About the Journal

Scope

Editorial Process

Publication Ethics

Plagiarism Policy

Intellectual property

Brief History of the Journal

Scope

Si Somos Americanos: Revista de Estudios Transfronterizos is an internationally indexed, open access and peer reviewed scientific journal that analyzes crossborder issues. The publication is mainly focused on the Americas. It prioritizes the study of dynamics that occur in regions or spaces located between the geographic limits of two or more states from a multi-scale and interdisciplinary perspective in social sciences and history. As such, it covers the various processes, complexities and processes that emerge and develop in crossborder areas, addressing topics such as (but not limited to):

  • Theories and methodological approaches to crossborder and related matters.
  • International ideas and practices of governments and other actors, as well as paradiplomacy and foreign policy.
  • Indigenous peoples in crossborder regions.
  • International migration, human mobility and multi-local socio-cultural relations.
  • Border regimes and agreements, socio-spatial structuring dynamics, types of regions and crossborder settlements.
  • Territorial and environmental management and tensions due to the control or exploitation of land and natural resources around and across borders.
  • Trade and circulation of goods and extractive and productive processes related to borders and border phenomena.
  • International security, border processes, defense and border control technologies (both civil and military).

The journal is committed to quality and to showing respect to its contributors, which is reflected in areas such as our constant efforts to reduce publishing times. The journal does not charge authors to publish. This project enjoys the support of the Instituto de Estudios Internacionales (INTE) at Universidad Arturo Prat (Chile).

Frequency

Si Somos Americanos: Revista de Estudios Transfronterizos is a bi-annual publication. It is a journal of continuous publication, with an annual volume.

Open Access Policy

Si Somos Americanos. Revista de Estudios Transfronterizos is an open access publication, which means that all content is available free of charge to the user. Users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search and include links to full texts or use them for any other legal purpose without requesting permission from the editor or author in advance as long as they recognize the author and original source and duly citing the author(s). All of this is based on the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) definition of the term ‘open access.’ For more information, see www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org

Si Somos Americanos. Revista de Estudios Transfronterizos does not charge authors to submit or publish the content of their manuscripts or for any stage of the editorial process.

 

Editorial Process

Si Somos Americanos: Revista de Estudios Transfronterizos has a three-stage review and publication process:

Stage 1. Manuscript reception and review

  • The manuscript and related files submitted through the journal platform (OJS) are assigned to an Editorial Board specialist based on the discipline.
  • The specialist determines whether or not the text aligns with the journal’s focus in terms of topic and assesses its scientific quality. If the text does not meet these requirements, the author will be notified.
  • If the article is accepted based on its topic and scientific quality, the team determines whether the article strictly complies with the journal’s format and originality requirements. If it does not, the author will be notified.
  • If the journal’s formal parameters are met, the Editorial Board will send a letter informnig to the main contact listed for the text and will submit the manuscript to the peer review process. This process is the first review of the text received.

Stage 2. Evaluation and communication with the main contact

  • The journal’s Editorial Board selects reviewers based on the discipline represented, and this begins the second review. The Journal’s scientific committee and specialists associated with its academic network are used as a reference.
  • The Editorial Board sends the anonymized manuscript to two reviewers who engage in a double-blind review of the manuscript.
  • The evaluators are requested them to complete an electronic form based on the journal’s criteria within 15 business days. The reviewer must recommend publication as is, publication with minor changes, publication with major changes or rejection.
  • If the article is accepted with changes (minor or major) by both reviewers, the editorial team submits their feedback to the authors through the OJS platform and asks them to make the changes within a specific period of time (from 15 business days for minor changes to 30 business days for major changes).
  • If the manuscript is rejected by the two reviewers, the main contact will be informed, and the respective reviews will be submitted to them through the OJS platform.
  • If the reviewers disagree (reject and publish), a third anonymous reviewer is assigned to break the tie. The final decision will result in communication with the author(s) as outlined in the two previous points.
  • Once the edited text is received, the Editorial Board will examine the changes and ask for final adjustments if needed. Once the final version of the manuscript is validated, the acceptance notification is sent to the main contact for publication of the text in the journal.

Stage 3. Final version

  • The accepted article is then assigned to a staff member for style correction and translation of the abstract, title and keywords. The staff member ensures that the writing is adjusted, and citations and references are verified based on the format required by the journal. The changes to the text are communicated and complemented through electronic exchanges with the main contact over the course of approximately 10 business days.
  • Finally, the layout process is completed and the DOI is assigned.
  • Once this process is complete, the meta-marking of references begins in order to guarantee their inclusion and digital access.

