About the Journal

Focus and scope

The Spanish Journal of Sociology (RES) is the official journal of the Spanish Federation of Sociology (FES), the scientific society of Spanish sociology that brings together more than 3,000 sociologists, including sociology associations, university departments and faculties, scientific institutions, research committees, and business entities related to Sociology. RES was founded in 2001. Its directors and editorial team members have included prestigious researchers from Spanish sociology.

RES is published in digital format. It includes monographic sections, debates, reviews, editorials, and is open to publishing monographic issues. It publishes four regular issues per year: January, April, July, October. The languages of RES are Spanish and English. It is possible to evaluate articles in any of the official languages of the Spanish State.

The areas covered by RES include all scientifically relevant aspects related to the sociological study of the current situation and changes in social structures and institutions, as well as the practices, behaviors, and processes that shape social reality. RES pays special attention to comparative studies on issues affecting societies in Spain, Latin America, and Southern European countries.

RES provides free unrestricted access to all its content immediately after publication.

Peer review process

RES publishes scientific works following a double-blind peer review system for manuscripts, under criteria of strict excellence and universalist, anonymous, and competence-based evaluation procedures.

The review process is as follows:

  1. Receipt of the manuscript. A confirmation email is sent to the contact author.

  2. Review of basic guidelines The manuscript is checked to ensure it complies with the basic submission guidelines (APA style, anonymized copy). If the guidelines are not met, an email is sent to the author requesting revisions.

  3. Review by the Editorial Team and/or Editorial Board members Several members of the editorial team review the content of the manuscript and discuss its thematic relevance for the journal, as well as whether the content meets academic standards. For this, they have the support of Editorial Board members specialized in the topic of the manuscript. First decision:

    • Accept continuation of the review process (if accepted, proceed to point 4).
    • Recommend revisions to the author and resubmission.
    • Reject (end of process, desk rejection).

  4. Selection of appropriate reviewers and first round of peer review The manuscript is sent to specialized reviewers: evaluation request, anonymized manuscript, and evaluation form. The manuscript is reassigned if reviewers cannot complete the review.

  5. Editorial committee decision The evaluations received are reviewed and discussed among several editors of the editorial committee. At this point, the support of Editorial Board members specialized in the topic of the manuscript may be sought.

    An email is sent to the author with the reviewers' comments and the editorial decision is notified:

    • Accept (if accepted, go to point 10).
    • Recommend revisions and resubmission.
    • Reject (end of process).

  6. Revision and resubmission request The author is requested to resubmit the manuscript with tracked changes within an estimated period (generally, 4 weeks). Additionally, a document responding to the reviewers' comments is requested.

  7. Second round of review Once the modified manuscript is received, it is checked to ensure it complies with the basic submission guidelines. If the guidelines are not met, an email is sent to the author requesting revision. If major changes were requested, the modified manuscript with tracked changes is sent to the reviewers, as well as the author's response document. If minor changes are requested, the editorial team evaluates this new version of the manuscript.

  8. Editorial committee decision The evaluations received are reviewed and discussed among several editors of the editorial committee. At this point, the support of Editorial Board members specialized in the topic of the manuscript may be sought.

    An email is sent to the author with the reviewers' comments and the editorial decision is notified:

    • Accept (if accepted, go to point 10).
    • Accept with minor changes.
    • Recommend revisions and resubmission (go to step 6).
    • Reject (end of process).

  9. Accept with minor changes The decision is sent to the authors, the requested revisions will be returned within 2 weeks. Once the revisions are received, they are carefully read to ensure that all requests have been completed.

  10. Editing for publication Final editing by RES. Minor adjustments to the text may be requested after a style review and during the layout process.

  11. Issue assignment and publication The manuscript is published in the journal after the assignment of DOI, issue number, and disseminated through various media.

Open Access Policy

The Spanish Journal of Sociology allows authors to publish in Open Access format, without embargo periods, which implies free and permanent online consultation of all academic works including articles, research notes, debates, and book and report reviews. The open-access practice allows the scientific community and society in general to consult, read, and digitally download without barriers the articles published in the Spanish Journal of Sociology. This practice aims to promote the dissemination and exchange of scientific information to the whole society. Open Access publication is part of the policies and measures promoted by Plan S by the "cOAlition S" consortium, supported by the European Research Council (ERC), integrated by the Science Europe association and the main national research agencies from more than a dozen countries. This initiative foresees the obligation to publish in open access from 2020 all works benefiting from public funding.

 

Gender equality policy

The Spanish Journal of Sociology (RES) is committed to promoting gender equality in all its activities, recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusion for excellence in research and scientific publication. This policy aims to eliminate any form of gender discrimination and foster an equitable and respectful environment for authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. General principles:

  1. Equal opportunities: RES guarantees equal opportunities in the submission, evaluation, and publication of articles, as well as participation in the editorial board and the review process.
  2. Inclusive language: RES promotes the use of inclusive and non-sexist language in all communications.
  3. Balanced representation: RES maintains a gender-balanced representation in the editorial board and among reviewers.
  4. Gender sensitivity in research: RES encourages research that takes gender dimensions into account and promotes the inclusion of gender perspectives in sociological analysis.
  5. Zero tolerance for harassment: RES maintains a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination, and is committed to providing a confidential and effective reporting mechanism.

 

Publication Ethics Principles

The Spanish Journal of Sociology (RES) is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in all its publications. This commitment is based on the following fundamental principles:

  • All articles submitted to RES must be original and not previously published elsewhere.
  • Plagiarism, in any form, is an unacceptable practice and will be grounds for immediate rejection of the article. RES uses plagiarism detection tools to ensure the originality of submissions.
  • Authorship of an article should be attributed to those who have made a significant contribution to the research.
  • Authors must disclose any possible conflicts of interest that may influence the interpretation of their results.
  • RES also expects reviewers to declare any conflicts of interest that may affect their evaluation.
  • RES is committed to conducting a fair and rigorous peer review process.
  • The editorial team of RES has the responsibility to ensure compliance with these ethical principles.

RES adheres to the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other international organizations to ensure integrity and ethics in scientific publication.