ISSN 0120-159X
printed version

ISSN 2256-5485
online version

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15446/rcs

INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS

• Scope and policy
• Form and preparation of manuscripts
• Publication ethics and publication malpractice statement
• Sending of manuscripts

The Revista Colombiana  de Sociología (RCS) is a scientific biannual publication which, since December 2, 1979, has become one of the academic projects which has most contributed to the dissemination of classic and contemporary discussion in sociology. The RCS is aimed at academics, undergraduate and graduate students, graduates and professors of the areas of sociology and the social and human sciences, at the national and international levels, who find in the articles contributions to the development of these and other sciences.

The main goal of RCS is to foster the dialogue among the scientific community within a framework of respect for the plurality and school of thoughts that articulate the discipline. In the meantime, the journal promotes the dialogue with all other human and social sciences as well as with the natural sciences, non – academic forms of knowledge and the arts. The overarching goal of these multiple dialogues is to help research and understanding of the different phenomena that make up our reality, its actors, dynamics and on-going process that shape it.

Vision 2019

In 2019 the RCS shall be position as a key academic reference for debate in the area of Sociology as well as in the Human and Social Sciences for Colombia and Latin America. In order to achieve this goal the RCS has envisaged a strategy that entails the broadening of the printed journal format. For this, the RCS has developed a strategy to broaden the concept of the print journal as a form of academic dissemination, connecting the different forms of promoting research and debate; these include seminars, forums, interviews and conferences, which circulate on virtual media, special sections and thematic symposiums.  The central core and the initial step in the implementation of this strategy is the 360° strengthening of the selection criteria and indexing, as well as the reorientation of the editorial line towards the publication of original and quality research (2014-2015). Upgrading the strategy in 2016 has involved the consolidation of the virtual content and international visibility, as well as the promotion of seminars and forums that feed the printed and virtual edition.

Editorial policy and sections’ specifications

Given these premises, RCS only accepts previously unpublished work and, in particular, research-based articles or those concentrating on theoretical and/or methodological issues also fruit of original research. This is the main goal of the editorial strategy. Its aim is thus to promote critical debates connecting sociology with contemporary problems both within Colombia and Latin America at large. Special emphasis is placed onto the comprehension of the relationship between local and global dynamics.

RCS has two main sections, the Thematic Section (TS) and the General Section (GS). In the first one we identify a key theme for debate that provides the identity for that issue. The selection of the central topic and the academic edition of each issue are done by experts in the social sciences (invited editors). The call for the reception of items articles in the thematic section is closed. For the general section, the RCS publishes previously unpublished works treating diverse topics of sociological interest. For this and the other sections, the call for the reception of articles is open and permanent.

Other specific sections are those dedicated to the reviews of essays and books, interviews with academics and social actors who are relevant for the debate. The section ‘Thesis and Monographs’ is dedicated to the publication of the scientific production of junior scholars, with emphasis in articles derived from undergraduate and graduate thesis.

Article reception and procedures

The journal shall only consider unpublished work that represent either an empirical or theoretical contribution to sociology. Priority is given to the publication of results of research projetcs or programmes. Contribution for or from other disciplines are welcome.

All articles shall include the title in Spanish (or in English or Portuguese if the main text is in one of those two languages). It shall also include an abstract of minimum 300 and maximum 350 words. Finally, it shall include between 6 and 8 key words. Both the abstract and the key words will have to be provided in one of the three languages accepted by the journal and translated in the other two by the author(s) (Spanish, English and Portuguese).

If the article is the result of original research or a research Project, the autor(s) shall explictely state it in a footnote, specifying the research code, when applicable, and the institution or organization that financed the research. Author(s) will be careful to include a short section between 500 and 700 words providing details regards of the main methodological aspects of the research itself.

Articles copies shall not include the names of author(s) in order to guarantee anonymous evaluation. Personal information can be removed from the Word file by entering the File tab, Check for Issues, Inspect Document, and Remove all from Document Properties and Personal Information.   

