New Processes and Editorial policy of Ingeniería y Universidad

Lope Hugo Barrero Solano
Editor

The journal Ingeniería y Universidad completes with this new issue 16 years of uninterrupted publication of intellectual production works in the field of engineering. Throughout the years, the changes in the amount and composition of thematic contributions and research groups interested in the journal are notable. The journal's work has been recognized for its continued rise in the National Indexing System —reaching its current category A2, and its recent indexation by Scopus.

The current editorial world scenario of scientific journals imposes the need to review the plans and goals of Ingeniería y Universidad. Current dominant trends include the exponential growth in the number of journals, the birth of the free online journals, subject specialization and the interest in promoting the dissemination of scientific material relevant to particular geographic regions. The growth of a journal in this context can only be achieved if it focuses on publishing high quality contributions as measured by the robustness of the research methods employed and the relevance and impact of the disseminated knowledge in society the journal serves. As a consequence journals can also grow in terms of global standard impact indicators.

Ingeniería y Universidad began a process of reviewing its plans since about two years ago. This process was led by the editorial team of the journal and included a review of documents from the government and from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (sponsor institution of the journal) about topic areas of interest and the Colombian National System of Science and Technology; as well as bibliometrics research of internationally recognized journals in the field of engineering. Two large improvement foci resulted from this planning process: Improvements to the organizational structures of the journal, and the review of the thematic emphasis of the journal.

The review of the thematic emphasis of the journal was formalized in the journal's new editorial policy: "Ingeniería y Universidad publishes manuscripts of high quality and novelty in the different areas of Engineering. The journal is especially interested in local and regional contributions in the areas of robotics and industrial automation, bio-engineering, environmental engineering and transport engineering and logistics. Original Contributions are especially welcomed; although review and opinion articles may also be considered. Although the journal is published in Spanish, manuscripts in English that reach a global readership will be prioritized".

Notably, the new editorial policy maintains the multidisciplinary nature and tradition of Ingeniería y Universidad, though the policy now explicitly favors a subset of areas in the field of Engineering. The new policy also expresses the interest of the journal in having a higher proportion of articles in English to ensure a more global audience. The new policy emphasizes the commitment of the journal to disseminate knowledge of global interest while keeping its local and regional relevance. The target group of authors of the journal remains wide, including researchers mainly from Colombia and the region, as well as students, especially those engineering doctoral programs.

Moreover, the Editorial Board of Ingeniería y Universidad has expressed its interest in producing a third issue per year specializing in problems of local and regional significance. The editorial committee will be in charge of the selection of topics. We have already postulated several topics related to societal development such as sustainable transport, education information technology, rural development, and efficient governmental organizations.

The progress and achievements of Ingeniería y Universidad certainly are motivating and are already being capitalized. Rates of acceptance / rejection have grown significantly. Most articles have at least 3 reviewers; and up to 5 reviewers including a permanent internal reviewer of the journal specializing in the subject. Also, the journal is publishing a greater number of original articles in English. Lastly, the review period until final decision has been reduced to an average of 6.2 months and is expected to be near 4 months.

The journal is now facing the challenge to consolidate its influence in the region and use its recognition to contribute to the advance of science and technology that is relevant to the society at large. It is anticipated that the increasing quality of the articles will result in better impact indicators which in turn will lead to attract the best contributions. The development of Ingeniería y Universidad is a process that continues. To our readers, contributors and collaborators, special thanks for their contribution to Ingeniería y Universidad.