About the Journal

Focus and Scope

Ibersid: an international journal on information and documentation systems is an twice-a-year open-access arbitred open-access international journal devoted to information and knowledge management from a systemic and interdisciplinary perspective. It is the scientific communication tool of Ibersid, an international network with presence in Africa, America and Europe, whose office is in Zaragoza (Spain), where it organizes its annual conferences (http://www.ibersid.org).

Peer Review Process

Introduction

The basic review procedure in Ibersid is similar to other learned journals. Ibersid follows the double-blind peer-review system, in which reviewers do not know the name of the authors and vice versa. However, some specific adjustments have been made here, taking into account the specific characteristics of the subject field of Ibersid and its readers. 

Aims

The aim of the refereeing process is to ensure that the good papers are rapidly accepted; that those manuscripts that are susceptible to being accepted are improved, by correcting their errors and filling gaps; and that those ones that are judged inadequate for Ibersid because of their subject or quality are rejected, redirecting them to more appropriate publications or providing the author with suggestions for the improvement or reorientation of his or her work.

The reviewing procedure should be transparent to the authors of the papers, for whom the reviewer must try to be helpful and fair; but the referee should also be responsible to the readers and the other authors competing for the journal space; and, in a more general perspective, to the editorial aims, the scientific community and the values of society.

Procedure

For its publication, each article requires the favourable opinion of at least two referees; and for each brief note, at least one.

If the Editor considers that the article falls within the aims and scope of Ibersid -which are published both in each printed number and on the web page of the journal-, he sends it to two reviewers of his choosing -or more, if it should be necessary due to the interdisciplinary nature of the paper. The reviewers can be members of the Scientific Council, or expert external referees proposed by the members of the Scientific Council, the Editor or the authors. The reviewers are elected according to their subject of expertise and the number of articles that they have evaluated during the year, in order to ensure that they are not being overused. 

If the Editor determines without any doubt that the subject of the paper is outside the scope of the journal, he returns the paper to the author with a suitable explanation and, if possible, with a suggestion about a more appropriate journal. In this way, both the time of the author and the reviewers is saved. 

The rapidness of the reviewing process is a critical aspect. For this reason, the Editor will ask the referees to send their assessment back within two weeks or, if not possible, to offer an apology and return the manuscript to the Editor. However, if the reviewer does neither of these things, the whole process will get seriously delayed. In this case, the author must understand that the refereeing process has a voluntary character.

The decision to accept or reject a paper depends, excluding exceptional cases, on the opinion of the referees. In those cases were they do not agree, the Editor may take the final decision, or might resolve the issue by sending the paper to a new reviewer. 

Evaluation criteria

Each referee is asked to assign a value to the following aspects using a five-point scale (1, very questionable; 2, marginal; 3, adequate; 4, solid; 5, excellent):

1. Kind of contribution

First, the referee should state whether the contribution is of a theoretical or methodological nature, a state of the art, a research paper, an experience, a tutorial or a news piece. If it is a mixture of different types, it is possible to mark more than one. Finally, the overall quality of the paper should be assessed using the five-point scale.

2. Relevance to the journal's aims and scope 

Though the Editor makes a preliminary assessment of this aspect, the referee may also evaluate the relevance of the paper, comparing the subject of the paper with the declaration of aims and scope of the journal that is available in each printed issue and on the web page.

3. Interest and significance of the problem addressed

Does the paper address a question of significant interest for the subject field covered by Ibersid? It may be as a historical perspective, considering current research or considering the foreseeable future.

4. Currency

Is the subject of the paper current? This is not an essential aspect, but should be considered. 

5. Novelty and originality of the contribution

Does the article provide a new theoretical contribution to its research field? It may be a new problem, model, relation, law, hypothesis, concept, interpretation, critical perspective or improvement. It must be a relevant and well-founded contribution.

6. Novelty and originality of the methodological contribution

Does the paper provide a methodological contribution to its research field? It may be a new procedure of study, analysis, proof, design, etc., even if it is applied to a well-known problem.

7. Practical applicability

The degree to which the ideas of the paper may be useful in improving practical procedures and activities and, eventually, in advancing innovation and development.

8. Methodological rigour and validity of results

The degree of coherence, accuracy, precision and care upon which the problem is addressed; validity and currency of the methodology; rigour in sample selection and in the application of the methodology ; degree and ease to which the study may be replicated.

9. The precision, relevance and exhaustiveness of the state of the art and the acknowledgment of previous research

The degree to which an adequate and current review of the state of the art on the topic has been carried out, including the use of pertinent references.

10. Clarity, arrangement and readability 

The paper must be written in a clear and well-structured manner, without redundancies or out-of-context ideas, and must be easily understood by any potential and average reader. The paper should not lack necessary information on the addressed topic, methodology, results, discussion, conclusions or recommendations. If the paper includes mathematical expressions, they should be made understandable to non-specialists.

11. Adequacy of the graphics, illustrations, tables and appendixes

Any graphics, illustrations, tables or appendixes must be necessary and relevant, be well crafted and have clear and descriptive captions.

12. Presentation of citations in the style used by the journal 

Previous work should carry adequate citations in conformity with the style of the journal Ibersid.

Familiarity of the referee with the topic

Though the Editor sends the papers to reviewers and tries to match them to their specialities, some misfits may occur. The referee may then decline to review the paper, perhaps suggesting an alternative reviewer, or offering to carry out the review and indicating his level of familiarity with the subject of the article, according to the scale of 1 indicating minimal familiarity and 5 the maximum. If this information is not provided, it will be supposed that his degree of familiarity is high (1) or very high (5).

This information is useful for the Editor in deciding whether the paper should be sent to a new reviewer in case of a conflict of opinions among the reviewers.

Final assessment

The referee can suggest five alternative final proposals:

1. Accept the article for publication without restrictions or changes, because it is a high-quality work.

2. Accept the article for publication once the specified amendments of a minor character have been delivered. The required corrections should be indicated in the instructions for the author. Any subsequent assessment can be delegated to the Editorial Council.

3. Reconsider after a major revision. The paper must be refereed again after the author has made the required amendments, because they are substantial and must be checked by the original reviewer or a new one.

4. Reject the paper because of the reasons explained in the ";;;;Instructions for the author";;;; field, where the reviewer should specify clearly and tactfully the reasons why the work must be rejected and, if possible, provide suggestions for its improvement or alternative and more adequate places for its publication.

5. Decline evaluation of the paper because of a lack of familiarity with its topic or any other reason specified in the ";;;;Confidential comments for the editors";;;; field.

The suggestion for publication may be unconditional, because it is a high-quality paper with minor problems, or conditional, if there is available space in the journal, as it is a paper of marginal quality.

Acknowledgement of the contributions made by referees

The contribution of the referees is fundamental to the adequate performance of a learned journal. Ibersid acknowledges in a very special way the time and the effort devoted by its referees, and recognizes their contribution by periodically publishing their names.

Ethics statement

Ibersid adheres to the the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice Guidelines and the Code of Conduct of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE, https://publicationethics.org).

Plagiarism is not accepted and the editorial team and reviewers routinely scan papers to try to detect it.

Open Access Policy

This journal offers open access to its articles with the aim to promote free access to scientific contents.

If you desire a paper suscription, there is a fee to cover print and mail costs.

Fees

Authors are not requiered to pay fees for publication. Authors accept to submit a error-free version according to the editorial instructions.

Self-archiving and institutional archiving policy

Institutional and self- archiving is allowed and encouraged for submitted, accepted and/or published versions.

Printed version

Ibersid is also published in printed version with the ISBN 1888-0967.

Contact Prensas Universitarias de Zaragoza for price and conditions: puz@unizar.es, http://puz.unizar.es