Policies | Spei Domus

Originality

All articles or reviews submitted for peer review in the Spei Domus journal must be unpublished, original, and their own work. Authors are asked to refrain from submitting works that have already been partially or fully published elsewhere—except for online working papers—or in translations to other languages. If evidence of similar or identical previously published documents is found, the work will be automatically rejected.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

As part of the commitment to academic integrity and transparency in scientific production, all authors must obligatorily complete the UCC Scientific Journals Creative Honesty Declaration Form. This document must explicitly indicate the use of generative AI tools in the preparation of the manuscript, specifying the type of tools used and detailing how they contributed to the development of the article. The percentage of AI-generated content will be verified using Turnitin and must not exceed 30%. Failure to comply with this guideline may result in manuscript rejection.

Types of Articles

According to the academic quality requirements for indexing Colombian journals (National Bibliographic Index – Publindex), Spei Domus primarily seeks to publish the following types of articles:

Scientific and Technological Research Article

Document that presents in detail the original results of completed research projects.

Reflective Article Derived from Research

Document that presents results of completed research already published in other academic journals from the analytical, interpretive, or critical perspective of the author writing the reflective article on a specific topic, using original sources.

Review Article

Document resulting from completed research in which published research results in a scientific or technological field are analyzed, systematized, or integrated, aiming to report on advances and development trends. It is characterized by a careful bibliographic review of at least 50 references.

Reviews and Student Section

Rastros Rostros will accept submissions of critical reviews of monographs, articles, Spei Domus will accept submissions of critical reviews of monographs, articles, research books, and scientific dissemination materials in education that may be of interest to the journal's readers. The journal will have a student section in which articles or essays selected from competitions or national academic events in which the journal participates may be published.

Clinical Cases

Results of a study on a particular situation are presented in order to share the technical and methodological experiences considered in a specific clinical case.

Article Structure

The basic structure of an article includes the following: title, abstract, keywords, body of the text (which may vary according to the type of article and author’s intention), and references list. Details that an author must consider when preparing an article for Spei Domus are described more extensively in a template developed for this purpose.

Purpose and Coherence

It is expected that all articles submitted to Spei Domus have an explicit purpose and aim to make a contribution of interest to the journal's readers. Likewise, regardless of the structure chosen by the author to organize the content of the article (review or essay), texts are expected to follow a coherent scheme, implicitly including three essential elements: introduction, articulated development of the topic, and conclusion.

Length

Articles should have a minimum length of six thousand words (6000) and a maximum of eight thousand words (8000). Critical reviews should not exceed fifteen hundred words (1500).

Languages

Rastros Rostros will publish full articles originally written in Spanish, English, or Portuguese.

Authors

Authors participating in the journal are expected to submit original texts of their own creation, derived from rigorous research processes, not previously published, properly citing sources that provide bibliographic support and any other copyrighted material. Texts must also be carefully written, considering the formatting and citation requirements according to the journal's style.

Reviewer Profile

Spei Domus peer reviewers must have at least a master's degree and published written production in the area they are invited to review.

Confidentiality

Since peer review will be conducted through a “double-blind” system to ensure greater independence between parties (neither authors nor reviewers will have each other's identity, academic profile, or origin), this information will only be handled by journal staff and will not be disclosed to third parties. Documentation from the process of each article will be preserved for indexing or verification purposes.

Peer Review System

All articles submitted to the journal will undergo a “double-blind” peer review process conducted with the help of experts in each topic. Reviewers participate voluntarily and are expected to engage in academic reciprocity, constructively contributing to strengthen (and validate) the research and contributions of other colleagues within the discipline. Reviews, which are dissemination documents, may be evaluated by the editor or other editorial team members. Publication will be decided based on thematic and textual coherence, relevance to the area, or the interest or timeliness of the discussion proposed.

Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to carefully and constructively read each article they agree to review, not only issuing approval or rejection recommendations for the editor, but also providing comments to help authors improve their texts or reflect on the scope, possibilities, or shortcomings of their manuscript. Reviewers must consider that the texts entrusted to them by the editor are unpublished, and any misuse of the information constitutes a serious ethical breach. The responsibility for evaluating a manuscript cannot be transferred to others without prior consultation with the editor. Any conflict of interest identified after receiving a manuscript that may compromise independence in providing a review must be reported.

Exclusivity

Articles submitted for peer review in Spei Domus cannot be under review by other journals nor submitted simultaneously to other peer review processes.

Ethics

The journal and its editorial team will foster ethics in research processes, appropriate use of copyrighted content, and quality of published works, ensuring that all contributors interact under principles of academic integrity.

Notification of Cases

If there is evidence of ethical problems in research presented in works published by the journal, doubts about scientific rigor, suspicion of data falsification or manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, identification of prior publications (“duplicate publications”), authorship issues, or plagiarism, please immediately contact the journal editor so the case can be investigated and appropriate actions taken. Notifications of ethical issues will be handled with complete confidentiality, protecting the identity of the person reporting the problem if requested.

