métodhos

Editorial Policy

 

Electronic Journal of Applied Research on Human Rights

Mexico City’s Human Rights Commission

 

Contents

Legal framework

Chapter 1. General considerations

Chapter 2. About the journal

First section. Structure

Second section. About submissions

Third section. Paper submission guidelines

Fourth section. Publishing frequency

Fifth section. Peer review process

Sixth section. Certificate of participation

Seventh section. Copyright

Chapter 3. Editorial board

 First section. Composition of the Editorial Team

Second section. Editorial Board

Third section. Editorial Committee

Fourth section. About peer reviewers

Chapter 4. Call for papers

Chapter 5. Distribution criteria

Transitory provisions

 

 

Legal framework

According to the third article of its Organic Law, Mexico City’s Human Rights Commission (CDHCM, for its initials in Spanish) is an autonomous public organism with legal personality and its own patrimony. The CDHCM is responsible in the territorial area of Mexico City for the promotion, protection, guarantee, defense, vigilance, research, education and dissemination of human rights included in the Mexican legal system and in the international human rights instruments.¹

According to the article 62, section I and IV of the CDHCM’s Internal Regulation, the Executive Directorate of Research and Information in Human Rights has the following attributions: stimulate and promote research on human rights as well as the responsibility of formulating and implementing the editorial program of the Commission and, in general, management of the editorial program.²

Chapter 1.
General Considerations

Article 1. métodhos is an electronic journal of applied research on human rights, with the following objectives:

a. To promote research about the respect, guarantee and exercise of human rights in Mexico City;

b. To promote the study and applied research on human rights through the generation of scientific knowledge which would allow to reinforce activities of defense and human rights protection;

c. To encourage specialized research on human rights or any other related subject, as well as the analysis of the current situation of human rights at a local, national and international level;

d. To provide a useful tool for research on human rights based on a multidisciplinary perspective making available theoretical, conceptual and empirical elements.

e. To disseminate knowledge about human rights, their content and scope.

 

Article 2. métodhos is aimed to reach the academic community, specialized institutions, civil society organizations and any person interested in the research, protection, and defense of human rights.

Article 3. méthodos is a biannual electronic journal that receives, analyzes, evaluates and publishes collaborations from persons engaged in teaching or research; university students, specialists linked with the area of human rights, and any person whose collaboration complies with the requirements established in this Editorial Policy

métodhos uses Open Journal Systems (OJS) software to manage the entire editorial process from the reception of articles to their publication.

Article 4. In this Editorial Policy, the following stands for:

CDHCM: Mexico City´s Human Rights Commission.

Editorial Committee: The Editorial Committee of métodhos, Electronic Journal of Applied Research on Human Rights.

CONAHCyT: National Council of Humanities, Science and Technology.

DEIIDH: Executive Directorate of Research and Information in Human Rights

Editorial Team: métodhos' Publishing Team.

OJS: Open Journal Systems, software for the management of academic journals, created by the Public Knowledge Project.

Editorial Policy. métodhos’ Editorial Policy

métodhos journal or the journal: The Electronic Journal of Applied Research on Human Rights.

Chapter 2
About the Journal

First section
Structure

Article 5. Every issue of the journal will be integrated to a set of original papers, which will be submitted to a peer review process according to scientific publication standards established by CONAHCyT.

Article 6. The Editorial Committee will determine which submissions are to be published, based on the favorable opinion from the peer review process. Likewise, the Editorial Committee will decide to include other kinds of documents, for instance, reviews or field research notes, articles or legislation, interviews or relevant translations that contribute to the discussion and study of human rights.

Second section
About the submissions

Article 7. Authors should meet the following conditions when submitting work for publication:

a. Manuscripts must contain theoretical, empirical, critical, analytical, and evaluative contributions, to generate academic discussion about human rights. All works lacking arguments, based on anecdotes and personal opinions, as well as those journalistic-type, will be discarded;

b. Submissions must deal with topics related to applied human rights research; For example, gender issues, policies, discrimination, vulnerable groups, migration, education, and others

c. All contributions must be original and unpublished. The submitted paper cannot be simultaneously submitted to other publishing or peer reviewing process. If the paper is accepted, it can only be disseminated by other media when referred to the original publication in métodhos as main publisher. The authors shall leave a document confirming these details.

d. Papers can be submitted individually or in group, but should not exceed three authors;

e. Authors must completely meet guidelines in this Editorial Policy.

