Principles and policies

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.

Authorship policy

The Revista Española de Sociología (RES) adheres to the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to determine the authorship of scientific works. The RES considers it necessary that all persons designated as authors have made substantial contributions to the work and can take public responsibility for its content.
To be recognized as an author in a manuscript submitted to the RES, the following criteria must be met:

- Substantial contribution to the conception or design of the work; or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
- Drafting of the manuscript or critical revision with significant intellectual contributions.
- Approval of the final version of the manuscript to be published.
- Assuming responsibility for all aspects of the work.

All authors must meet all four criteria mentioned above.
Any request for a change in authorship (addition, removal, or rearrangement of authors) must be made before the manuscript is accepted and only if exceptional circumstances exist.ReintentarClaude puede cometer errores. Por favor, verifique las respuestas.

 

Property rights

All publications in the Revista Española de Sociología will be made under an open Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0). This license establishes that authors are the holders of the intellectual property rights of their works, which can be redistributed in exchange for appropriate acknowledgment. For more information about the Creative Commons license, check here. Once an article is accepted for publication, the Revista Española de Sociología will request the designated "corresponding author" to accept a mandatory Creative Commons license included in a publication agreement or contract.

 
 

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.

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) usage policy

The Spanish Journal of Sociology (RES) establishes an artificial intelligence (AI) usage policy for scientific publications to maintain the highest standards of scientific integrity while leveraging AI systems' capabilities.

1. Purpose
This policy establishes guidelines for using artificial intelligence (AI) in scientific articles submitted to the Spanish Journal of Sociology. The objective is to promote transparency, scientific quality, and appropriate acknowledgment of all tools used in the research process and communication of results.

2. Scope
This policy applies to all authors submitting manuscripts to the Spanish Journal of Sociology (RES), regardless of submission type: article, special issue, or book review.

3. Definitions
The application of AI in research and communication of results has occurred through various systems and tools.
Generative AI: artificial intelligence systems capable of generating text, images, or other content based on patterns learned from large datasets.
AI Agents: advanced AI systems that can perform complex tasks, make autonomous decisions, and interact with the environment.
AI Tools: include, but are not limited to:
- Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, models like Llama, Mistral, and platforms using LLMs such as SciSpace, Consensus, and Elicit, among others
- Image generators
- AI agents specialized in scientific tasks or data analysis
- AI systems for experiment automation or results processing

4. Usage policy
4.1 Declaration of use
Authors must explicitly declare the use of any AI tools in their manuscript. This declaration must be included in a section titled “AI Usage Declaration” at the end of the manuscript, just before the references. In this section, the authors must provide the following information:
- Name and version of AI tools used
- Brief description of how AI was used, for example, to generate portions of text, assist in literature review, edit and revise drafts, analyze data, translate, or other functions

4.2 Citation
Authors must appropriately cite the AI tool used in the references section, following the journal's standard citation format. For example:

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT GPT-4 [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Anthropic. (2024). Claude 3.5 Sonnet [Large language model]. https://www.claude.ai/

4.3 Usage limitations
- Generative AI must not be used to create or manipulate research data
- The use of AI does not exempt authors from their responsibility for the manuscript's content
- Authors must carefully review and edit any AI-generated text to ensure its accuracy and relevance, particularly given the risk of AI hallucination

5. Review process
The editorial team will evaluate the declared use of AI in the context of the manuscript's theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions. Editors reserve the right to request additional information regarding AI usage.

6. Non-compliance consequences
Failure to comply with this policy may result in:
- Manuscript rejection
- Retraction of published articles
- Temporary or permanent ban from publishing in the journal

7. Policy review
This policy will be updated periodically to ensure its relevance.

 

Plagiarism detection

The Spanish Journal of Sociology (RES) uses the Turnitin tool to detect possible cases of plagiarism in articles submitted for publication. This system compares received texts with an extensive database of academic publications, websites, and other documents, generating a similarity report that allows editors to evaluate the originality of the works and ensure the academic integrity of the journal.

 

Digital preservation and interoperability protocols

The Spanish Journal of Sociology (RES) guarantees the long-term digital preservation of its contents through a dual strategy. First, by using the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform, we ensure the management and storage of articles in standardized and long-lasting formats. Second, we implement a system of periodic backups on servers, minimizing the risk of data loss. This combined approach allows us to fulfill our commitment to keeping published knowledge accessible, ensuring its preservation and availability.

Additionally, the inclusion of detailed metadata in OJS facilitates the identification, indexing, and retrieval of articles using interoperability protocols.

 

Dissemination and Knowledge Transfer

The Revista Española de Sociología (RES) is committed to the maximum dissemination and transfer of scientific knowledge to diverse audiences. To this end, we implement a multichannel dissemination strategy that expands the reach and impact of published research.

- We facilitate access to scientific content for diverse audiences, both academic and non-academic, through the generation of content on social networks and podcasts.
- We use various formats such as PDF, HTML, XLM, and podcast platforms to maximize the reach of publications.
- Knowledge transfer: we actively promote the practical application of scientific findings in society through the generation of content on platforms such as LinkedIn and podcasts on Ivoox that bring scientific knowledge to wider audiences.
- Social impact: we seek for research to transcend the academic sphere and contribute to informed public debate.