Retractions, Corrections, and Conflict Resolution

The journal follows the guidelines and procedures of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for managing inappropriate conduct in academic publishing. Retractions or corrections of previously published articles will be issued if content errors affect scientific quality or proper recognition of authors, whether due to unintentional mistakes in research and publication or serious ethical issues such as plagiarism, falsification, or data manipulation.

Open Access

The journal publishes its content in open access, without any embargo period. All published works are under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, and their use must comply with this licensing.

Digital Preservation of Content

Ediciones UCC will ensure the digital preservation of published content so authors can always recover their articles over time and maintain access to the history and evolution of the journal.

Use of Content and Self-Archiving

Authors may self-archive their works in institutional repositories in the final version (or publisher’s version) as long as bibliographic data of the original publication is recorded, giving credit to the journal. Additionally, when self-archiving a published article, it is recommended that authors include a link to the article via its DOI, so it can be accessed on the official journal website. Active participation by authors in disseminating their published works among colleagues, undergraduate and graduate students, and the academic community is key to ensuring greater contribution and impact in research and academic training.

Publication Costs

Submitting works to the journal and the editorial process is free of charge; there is no cost at any stage for authors. The journal is fully funded by the Editorial Fund of the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia.

Submission

Article proposals must be submitted in Word format, following the template suggested by the journal and only through the OJS platform. Along with the article, each author must submit a fully completed author form and a letter of originality and ethical commitment. The original file and attachments must be submitted through the OJS system. Reviews will also be accepted only through this platform in the required template.

ICMJE Citation Style - Vancouver Guidelines

Citation styles allow the organized presentation of the bibliographic sources that support a text (in its background, arguments, methodology, etc.) and facilitate the direct location and consultation of these sources. For the Spei Domus journal, the standards designed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, known as ICMJE or Vancouver Guidelines, have been selected, which are commonly used in biomedical publications. Below are some aspects to consider for the correct use of the Vancouver Guidelines and the particularities incorporated by the journal.

Reference List

The reference list should be organized in numerical order according to the appearance of each reference in the text (the first cited author or text is [1], the second is [2], and so on). Unlike other styles, since there is no alphabetical order by surname, authors' names should be listed starting with the surname followed by initials: “[2] Grotendieck A.” Below is the scheme for citing a book, a book chapter, and a journal article, with some examples for each case:

Scheme

Book

[#] Surname AA. Title. # ed. City: Publisher; year.
[1] Gardner E, Simmons MJ, Snutad DP. Principles of genetics. 8th edition. New York: John Willey & sons; 1995.

Book chapter

[#] Surname AA, Surname BB. Title of the chapter or entry. In: Surname AA, Surname BB, editors. Title of the book. City: Publisher; year. p. xx-xx.
[1] Prins R, Clarke RT. Microbial ecology of the rumen. In: Ruckebusch P, Thivend B, editors. Digestive physiology and metabolism in ruminants. 2nd ed. Westport, Connecticut: AVI Publishing Company; 1980. p. 179-204.

Journal article

[#] Surname AA, Surname BB, Surname CC. Title of the article. Journal Title. Year; volume(issue): xx-xx.
[1] Corona M, Díaz G, Páez J, Ferré Z, Ramones E. Extraction and characterization of pectins from passion fruit peel. Rev Odont. 1996; 13(6): 785-91.

Body Text

Although it is not necessary in the Vancouver Guidelines to mention authors when referencing in the body of the text, Spei Domus prefers to mention the surnames of the authors whose ideas are used, followed by the reference number in brackets as it appears in the final reference list. For example: “Ortiz [1] presents a methodology for analyzing this type of problem.” All references cited in the text must appear in the final reference list. References not cited in the text should not appear. References are numbered in order of appearance—Ortiz [1], Grothendieck [2], Gómez [3]—and organized in that order in the reference list, not alphabetically. If a reference is used multiple times with additional information, indicate as follows: “Ortiz [1, p. 84]” or “Ortiz [1, Fig. 16]”.

Graphic Aspects and Other Particularities

Links

For some cases, it is recommended to check the information provided in the following links:

Chemistry and biochemistry.

https://bit.ly/32RRVTn

https://bit.ly/3685QXt

Enzymatic activity.

https://bit.ly/32RV45s

You can also consult summaries of abbreviations commonly used in the Journal of Animal Science, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Handbook of Biochemistry (Soberha, Chemical Rubber Company, Cleveland - latest editions).

Nomenclature, Abbreviations, and Symbols

Medical and scientific terms, as well as nomenclature, abbreviations, and symbols (chemical compounds, biochemical terminology, enzymatic activity, medications, genetics, etc.) must follow scientific conventions. For some cases, it is recommended to check the information provided in the links.

