Definition of Peer Reviewer

For ÁyR, peer reviewers are qualified professionals specialized in the thematic area ofeach of the articles submitted to the journal. The following criteria, among others, areconsidered:

  • Must have a master's or doctorate degree.
  • Must have scientific publications with research or studies in the area of social and human sciences and related fields.

By meeting these criteria, you as a professional will be eligible to be part of the group of referees of the journal, taking into account the following considerations.

 

The type of review used by ÁyR is double-blind: neither the peers nor the authors know their names or affiliations. This type of review allows the reduction of bias in the evaluation.

 

Role and function of the peer reviewer

The peer reviewer is in charge of verifying that the contents in the article comply with the standards of excellence established by the scientific community. They must verify that the methodologies applied are valid and current in the discipline, check if the language used is clear, precise and univocal, specify if there was rigor in the analysis, the interpretation of the results, the discussion of the literature and the proof or rejection of the hypothesis. All these guidelines are contained in the article evaluation guidelines used by the journal. In summary, the peer reviewer is responsible for reviewing the quality of form and content, originality, relevance, contribution and possible ethical violations of the article submitted to the journal and provide an opinion.

 

Ethical care

As a referee, always keep in mind that:

  • Within their responsibilities the referee and/or referee must maintain the highest degree of confidentiality with the information provided at the time of accepting the review.
  • He/she must declare whether he/she has any conflict of interest with the article he/she has received for publication.
  • Must make an objective and respectful judgment on the quality of the article evaluated, making clear and precise comments on the text. Inform the editor about inconsistencies in the evaluated text that violate the ethical standards of research.
  • Finally, he/she must deliver his/her evaluation to the journal in a timely manner.
  • In general, the referees are in charge of judging the scientific quality of the articles in terms of their content, verifying the relevance, pertinence and originality of the submitted works, being their fundamental criterion for their acceptance or rejection.

 

Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest may arise when the peer reviewer cannot objectively and impartially evaluate an article. This may occur in any of the following situations:

  • If he/she has a personal, family, professional or business relationship with the author.
  • If you work, have worked, or have published with the author.
  • If you will be working with the author on a similar project or research proposal.
  • If you are working on a similar topic.

Peer reviewers must inform the editor, in the invitation or in the evaluation process, of any conflict of interest.

 

Processes and timing in the evaluation

In compliance with the journal's policies, peer reviewers are sought. Evaluation times may vary. On average, it takes between four (4) and six (6) weeks.

 

In the invitation, the title, abstract and the time expected by ÁyR to have the evaluation concept ready are shared with the peer reviewer. If the peer reviewer declines, he/she will be asked to recommend some other peers. If the peer accepts, the manuscript will be sent anonymized to guarantee the double-blind evaluation process. The peer reviewer will be able to make comments to facilitate the evaluation process. The evaluation guidelines contain the criteria to be taken into account in the evaluation process of the article. It is very important to include your data and signature in the evaluation form. All this process is managed through Open Journal System (OJS).

 

If, due to situations beyond the evaluator's control, it is not possible to meet the proposed date for issuing his/her opinion, the editor expects a communication prior to the deadline in order to agree on new deadlines.

 

The criteria to be taken into account for the evaluation of the article are: relevance, formality, content and form.

 

The evaluation is done online, on the OJS platform. At the end, you will find a space for conclusions where you are asked to succinctly state your comments or suggestions to the authors.

 

As a referee, you will have approximately fifteen (15) days to send back the evaluation. This time may be extended according to your concerns and direct request.

 

Certification

Once the issue is published, ÁyR will send you a certificate of appreciation for your work.