Publication process

1. Create account

Before submitting their manuscript, authors must register their personal information, including name, affiliation, and ORCID. Either your institutional email address or your ORCID ID will be used to request registration. We recommend using the latter option to create an account. Additional information is available at the following links: create account and manuscript submission.

2. Manuscript submission

Before submitting their manuscript, authors are advised to review the submission reception checklist. Within three business days after the submission, the author will get an email confirming that the text was received correctly.

3. Content relevance and compliance with basic criteria

The first review of manuscripts will be conducted by the associate editors. They will verify the content relevance and check the basic criteria outlined in the Author guidelines. They will decide whether to accept the manuscript or request minor adjustments. If there are any noteworthy observations regarding non-compliance with these requirements, the authors will be informed why the manuscript will not be accepted. During this stage, the manuscript will be compared against other works using the Turnitin platform. Manuscripts will only move on to formal review if they make it beyond this stage.

4. Peer review

Sílex journal uses a double-blind peer review process, in which two or more anonymous reviewers with academic degrees comparable to or greater than the author evaluate the manuscript without knowing the author’s information. It also keeps the reviewers’ identities a secret.

Depending on the subject area or topic, the editor-in-chief and deputy editor assign two outside reviewers for each manuscript. Neither the Editorial Board nor the journal’s directors may act as reviewers. Furthermore, Sílex will provide reviewers a set of ethical evaluation guidelines based on the principles of transparency in communication, respect, and impartiality for their contributions.

Results

Reviewers should choose only one diagnostic option from the list below to grade the manuscript once it has been evaluated.

  • Accepted
    The manuscript may be published if it does not require significant revisions. Peer reviewers often suggest minimal changes, mostly in the area of formatting

  • Minor revisions
    The manuscript may be published after making the changes outlined by the peer reviewer, mostly referring to the developed topic. These enhancements will be reviewed by the editorial staff.

  • Major revisions
    The manuscript may be published after a second evaluation by the assigned reviewers, who will provide a final assessment on the authors’ revisions to their suggestions.

  • Rejection
    If the manuscript needs significant revisions to be published in the journal, or if it is deemed unacceptable from an academic viewpoint.

Guidelines for reviewers

A manuscript must be reviewed within four to five weeks of being received. In order to do this, the journal provides an evaluation rubric with clear criteria for determining whether to accept, edit, or reject the manuscript. Reviewers should also consider the following guidelines:

  • Only review submissions that fall within your area of expertise, and commit to meeting the established deadlines.
  • Be impartial and helpful; avoid disparaging or derogatory remarks.
  • Consider each author just on the basis of their qualifications, without discrimination based on race, religion, nationality, gender, seniority, or institutional affiliation.
  • Preserve the confidentiality of the peer review process.
  • Submit detailed, well-founded, and reasoned review reports
  • If there are difficulties meeting deadlines, notify the journal and, if required, ask for an extension.
  • Any significant similarities between the manuscript under review and another known publication should be reported to the journal.

Acknowledgement to reviewers

Reviewers will receive a certificate in recognition for their participation as peer reviewers.

5. Response to reviewers’ comment

The editor will ultimately decide whether to accept or reject the manuscript after considering the feedback and suggestions from the peer reviewers. The email address registered on the platform will be used to inform the authors of the review’s results.

Authors will have three weeks to make the recommended adjustments. If the review delays for a long time, they may request the withdrawal of their manuscript.

6. Accepted manuscripts

The Publication Guidelines for Final Versions, which will be sent via email, must be followed by the accepted manuscripts. If the manuscript has multiple authors, the “Declaration of Authorship Contribution" section must be placed at the end of the article to make clear the roles played by each author in the manuscript’s conception and elaboration.

7. Proofreading and layout editing

After receiving the final manuscripts, they will proceed to proofreading and layout editing stage. The editorial staff will give a signed authorization form for authors to submit to Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya at this step, granting permission for the articles to be reproduced, published, distributed, and used for public communication. Lastly, the article, essay, or review will be published on the journal’s online platform.