Articles will have an extension of maximum 7.000 words including all contents (abstracts, key words, footnotes, bibliography, tables, graphs, etc.).

In order to gain access to the stage in which articles are revised by anonymous external peers, all texts shall be presented using the following format: Times New Roma 12pts., double space, including tables, figures and bibliographic references (tables and graphs do not need to be presented in double space, of course). Book reviews shall not exceed the 1.500 words and be presented according to the same format. Both articles and book reviews shall not include more than three levels of numeration. Arabic numeration shall be preferred over other systems.

Graphic components, such as tables with statistical data and all figures (images, photographs, diagrams) must be attached in a file (i.e. .xls, .jpg or .tiff) separate from the text file, numbered by order of appearance and must be mentioned in the text. All images, figures, tables, etc. that are not intellectual property of the author(s) must be presented with the correspondent autorisation and/or licence by the holder of the legal right of the work included in the article. If the work is the intellectual property of the author(s), this needs to be specified under the image, figure, table, etc. in the following way: Source: The author (s).

The author must attach a brief biographical summary including the following information: name registered in the academic production; name of the institution or entity belonged to during the research for the article; the country and city of this institution or entity, author’s affiliation with research groups; postal and email (preferably institutional) addresses, telephone number and the ORCID researcher and author code. Optionally, the link to curriculum vitae found in academic excellence systems such as Colciencias, Conycet, Conacyt, etc. as well as the link to the personal web page at the affiliate institution, when available, may be sent.

All text shall be submitted only in digital versión in the following formats: .doc /.docx, including the title through the rcs website placed within the webpage of the Journals of the National University of Colombia:: www.revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/recs . There author(s)will be able to monitor the process of evaluation and access the full historical record of all published articles of RCS.

To submit the article, the author(s) must register in the system and follow the five steps established. All the metadata of the article and author(s) must be entered, including bibliographic references; these must be ordered alphabetically.  Before copying in the indicated space, the format must be deleted; when pasting, a blank space must be left between references.

Inclusive language

RCS shares the values of respect for all types of diversity, in gender and sexual orientations. For reasons of style the journal favours the use of a neutral language when referring to gender (e.g.: person, human being, individual). Nevertheless, when necessary, the / sign can be used to include masculine and feminine references (he/she).

Peer-review process

After reception all articles are submitted by RCS to a first evaluation on the basis of the accomplishment with the criteria outlined in this document. This phase includes a review of form and an initial evaluation of content by the Editorial Committee, which takes twenty business days.  The articles submitted for the thematic section and the general section will then be submitted for external arbitration. Texts submitted for the sections ‘Book Reviews’ and ‘Thesis and Monographs’ are evaluated only by peers of the National University of Colombia.
The final decision is communicated to the author(s) according to the following scale:

1. Approved
2. Approved with minor changes
3. Approved with substantial revisions
4. Rejected

In all cases the concept is formally communicated to the author(s). In cases (b) and (c) also the suggestions for improvement are formally communicated to the author(s). The final decision on the publication of an article remains in the rights of the Editorial Committee, which is presided by the Editor of the journal. In case of a positive decision, author(s) shall receive a format for the formal authorization to publish their work in print and digital format according to the license format of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

All articles approved for publication cannot be withdrawn. In any case a formal request shall be sent to the journal Editor.

All originals shall remain under possession of the RCS. During the edition process the RCS shall keep constant contact with the author(s) and always use the original text for the editing process.

Bibliographic references

RCS uses the American Psycological Association reference system. Please refer for details to the following link: www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html

Footnotes must only be employed to explain, comment upon or complement the main body of the text and shall be numbered using the Arabic system.

All citations shall be duly accompanied by a reference. When citations do not overcome the 40 words they will be transcribed in double commas. However, when they exceed this limit they will have to be transcribed in a separate paragraph, indented 2 centimetres on either sides and reducing the character by 1 point (Times New Roman 11), to differentiate the quote from the rest of the text.

All bibliographic references shall be cited as it follows in between brackets.