Once these steps are complete, a galley version of the manuscript is sent to the main contact so that they may review and approve it. They have two business days to do so. Once reviewed, the text is ready to be published in the journal.

Publication Ethics

The Si Somos Americanos editorial process follows editorial best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (publicationethics.org). The various parties who intervene in the editorial process (the Editorial Board, reviewers and authors) assume responsibility for engaging in ethical and honest behavior when they participate in the various areas of the journal and the publication of its content. The responsibilities for best practices of the various parties are described below, along with the ethical procedures involved in the publishing process.

Author Guidelines

Authors who submit manuscripts to Si Somos Americanos accept the ethical guidelines and editorial policies set out by the journal.

The authors of manuscripts submitted to the journal certify that they are the authors of the text and that it is an original work, that is to say, it has not been published elsewhere before or submitted simultaneously to a different scientific publication or other media channel (journal, periodical, book or website).

The order of authorship will be determined by the participants based on the contribution made by each person. Co-authors must be individuals who have made a significant contribution to the development of the manuscript. The final version submitted must be reviewed and approved by all authors. The signatories are responsible for the text.

The authors must follow the ethical guidelines when working with human subjects and make these considerations explicit in the article where required. Furthermore, when applicable, a statement will be included that reflects any economic or other conflict of interest that may influence the results or interpretation of the work. If the research benefited from the support of one or more funding sources, this must be stated.

Authors who publish in Si Somos Americanos retain the copyrights to their work per the Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 - Creative Commons, which allows others to distribute, mix, adjust and build on the work, even for commercial purposes, as long as the original work is properly cited.

For Reviewers

Si Somos Americanos uses a double-blind review system that excludes reviewers with institutional affiliations shared by the author(s) of the article that they are to consider.

Reviewers consider articles based solely on their scientific merit, originality and theoretical and methodological congruency. Reviewers commit to engaging in an objective review of the article, examining both its scientific content and its form and structure. They will support their observations with solid arguments expressed in an objective manner, prioritizing constructive criticism that helps improve the manuscript. Personal or offensive critiques will not be acceptable.

In addition to their review, the reviewers agree to alert Si Somos Americanos if the texts or parts of it have been published or are being considered or published elsewhere.

Reviewers agree to comply with review deadlines in order to refrain from hindering the normal development of the publication and printing of the journal. If it is not possible to do so for some reason, reviewers agree to contact the director or editor to request an extension or decline.

Reviewers recognize that they must have expertise in the topic addressed in the article reviewed and that they must certify that they have no conflict of interest that prevents them from impartially reviewing the article. If they believe that the manuscript they have been asked to review is outside of their field of expertise or they do not feel qualified to review it, they must notify the journal and refrain from moving forward with the review process.

Reviewers agree to respect the anonymity of the author and not to disseminate the manuscript that they are reviewing. They agree to refrain from using it in their own work, commenting on it, sharing it and involving others in their review.

For Editors

Si Somos Americanos agrees to ensure that the review process is confidential and responsible, preserving the academic and intellectual integrity of all activities (review, editing and publication). In order to ensure that the double-blind review process progresses properly, the journal will take steps not to share any information that reveals the identity of the author(s) of the document under review. The anonymity of the reviewers will also be maintained.

The journal commits to selecting reviewers who are qualified to provide a well-founded review of the article. Two reviewers will be chosen for each manuscript. If they cannot agree on whether to accept or reject the manuscript, it will be sent to a third reviewer, who will break the tie.

Si Somos Americanos commits to refrain from disseminating or sharing information about the articles submitted for publication to people who are not involved in the journal’s publishing processes. The journal will protect copyright and will encourage the elimination of practices that may impact it for the author(s) and others whose rights are involved.

The decision to accept or reject an article will be solely based on thematic relevance, scientific rigor, and the quality of the text. Aspects such as originality, clarity and contribution will be considered along with how well the text aligns with the journal’s thematic line.

Authors will be informed of the status of their article throughout the review process. The estimated timing of each stage will be stated in the description of the review process.

Plagiarism Policy

Articles received by Si Somos Americanos. Revista de Estudios Transfronterizos are analyzed using anti-plagiarism software.

If plagiarism is detected in an article, the following procedure will be followed:

  • If it is identified prior to publication, the Editorial Board will analyze the case based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Once analyzed, the corresponding actions will be taken based on COPE guidelines.
  • If it is identified after the publication of the article on the journal website, the article will be removed and an official statement regarding the situation will be published. The publication will also follow any other applicable COPE guidelines.