Third section.
Submission Guidelines

Article 8. Submissions must be sent through the OJS platform, at the following web page: https://revista-metodhos.cdhcm.org.mx.  Exceptionally, may be sent to the journal's e-mail address: revistametodhos@cdhcm.org.mx.

 

Once the article has been sent through the OJS platform, the following elements must be sent to the e-mail address simultaneously:

a. Personal information form in a digital file, fulfilled and signed, this form can be downloaded from métodhos’web site.

b. Non-exclusive license form in a digital file, that also can be downloaded from métodhos’web site.

Article 9. Submissions must meet the following conditions stated in the guidelines of Editorial Policy and must be presented in compliance with the following requirements:

a. Papers must be written in Spanish and have a length of between 7,000 and 10,000 words - including the bibliography and appendices if they are essential.

b. Every page must be numbered.

c. Formatting must use 12-point Arial font, 1.5 line spacing and one-inch (2.5 cm.) margins on all sides.

d. Maximum, a 200-word abstract which highlights the central argument, outcomes and conclusions of the investigation should be included both in English and Spanish.

e. Below the abstract, five keywords related with the subject must be included, as well in English and Spanish.

f. Using acronyms is allowed only if the meaning was previously defined in the same paper.

g. Paper’s title, both in English and Spanish, must not exceed 15 words and it has to reflect the purpose of the investigation.

h. All submissions must follow Chicago-Style Citation (notes and bibliography): for more details; Criterios de citación para colaboradoras y colaboradores de la revista métodhos. In addition, authors must consider the guidelines below:

i. Citations and transcriptions must refer to a footnote, using superscript format.

ii. Footnote numbers must be placed after punctuation marks (periods and commas). In the cases where there is no punctuation mark, the number is to be placed just after the last word.

iii. References must be listed alphabetically (by author’s last name) at the end of the article.

iv. Please make sure there are no inconsistencies between the references in your quotations and your final list of references.

Fourth section.
Publishing.

Article 10. The permanent call for papers will be published in https://revista-metodhos.cdhcm.org.mx and it will be available through dissemination materials (posters, triptychs, flyers, etc.) and social networks.

Submissions are welcome at any time of the year. Papers that have a favorable previous review and receive two positive opinions will be published in one of the following two issues.

Article 11. Manuscripts will be submitted to a peer review process. The Editorial Team will keep authors informed about the progress of the review, taking into consideration the deadlines for publishing. The progress and notifications of this process will be made through the services provided by the OJS software.

Article 12. Submissions with two positive reviews will have to meet the timeline and additional requirement indicated by the Editorial Team in order to accomplish publishing times.

Article 13. In case authors do not meet the dates indicated by the Editorial Team, affecting the publishing process, submissions can be considered for the next issue, as long as they get two positive reviews. 

Fifth section.
Peer review process 

Article 14. The review process is composed of the following steps:

a. Previous Review. The Editorial Directorate will conduct a previous review of every paper. This review will be made according with the guidelines stated in this Editorial Policy and those in the respective call for papers, as well as the originality of the papers.

In case of a positive result from the previous review, the paper will go forward with the peer review process. Otherwise, the Editorial Team will notify the author about the result of the previous review.

b. Peer Review Process. The Editorial Team will be responsible for safeguarding and updating the list of reviewers, who will conduct the double-blind peer review process. Authors’ personal information will be confidential in order to guarantee impartiality. 

The Editorial Committee will select the two reviewers to participate in the peer review process, by previous suggestion from the Editorial Team.

Reviewers must upload the results from the peer review process in an electronic form that the editorial team will provide for them at the proper time. The results could be any of the following possibilities:

i. The paper is to be published as it was presented;

ii. The paper is to be published, but it would improve by attending the suggestions made;

iii. The paper is to be published only if the suggested modifications are made;

iv. The paper is not going to be published.

c. Third opinion of Peer Review Process. In the event that either of the two results from the peer review process determines that the paper is not publishable, and whenever there is a discrepancy from the second result, the Editorial Directorate may submit to consideration of the Editorial Committee for its approval the possibility of requesting a third opinion. This will be prepared by the reviewers previously appointed by the Editorial Committee or, where appropriate, the decision not to publish the corresponding paper. 

Sixth section.
Certificate of participation

 Article 15. The authors whose submissions are published in métodhos will receive a certificate of participation, issued by the CDHCM. The certificate will contain their name, the article’s title and the information of the journal it appeared in.

Seventh section.
Copyright.

Article 16. If an article’s peer review process is positive and is considered to be published in métodhos, the author will grant CDHCM non-exclusive license in order to distribute and reproduce the manuscript. Authors will allow reproduction by a third publisher under the condition of quoting the original source. Thus, the Editorial Directorate will get the non-exclusive license form dully signed by authors.

Article 17. The content of the submissions is author’s responsibility. However, authors accept the Editorial Team to make shape adjustments and style corrections, without affecting the essential meaning.

Article 18. The content of the article is responsibility of the authors and should correctly quote graphics, pictures and references.

Article 19. Any controversy derived from copyright infringements will be authors’ responsibility.

Chapter 3
Editorial Team

First section.
Composition of the Editorial Team

Article 20. The Editorial Team is composed by:

a. métodhos' Editorial Directive;

b. Editorial Committee;

c. Reviewers

Article 21.  The Executive Directorate of Research and Information in Human rights will be in charge of the Editorial Directorate and will be supported by the staff of the same executive Directorate.

Article 22. The Editorial Committee will be composed of scholars form different universities and specialists from different institutions whose professionalism and expertise would guarantee the quality and relevance of the Journal.

The following criteria will be a selection reference for members of the Editorial Committee:

a) Degree of studies.

b) Institutional affiliation to universities, study and research centers, preferably from other states of the republic and abroad,

c) Have recent publications on human rights and,

d) Gender parity.

The Committee will include at least seven people from institutions other than CDHCM, and up to three persons from the CDHCM. The candidates to take part of the Editorial Committee will be proposed by the Editorial Directorate and appointed by the Presidency of the CDHCM. The composition of the Editorial Committee is not allowed to less than 10 members. For the integration of the Editorial Committee it will be respect the principle of gender parity.

Each member of the Editorial Committee may stay for two years with the possibility of renew their order for two more, if they express interest in writing. In order to remain on the Committee, it is required their active participation in all the meetings and activities inherent to the journal.

The members of the Editorial Committee may not participate as authors in the issues of the journal that coincide with their term of office.

Article 23. The Editorial Directive will be responsible for developing and updating a list of experts assigned to publishing institutions different from the publisher, to the authors' place of affiliation and who are not part of the Editorial Committee, including specialists with relevant contributions in the field of human rights.

The Editorial Team will assure that the experts possess at least a postgraduate degree, prestige, experience and publications in the field of research in which they are meant to collaborate. Likewise, the Directorate will preferably observe gender parity for the assignment of reviewers for each article.

Second section.
The Editorial Directive

Article 24. The attributions of the Editorial Directive are:

a. To report to the Editorial Committee all the information related to the submissions received for publishing;

b. To generate a list of reviewers aimed to participate in the peer review process;

c. To propose to the Editorial Committee the experts who would participate in the peer review process, according with their specialty area; they will surrender the assessment of the papers for publication in métodhos; and carry out communications and necessary steps with the selected arbitrators, in the terms of the present Editorial Policy.

d. Submit to the Editorial Committee for approval, the possibility of request a third opinion, or the decision not to publish the corresponding paper, in the event that either of the two opinions determines that the text is not publishable, or whenever there is a discrepancy with respect to the second opinion.

e. To notify the authors about times and results of the previous review and the peer review process;

f. To submit to the consideration of the Committee the amendments or modifications to the present Editorial Policy, as well as the calls for papers, when it is required;

g. To carry out any required process in order to publish in the journal’s web site the accepted papers.

h. To design and execute the dissemination strategy of the journal and the calls for papers with support of the Editorial Committee;

i. To gather members of the Editorial Committee to ordinary meetings, for at least twice a year, preferably in the months of April and October, at least three days in advance. Likewise, meetings may be called extraordinary at the request of the Editorial Directorate and/or one or more members of the Editorial Committee.

j. To issue the certificate of participation, as referred in sixth section of Chapter 2;

k. Submit to the Presidency of the CDHCM proposals of candidates who meet the criteria established in article 22, for the integration and renewal of the Editorial Committee; and

l. To perform all the necessary actions to achieve the purposes of the journal.

Third section.
The attributions of the Editorial Committee

Article 25. The attributions of the Editorial Committee are:

a. To approve the Editorial Policy and the calls for papers, as needed, in order to contribute to the adequate editorial process of the journal.

b. Determine, at the proposal of the Editorial Directorate, the articles that will be included in each issue based on the previous selection made considerating the two results of peer review process. Also, other materials can be included as mentioned in the sixth article.

c. To approve, previous suggest made byEditorial Team, the reviewers who will participate in the peer review process of those submissions that have obtained a positive result in the previous review;

d. To approve, previous suggest made by the Editorial Directorate, the request of a third opinion in those cases where discrepancy exists between the two of the reviewers, or the decision to not published the respective paper, in terms of the present Editorial Policy.

e. To modify deadlines in the calls for papers, when necessary;

f. Actively participate in ordinary and extraordinary meetings convened by the Editorial Directive, and in the communications of the journal in which their opinion, contribution and approval are required.

g. To collaborate in the promotion of the journal and the calls for papers;

h. Others necessary to achieve the journal’s objectives.

Fourth section.
Attributions of reviewers

Article 26. The attributions of reviewers are:

a. To conduct the peer review process of the submissions that have been assigned to them according with this Editorial Policy and the call for papers;

b. Those that are bestowed on them by the Editorial Team and the Editorial Committee.

Reviewers commit to register in the OJS platform of métodhos, download the personal data form and send it to the following e-mail address: revistametodhos@cdhcm.org.mx, as a digitalized file, duly completed and signed.

Chapter 4.
About the call for papers

Article 27. The call for papers is permanent and it sets up the guidelines, requirements and deadlines for the reception of submissions, its evaluation, editorial revision, as well as its eventual publication.

Article 28. The Editorial Committee will be able to modify the deadlines in the permanent call with the purpose of guaranteeing the appropriate release of the journal. Any modification in the deadlines will be published in the journal’s web site and other media.

The Editorial Committee will be able to modify the terms of the permanent call when deemed appropriate. Every manuscript will be subject to the terms of the call in force at the time they were submitted.

Article 29. Regardless of the permanent call, The Editorial Committee might issue an exceptional call, whenever it deems appropriate, which must be agreed with the Editorial Team. 

Chapter 5.
Promotion criteria

Article 30. The Editorial Team will design strategies to guarantee a suitable dissemination strategy of the journal, preferably among the academic community, as well as the civil society organizations interested in the human rights field.

Article 31. The Editorial Team will elaborate a directory of academic institutions, as well as national and international organizations dedicated to research on human rights, with the objective to promote the journal and its calls for papers.

Article 32. The Editorial Team may celebrate any kind of collaboration agreement with national and international entities that it deems pertinent, in order to strengthen the processes of promotion of the journal.

 

Transitory provisions

Unique. The present Editorial will come into force the 1^st of January of 2020. 

 

Mexico City, December 10 of January 2019. 

Modification Log

The modifications to articles 9, 10, 14, 15, 18, 22, 24 and 25 were reviewed in ordinary meetings by the Editorial Committee of the métodhos journal, on April 22 and October 22, both in 2021, and approved on November 12, 2021.

The modifications to articles 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 24 and 26 were reviewed and approved in ordinary meeting by the Editorial Committee of the métodhos journal, on April 28, 2023.

The modifications to articles 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, item c, 8, item a, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28 and 29 were reviewed and approved in ordinary meeting by the Editorial Committee of the métodhos journal, on November 15, 2023.

 

 

¹  Organic Law of the Human Rights Commission of Mexico City, published in the Official Journal of Mexico City on July 12, 2019, the last reform published on March 2, 2021.

² Internal Regulations of the Human Rights Commission of Mexico City were published in the Official Journal of Mexico City on October 23, 2019, the last reform published on January 31, 2023.

 

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