(Weber, 1927, p. 124)

All articles shall include a reference list of all cited sources at the end of the text. References shall be alphabetically ordered as it is illustrated in the following examples.

In the case the authors had consulted other bibliographic sources from those cited, he/she will organise them according to the same criteria under the title ‘Consulted bibliograhpy’.

Examples of citation:

a) Books: Surnames, initials. (Year of publication). Book title. Place of publication: Publisher.

Example: Weber, M. (1997). Economía y sociedad. México D.F.: Fondo de Cultura Económica.

In the case of two or more authors use the connector y, example: Castellanos, J., Gloria, A. M. y Kamimura, M. (eds.). (2006). The Latina/o pathway to the Ph.D.: Abriendo caminos. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

b) Journal article: Surnames, initials. (Year of publication). Article title. Journal title, volume number(n.º), ##-##. doi: number

Example: Berthelot, J. M. (2000). Os novos desafios epistemológicos da Sociología. Sociología, problemas e prácticas, 33(1), 111-131. doi: 10.1353/lan.2006.0184

c) Chapter in the book: Surnames, initials. (Year of publication). Book title. In Initials, Surnames (ed., eds., comp., comps.), Book title (pp. ##-##). Place of publication: Publisher.

Example: Weber, M. (1997). 1. Concepto de la sociología y del “significado” en la acción social. En M. Weber, Economía y sociedad (pp. 5-20). México D.F.: Fondo de Cultura Económica.

d) Dissertation and theses: Surnames, initials. (Year of publication). Dissertation title. (Unpublished). Program, Name of intitution, Location.

Example: García, D. A. (2002). Barras de fútbol bogotanas y administración distrital: entre la zanahoria y el garrote. (Tesis sin publicar). Departamento de Ciencia Política, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá.

1. Electronic pages: Surnames, initials (año). Title. Consulted day, month year in Web site title. http://web address.

Citation of primary sources:

Among primary sources authors would include documents from archives, diaries, non-academic journals, laws, decrees and any official norm or governmental document. As these sources are hard to identify and localise, authors shall be as precise as for secondary sources in providing a reference. Authors will pay special attention to a detail annotation of branches of libraries, folders, sheets, etc., to allow their readers to track down any quoted document. For instance to cite only the folder without the sheet of a document from an archive makes it more difficult or impossible to find it for others.

Newspapers and non-academic journals, both old and new ones, shall be cited without including the indication of the archive where they were physically consulted, being them not the product of one single source. Nonetheless, the date of publication and the page shall be included in the reference.

In some cases, the document may not have a page number but it will nonetheless have a date with very rare exceptions.

Eventually for law, norms and decrees it is important to cite where they were consulted, specifying whether is the case of a published compilation, a physical archive or a web-based database.

For online citations, authors shall provide the date of the consultation and the complete URL, not just the web page.

Note: In case the information related to a specific field of the requested bibliographic format be not available, please ignore it. Nonetheless, authors shall kindly double check the precision of their quoting as the journal will not take on board this task.

Examples:

Congreso de la República de Colombia. Ley 39 del 26 de octubre de 1903, sobre Instrucción Pública. Archivo de Bogotá.

Concejo de Bogotá. Memoriales y notas 1936. Tomos: uno, dos y tres, Archivo Distrital de Bogotá, Fondo Histórico, Siglo xx.

García, M. (8 de octubre, 2008), Un país de estados de excepción. El Espectador. Consulted el 1.° de junio de 2013 en http://www.elespectador.com/impreso/politica/articuloimpreso43317-un-pais-de-estados-de-excepcion

The Revista Colombiana de Sociología seeks to position itself as a focal point of debate for the academic community of sociologists and social scientists in Colombia and Latin America. Therefore, it has established clear communication criteria and ethical standards for the publication of research and reflection articles. To this effect, it takes as reference the Code of Conduct and Best Practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics for editors of scientific journals.

Responsibilities of the Revista Colombiana de Sociología

The journal selects the topics and editor/s of each issue through joint decision of the Editorial Committee. Calls for contributions to the Thematic Section (TS), the General Section (GS), and the reviews are carried out in a transparent manner, without privileging any author with respect to deadlines or evaluation filters. 

The journal does not publish research carried out for profit or that attempts against the dignity and human rights of the subjects under study. Neither shall it publish texts in which plagiarism or fraudulent content has been detected. In case the text has already been published, an explanatory note shall be included in the issue following that in which it appeared. Turnitin is the tool used to evaluate the originality of the articles; if an article shows 30% coincidences in the contents of the text (excluding references or quotations that are the object of analysis), possible citation problems will be examined and the author/s will be asked to avoid the frequent use of literal quotes.

The journal recognizes and respects the order of authors assigned by the persons who participated in the conception, design, and drafting of the scientific article. Likewise, it requests that authors provide information regarding their previous research and the possible funding for the project from which the article derives. This information should be included in a footnote on the first page of the article.

The journal has both internal and external evaluation systems (such as the one described in gidelines for authors). The latter is a high-quality academic peer review aimed at ensuring the scientific relevance, originality, clarity, and pertinence of the submitted article, as well as preserving the confidentiality of the evaluation process and the anonymity of reviewers and authors. The editorial team shall notify authors of the results of each one of the evaluation stages, in a timely manner.

The journal undertakes to publish any corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies, whenever they are necessary. Likewise it shall maintain confidentiality in the case of potential clarifications, claims, or complaints that authors might wish to send to the journal's committees or the peer reviewers.  

The journal undertakes to prevent conflicts of interest through the anonymous peer review process and by asking authors and reviewers to disclose any real or potential conflicts of interest.

Responsibilities of the authors

The articles accepted for the evaluation stage by anonymous external peers must comply with the following criteria: formal and stylistic requirements (see editorial guidelines in gidelines for authors); veracity (presenting data or conclusions derived from a research process); originality (articles cannot have been previously published, whether totally or partially, in another scientific journal); and exclusive submission (articles have not been submitted for simultaneous evaluation by another journal). For this reason, authors must sign the statement of originality and exclusivity provided by the journal. When accepting the terms and conditions of our journal, authors must guarantee that the article and the materials associated with it are original and do not infringe any copyrights.

Authors must guarantee that their articles were not written for profit; that they do not attempt against the dignity or human rights of the research subjects; and that the latter authorized the use of their information for the project from which the article derives.

Those appearing as authors of the article must have participated in the research and drafting of the document, and should, therefore, be ready to participate in the review and correction processes. Likewise, they must acknowledge the entities that funded the project by mentioning them in a footnote on the first page of the article.  

The authors undertake to respond to the requests inherent to the peer review and editing processes, which include:

1. Revising the text and including the corrections suggested by the peer reviewers.
2. Responding to the observations and concerns arising during the editing process (copy editing and ensuring that the text adheres to editorial guidelines) within four days of the request.

Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. Authors must guarantee that their articles are original and that they are not being reviewed by other journals. All sources consulted and used in the article must be duly cited, according to the provisions of the guidelines for authors.

Responsibilities of the academic peers

The journal's editorial committee selects peer reviewers on the basis of their credentials and academic experience. For this reason, the journal expects them to provide a valid opinion of the articles, in conformity with their role as evaluators. Likewise, peer reviewers must certify that there are no conflicts of interest that would affect their objectivity and abstain from requesting information regarding the identity of the authors or other peer reviewers.  

Evaluations must be submitted to the journal within the established timeframe and in the format required to that effect. In a respectful language, peer reviewers must provide solid reasons for accepting or rejecting the article for publication, as well as comments aimed at improving the quality of the text.

All text shall be submitted only in digital versión in the following formats: .doc /.docx, including the title through the RCS website placed within the webpage of the Journals of the National University of Colombia: www.revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/recs . There author(s)will be able to monitor the process of evaluation and access the full historical record of all published articles of RCS.