Abbreviations

International abbreviations can be consulted in PubMed’s “Journals database,” “Catalog C17,” “DREV,” and IHCD Valencia biomedicine journals. You can also consult summaries of commonly used abbreviations in the Journal of Animal Science, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Handbook of Biochemistry (Soberha, Chemical Rubber Company, Cleveland - latest editions). Abbreviations and units must use SI measures. Non-standard abbreviations should be explained upon first use. Abbreviations should not be combined.

Equations, Graphs, Tables, and Figures

Mathematical expressions should be created with an appropriate formula editor. Special symbols must be defined upon first use, whether in figures, tables, or text. Each table, figure, or chart must indicate the source (or note if it is original), citing the reference number. Graphs, figures, and tables should always be supplied in editable format (Excel suggested). Photographs or images must have a minimum resolution of 350 dpi, .jpg format, and authors must certify they have permissions to use or reproduce them.

Article Peer Review Process

As previously described, Spei Domus follows a “double-blind” peer review system to evaluate and decide on the publication of its main articles. Below is a more detailed description of the stages of the peer review process:

Reviewer Selection

If the article is accepted for review, the editor will start the process of assigning reviewers, identifying and inviting two researchers who are experts in the article's subject. They will receive the full text and a template to guide their evaluation.

Receipt and Editorial Evaluation

Once the editor receives the article submission, a notification will be sent to the author confirming receipt. Then, the editor conducts a preliminary review to ensure that the submission meets the journal's presentation requirements and aligns with the thematic and editorial line. The editor has full authority to decide whether the article can proceed to full peer review or should be rejected initially. During this stage, the manuscript may be returned to the authors for corrections or clarifications before being officially registered for review. Authors must return the article with the necessary adjustments (or missing documentation, e.g., author form or commitment letter) to continue the process.

Evaluation Timeline

The usual time to locate and secure reviewers ranges from one (1) to three (3) weeks, depending on the article's topic and reviewer availability. Once the article is received, suggested timelines for submitting a review are three (3) to four (4) weeks. However, deadlines are agreed upon directly with each reviewer, considering their availability and ensuring an efficient process.

Results

The editor will provide the authors with a decision based on at least two reviewers' feedback. In case of conflicting opinions (one approval and one rejection), a third reviewer is invited before the editor communicates the decision. Possible outcomes are: “accepted without changes,” “accepted with minor revisions,” “accepted with major revisions,” or “rejected.” “Accepted with major revisions” is equivalent to “revise and resubmit,” requiring authors to substantially rework their proposal. Otherwise, the journal ends the review process, leaving authors free to submit elsewhere.

Corrections

If the editor considers it feasible to receive a revised article, a delivery deadline will be set with the authors, ranging from two (2) to ten (10) weeks for substantial revisions. If authors miss the agreed deadlines, the editor may terminate the review process and discard the article. To facilitate verification, authors must track changes in Word and submit a letter to each reviewer explaining the modifications. Without this, the editor will not send the revised article for verification.

Verification and Final Version

Verification is usually done with the help of reviewers, but the editor may also review minor corrections directly. Authors should avoid adding substantive or conceptual changes not verified by reviewers. Once satisfactory, the editor informs authors of approval and requests submission of the final version in a journal template for production. If a significant error is detected in preparing the final version, the editor must be informed.

Editorial Production

Articles and other approved texts for publication in Spei Domus undergo professional editorial production, which includes copyediting, layout, proofing, verification, and approval of final artwork.

Editorial Follow-up

Authors must submit the approved manuscript using the journal’s template, ensuring full compliance with all instructions. Authors are responsible for addressing queries, corrections, or observations during editing within agreed deadlines to avoid publication delays. Ensuring content integrity and readability is also the authors' responsibility. Once articles are approved for final publication, any errors or omissions are the authors’ responsibility.

Distribution and Access

Each author receives two complimentary copies of the issue containing their article. The digital version of the article and the full issue is also available for authors to support dissemination. Spei Domus follows an open-access policy and seeks maximum visibility through various channels. However, authors are expected to actively participate in dissemination by sharing the digital version with local and international researchers, supporting its use as a bibliographic resource in research and teaching.

Reproduction and Translations

If you wish to reproduce or translate an article from Spei Domus, please contact the editor via email (speidomus@ucc.edu.co). Published texts do not require special authorization to be consulted, downloaded, or linked from personal, institutional, or repository websites.

Legal Notice

The perspectives expressed in Spei Domus articles are the authors' responsibility and do not represent the journal, publisher, or Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia. The journal's goal is to serve the academic community and advance knowledge in Education, evaluating manuscripts based on academic, editorial, and legal criteria. Publication is not guaranteed, and the journal may decline a submission at any stage if it does not align with its editorial line or policies. Any third-party claims regarding the use of works or excerpts are the authors’ responsibility, exempting the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia.