11. Corrections and Retractions

The journal establishes mechanisms for issuing corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, or retractions when there are elements that may affect the reliability or integrity of published works.

Any modification made after publication shall be duly recorded.

12. Open Access Policy

Sekkan is an open-access journal, which guarantees free and immediate access to its content and promotes scientific knowledge without economic restrictions for readers or authors.

The journal does not charge fees for the receipt, processing, evaluation, or publication of manuscripts.

13. Commitment to Editorial Quality

Sekkan promotes scientific integrity, editorial transparency, specialized peer review, open science, and the responsible circulation of scientific, social, and humanistic knowledge for the benefit of the academic community and society.

14. Privacy and Confidentiality

The personal information provided by authors, reviewers, and members of the editorial team shall be used exclusively for the editorial management of Sekkan. Manuscripts, review reports, and editorial communications shall be handled under strict confidentiality criteria, and only the individuals involved in the corresponding editorial process shall have access to them. The processing of personal data is carried out in accordance with the current regulations of the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila and the applicable provisions on personal data protection.