Our understanding of plagiarism is based on the COPE definition: When someone submits the work of others (data, words or theories) as their own and without adequate recognition, including self-plagiarism or duplicate publication. In order to address these situations, the first step will be to contact the author and, if necessary, all of the authors. If a satisfactory response is not received, the journal reserves the right to contact the authors’ institution(s). The journal Director will take a decision with the Editorial Board based on the severity of the case and the evidence submitted.

Si Somos Americanos. Revista de Estudios Transfronterizos adheres to COPE guidelines regarding scientific publication standards and is guided by the same. However, it is NOT a COPE member. A list of said standards is available online at HTTPS://PUBLICATIONETHICS.ORG/

 

Managing Post-Publication Claims and Corrections

Any claim made regarding the journal or its editorial process suggesting that an author has been negatively impacted must be submitted in the form of a letter containing information about the case to the Director of Si Somos Americanos. The Director will have 10 business days from confirming receipt of said letter to respond. The response will contain information about the decision made and the steps to be taken. The Director of Si Somos Americanos is responsible for providing a response and issuing a decision. They will consider the information submitted with a member of the Editorial Board and a member of the Editorial Committee. These will be based on the journal’s rules and policies and the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Post-publication corrections will be made in response to external requests made by authors or third parties (once the journal’s editors receive a letter containing the corresponding changes) or by internal editorial decision if errata or elements that should be adjusted are identified. The Editorial Board will evaluate both types of changes and will inform and coordinate with the author of the article.

 

Conflicts of interest

Si Somos Americanos has mechanisms for addressing and resolving cases of conflicts of interests involving its members, authors, reviewers, content and readers.

Its Editorial Committee, team members and leadership are the entities responsible for addressing and resolving problems.

In regard to the journal and its editorial environment (authors, reviewers, readers), complaints, claims, appeals, and responses will be submitted to the Editor, who will determine how to proceed and who to involve.

If the complaints are made about the Editor, the Editor should initially be the person contacted. If said complaint is not handled properly, the individual lodging the complaint may contact the journal’s leadership, which may, if necessary, reach an agreement with the person to turn to a final arbitrator whose decision will be binding for all of the parties.

 

The Exchange of Information and Reproducibility

Based on its open access policy, Si Somos Americanos ensures access to all of the articles on its platform that have been published to date. It also ensures that all articles published on the platform that are the result of scientific study or research provide methodological data, figures, tables, annexes and data that allow for its reproducibility.

Intellectual property

Copyright Authors who publish in Si Somos Americanos accept the following conditions:

  • The authors conserve their copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication of the work.
  • Once their article is accepted for publication, it will be subject to the License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 INTERNACIONAL (CC 4.0), which allows others to share the work as long as they recognize the author and initial publication of the work in this journal.
  • The authors may enter into additional contractual agreements separate from this one for the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the work in the journal (for example, publish it in an institutional repository, on their personal website or in a book) as long as they recognize its initial publication in Si Somos Americanos.
  • The author(s) may and are encouraged to disseminate the published version of their work online (for example, in institutional repositories or on websites) after it is published in Si Somos Americanos.

Author Agreement and Recognition According to the terms that govern this agreement, the author(s) certify that they wrote the article to be published in Si Somos Americanos and that it is an original work that has not been submitted to nor is being reviewed for publication in other journals, periodicals or books.

Download Model Agreement.

Sources of Income and Publicity

Si Somos Americanos does not charge anything to submit, process or publish the articles that the journal receives. The costs generated by editing the articles are assumed in their entirety by the Instituto de Estudios Internacionales (INTE) at Universidad Arturo Prat.

The journal does not include any paid or unpaid publicity on its website or in its articles.

Sponsors

Brief History of the Journal

Si Somos Americanos: Revista de Estudios Transfronterizos was launched in 1996 and was initially published annually. In 2005, it began to be published bi-annually. The journal is published by the Instituto de Estudios Internacionales at Universidad Arturo Prat. The publication is mainly focused on the Americas. It prioritizes the study of dynamics that occur in regions or spaces located between the geographic limits of two or more states from a multi-scale and interdisciplinary perspective in social sciences and history. As such, it covers the various processes, complexities and processes that emerge and develop in crossborder area.

The journal has only been published electronically since Volume 18, No. 1 (2018) on the website www.sisomosamericanos.cl, using the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.

Copyright Notice

Licencia de Creative Commons
Si Somos Americanos. Revista de Estudios Transfronterizos of the Instituto de Estudios Internacionales de la Universidad Arturo Prat is under License Creative Commons Atribución License 4.0 International (CCBY 4.0).

Statement of Privacy

The names and email addresses presented in this journal will be used for the purposes stated by the journal and will not be available for any other use.