Editorial Criteria

 

1. Editorial Presentation

1.1 Themes, Scope, and Objectives of the Journal

Thematic Uniqueness: Our journal is an editorial project at the service of administrative science researchers worldwide. We wish to publish avant-garde research in the field of Administration, prioritizing topics and subjects that have been understudied.

Investigación Administrativa has 9 lines of research themes:

  • Environmental Administration

  • Innovation Administration

  • Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Administration

  • Human Resources Administration

  • Public Administration

  • Accounting, Finance, and Economics

  • Strategic Management and Organization Theory

  • Education Management

  • Complex Systems Management

Objective of the Journal: To disseminate original, unpublished, high-quality, and cutting-edge research in Administration within the field of knowledge.

Scope: It is an international quality journal that follows the best editorial practices, and its scope is global.

Target Audience: Researchers, professionals, and students from all over the world interested in the global frontier of knowledge in Administrative Science.

1.2 Statement of Frequency

The journal operates under the Continuous Publication modality, with two annual issues (January and July), a minimum of 6 articles per issue, and at least one article published every month.

1.3 Instructions for Authors

  • Quality: Authors are teachers of any educational level, researchers, or students with postgraduate training (desirable), and professionals who are experts in the field.

  • Limit: A maximum of 3 authors per article (with exceptions justified by sample size).

The length of the articles must be between a minimum of 16 pages and a maximum of 20 pages, including bibliographical references, with single-line spacing (1.0).

There are 4 guides that clearly outline the instructions, the links for which are included below:

  • Layout and Style Guidelines

  • Manual for Uploading Articles

  • Video Tutorial for Uploading Articles

  • Checklist

1.4 Identification of Authorship

The affiliation(s) of each author must be mentioned in a footnote. Each affiliation must be in a single paragraph and in font size 12. Each author must have a number indicating their highest degree of study, job position, line of research, and the university or institution where they work, along with their contact email and ORCID code. See the example on the left side.

The ORCID code must be obtained from:

https://orcid.org/register

1.5 Article Identification Data

Each article is assigned a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) by the Crossref organization. This guarantees permanence, facilitates citations, and allows for metric tracking (Scientometrics).

2. Policies and Editorial Management

2.1 Composition of Editorial Bodies

The journal is directed by an editorial scientific committee composed of top-level scientists in the field of administration for each of its 9 research lines, ensuring gender equity. Eighty-four percent (84%) of them are international scientists from national and foreign universities who do not belong to the publishing institution.

The Editor-in-Chief is a National Researcher Level III from the National System of Researchers (SNII). They are a global leader in four research lines.

The editorial team, including both the Technical Editor and the Administrative Editor, consists of highly trained professionals certified in the use of the OJS platform and article marking.

2.2 External Authorship

In all issues, at least 80% of the authors belong to national and foreign universities other than the publishing institution.

2.3 Peer Review Policy

Originality and Admission Filters

  • Works must be strictly unpublished. Texts published in conferences or repositories (pre-prints) are not accepted.

  • They must not exceed a 19% similarity rate in the CopyLeaks or iThenticate software.

  • A handwritten signature from all authors and a Certificate of Originality guaranteeing non-simultaneous submission are mandatory.

First Filter: The editor acknowledges receipt within a maximum period of 5 business days. If the article does not meet the basic criteria of form and content, it is returned immediately.

The "Double-Blind" Process

  • Evaluated confidentially by two reviewers from the Committee of Reviewers, all of whom must hold a PhD and belong to the National System of Researchers (SNII) or international equivalents.

  • In the case of authors belonging to the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), the evaluation must mandatory be carried out by reviewers external to the institution.

  • Evaluation Criteria: Originality, academic quality, contribution to knowledge, clarity, and timeliness.

Timelines and Rulings

  • Standard Deadline: The arbitration process takes a maximum of 3 months.

  • Controversy Deadline: It can be extended up to 6 months if there is a discrepancy between the first two reviewers, which requires a third tie-breaking arbitration. Two positive votes are needed to approve the article. The Editor-in-Chief can reject the article directly if the initial negative arguments are conclusive.

The Editor-in-Chief has the authority to request corrections from the authors, and it will be mandatory for authors to address these observations to improve the quality of the articles.

Submission of Corrections:

  • Minor modifications: A maximum of 5 days to correct.

  • Substantial modifications: A maximum of 1 month to correct. Otherwise, it will be considered rejected due to lack of interest.

Complaints and Appeals: The journal aims to respond to and resolve all complaints and appeals quickly and constructively. Depending on the nature and complexity of the complaint or appeal, the case will be studied by the editorial team.

Conflicts of Interest: Contradictions arising from personal, academic, political, economic, or commercial interests that may influence the evaluation process of a publication proposal will be assessed by the editorial team.

Correction of Published Works

Honest errors are part of the scientific and publishing processes, and these must be corrected when detected. Authors are requested to inform the journal editor of any factual errors they notice in their article once published. Corrections will be made as soon as possible, at the discretion of the Editorial Committee.

Exceptional Cases

  • Modifications to Authorship: As a general rule, once a manuscript is accepted, adding or removing authors is not allowed. Exceptions are considered (such as death or agreed-upon serious faults) upon written justification signed by all parties involved.

  • Total Removal of an Article: The total removal of a document from the journal's servers is an extreme and exceptional measure. It is only carried out if the text presents serious legal issues, such as:

    • Cases of defamation or slander.

    • Severe violation of privacy or confidential patient data.

    • Court orders or proven copyright infringements.

    • Content that poses a direct and serious danger to public health.

  • Disputes Between Authors: Editors do not act as legal mediators. Exceptions occur in allegations of scientific misconduct (plagiarism or data falsification), where the journal may intervene and request the cancellation of the process or contact the authors' home institution.

2.4 Code of Ethics

The journal Investigación Administrativa adheres to COPE guidelines. All works accepted for submission will be reviewed using Turnitin's Copyleaks or iThenticate software. To be published, submitted articles must have a maximum similarity index of 19%, provided that the paraphrasing of the cited authors has been used correctly.

The journal considers discovering plagiarism or self-plagiarism in research papers to be unacceptable behavior, as originality and the unpublished condition of these papers are fundamental requirements. Therefore, authors sign a letter guaranteeing that:

  1. There is no conflict of interest.

  2. There is ethics in the study design.

  3. Compliance with ethical review standards is ensured.

  4. There is originality in the publications, and the journal's policy against plagiarism is accepted.

  5. The following instances constitute plagiarism:

    • Direct plagiarism occurs when:

      • Authorship is omitted or the summarized material is not cited.

      • Minimal changes are made to a third party's text and it is presented as original.

      • Although authorship is noted, plagiarism occurs because the original text is reproduced with few changes that do not constitute paraphrasing.

    • Complex plagiarism occurs when there is a reference to the original authorship, but the source pages are indicated inaccurately.

    • Paraphrasing as plagiarism occurs when text is paraphrased and the reference to the original source is omitted. This practice is not considered plagiarism when it does not dominate the writer's work and is used to allow the author to interact critically with another person's viewpoints while citing the source correctly.

    • Self-plagiarism or recycling fraud occurs when the appearance of a work is changed and presented as if it were a completely different one, or when it is omitted that it is being recycled.

2.5 Procedure for Identifying Malpractice in Publishing

  • If plagiarism is detected, authors are informed of the evidence found and asked for a response.

  • If the response is unsatisfactory, the manuscript will not undergo external evaluation, and the journal will not accept further articles from the authors.

  • In severe cases, at the discretion of the editorial committee, the medium in which the original plagiarized article was published (whether it involves self-plagiarism or third-party copies) will be informed.

Common Criteria for Retracting a Plagiarized Article

If it is detected that an author has plagiarized an article, retraction proceeds if:

  • Evidence of Unreliability: Due to either honest error (miscalculation) or data fabrication/falsification.

  • Plagiarism: Of both text and ideas without attribution.

  • Redundant Publication: When findings have already been published without prior permission.

  • Unethical Research: Failures in human subject consent or research protocols.

  • Retraction Notice: Includes who is retracting (the authors, the editor, or the publisher, as well as the university where the author works) and the specific reason.

2.6 Artificial Intelligence Use Policy

Our journal adheres to the best practices of the world's leading publishers:

  • Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies can only be used to improve the readability and language of the work. (Elsevier)

  • Authors must disclose the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in their manuscript, clearly indicating where they were used and the percentage (%) of use in the research method section, including details of the process and software used. (Elsevier)

  • The use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts is not permitted due to legal and ethical issues. All figures and tables must be original creations of the authors. (Springer Nature)

  • Authors are responsible for the originality, validity, and integrity of the content of the articles. Contributions must belong to the author(s) themselves, without presenting ideas, data, words, or other material from others without proper citation and reference. This must be indicated in the license for article publication and certification of originality. (Cambridge University Press)

  • Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) tools cannot be held responsible for a published work or research design. (Wiley)

  • An AI program cannot be an author of an article in Investigación Administrativa. Violation of this policy constitutes scientific misconduct. (Science Journal)

2.7 Multilingualism

Articles are published in Spanish, English, and Portuguese (the latter two languages require the endorsement of certified translators paid for by the authors, or at least one native-speaking author).

2.8 Publication Licenses

Investigación Administrativa DOES NOT CHARGE authors for publishing articles, nor does it charge readers to access its contents online. Investigación Administrativa adheres to the open-access philosophy and allows the free dissemination of article content by authors and readers online, provided that its content is rigorously cited in accordance with the APA 7th edition citation standards as mentioned at the end of each article. Authors retain the copyright of their published article.

This practice is equivalent to a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial CC BY-NC license.

You are free to:

  • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.

  • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material.

  • The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

Under the following terms:

  • Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.

  • NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.

  • No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

It is an Open Access journal (Uses the license: Creative Commons CC-BY-NC).

2.9 Digital Preservation Policy

Files are stored on the REDALYC platform (Version 3.0 beta) under XML JATS, PDF, HTML, ePUB, and Mobile formats. By using the OJS system, the journal is backed by LOCKSS and CLOCKSS to ensure its digital permanence.

2.10 Self-Archiving Policies

Published Version (Publisher's Version): As an open-access journal under a Creative Commons license, immediate deposition of the publisher's final PDF in any repository is permitted, with the mandatory requirement to include the full citation and the link to the article's original DOI.

2.11 Indexing in Databases, Repositories, and Indexes

Our journal is visible in the Latindex Catálogo 2.0, Redalyc, Conahcyt Q1 International Competitiveness System, and SciELO Citation Index, thereby being included in the Web of Science.

2.12 Open Science Practices

We adopt the FAIR principles. Research data must meet four conditions:

  • Findable: Identifiable through a unique DOI and rich metadata.

  • Accessible: Stored in trusted repositories and retrievable using standard protocols.

  • Interoperable: (Implicitly part of the principles, though omitted in text text)

  • Reusable: Provided with clear licenses (such as CC0 or CC BY).

3. Content

3.1 Originality and Quality

Articles must be unpublished; short articles published in conferences or preprints published in repositories are not accepted. They must not be simultaneously submitted to other journals.

The journal only accepts three types of works (it does not accept essays or case studies). Seventy-five percent (75%) of the annual publication is allocated to research articles, and the remaining 25% to reflection or review articles.

a) Research Article (minimum 75% of content)

  • Definitive results of original projects (partial updates or preliminary validations are not accepted).

  • Valued Methodologies: Explanatory multivariate techniques such as multiple regressions, cluster analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and preferably second-generation techniques (PLS-SEM, CB-SEM); complex systems (networks, multi-agent models).

  • Qualitative research is accepted but only with a rigorous hermeneutic design supported by software such as Atlas.ti.

  • The publication of case studies is not accepted except in the case of large companies of great complexity or high uniqueness that have not been previously studied.

  • Mandatory Structure (IMRAD): All submitted articles must have the IMRAD structure with only 5 subheadings, which are: Introduction (Context and State of the Art), Method, Results, Analysis, and Discussion (includes conclusions and limitations).

b) Reflection Article

  • Analytical, interpretive, or critical perspective of the author on a specific topic using original sources from the state of the art (last 5 years).

  • Article Structure: Introduction, Review of the State of the Art, Identification of Categories, Logical Development (analysis/discussion), and Conclusions.

c) State-of-the-Art Review Article (Biblio-hemerographic Debate)

  • Systematization and integration of research to show progress and trends in a field.

  • Mandatory PRISMA Method Requirement: The PRISMA (2020) method must be mandatory used, and a literature review must be conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO, including at least 50 references. The use of bar graphs must be avoided; instead, Sankey diagrams should be used for variable flow, and citation networks for bibliometric mapping.

  • Article Structure: Introduction, Exclusion Methods, Analysis of Findings with Sankey diagrams or network analysis, Discussion on the state of the issue, and Conclusions.

3.2 Number of Articles per Issue

The number varies between 5 and 12 articles per issue. In the last two years, 20 articles have been published per year.

3.3 Index / Table of Contents

Each issue is assigned a DOI, and a table of contents is made for the articles contained in each issue of the journal.

3.4 Title, Abstract, and Keywords

The title must not contain more than 10 words. Authors must provide it in Spanish along with a parallel title in English. Article abstracts must be included in Spanish and English (abstract) and will have the following characteristics: they are informative in nature with a maximum length of 150 words. They must mandatory contain the following words: 1) Objective, 2) Research method, 3) Results, 4) Findings / conclusions, 5) Originality / value, 6) Limitations of the study.

Authors must provide between 5 and 7 keywords associated with the purpose of the article in both Spanish and English.

3.5 Dates of Reception and Acceptance

The journal's policy clarifies exactly what each date means through the OJS system:

  • Date of Reception (Received): The exact day the manuscript enters the editorial platform (e.g., OJS) and meets all basic technical and formatting requirements.

  • Date of Publication (Published): The date the article becomes accessible to the public on the journal's website within the definitive issue.

3.6 Biblio-hemerographic References in APA 7th Edition Style

This style guide book from the publisher based on APA 7th edition must mandatory be consulted and cited. Access to it is open and free:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357046089_NORMAS_APA_7_EDICION_ESTRUCTURA_CITAS_Y_REFERENCIAS

It is also mandatory to insert all references using the Word program. The style book mentions how this process is carried out.

3.7 Public Knowledge Communication Strategies

All articles are broadcast in a podcast.

4. Accessibility to Content Online

4.1 Journal Website

Full and free access to all issues is available on the journal's website. See:

https://iadministrativa.escasto.ipn.mx/index.php/IA/issue/view/138

4.2 Individual Availability of Content

Access can be had to all issues and journal articles.

4.4 Access to the Journal's Historical Archive

In addition to the traditional PDF, international best practices mark the conversion of the historical archive to XML JATS (SciELO and Redalyc standard) or accessible HTML. This ensures that older texts adapt to mobile devices and screen readers.

We have retrospective DOIs in the historical archive back to issue number 36 and are working to reach issue number 1.

4.5 Content Search Tools

The journal is available on Google Scholar and has its profile created, which can be accessed from the OJS. It is also disseminated on the following regional platforms:

  • Redalyc (Scientific Information System): A network of Open Access scientific journals. It requires rigorous XML metadata control and is excellent for searching administrative literature with a Latin American focus.

  • SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online): A virtual library that allows searching for full-text articles and indexes regional impact.

  • Dialnet: Coordinated by the University of La Rioja (Spain), it is one of the largest databases of scientific content in Spanish, ideal for doctoral theses and articles on administration and economics.

Tools for Metadata Management and Automated Searching

For editors and researchers who need to harvest or validate the quality of information:

  • As active members of Crossref, we have access to CrossRef Metadata Search: The official web tool to search for the exact metadata of an article using its DOI, title, or authors. This is crucial for verifying the consistency of bibliographical references.

4.6 Metadata Policy

The journal Investigación Administrativa adopts the Dublin Core metadata standard and the OAI-PMH interoperability protocol, enabling automated indexing in international repositories and databases. It is a mandatory requirement for submitting works that all authors have an updated ORCID registration and that institutional affiliation is standardized without acronyms.

For each article, the Journal of Economic Literature classification (JEL Classification) must be attached according to the corresponding theme, in accordance with the codes established for international bibliographic production searches (the codes must be specific and no more than 3 codes). This classification can be consulted at: www.aeaweb.org (Note: corrected obvious typo "eaeweb.org" to standard URL).

Likewise, all approved articles will mandatory include metadata relating to the source of funding and a statement of the availability of supporting research data.

4.7 Web Accessibility Standards

Web accessibility standards ensure that people with disabilities (visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive) can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with digital content. Additionally, we provide a podcast for each article so that visually impaired individuals can listen to the articles.