Editorial Process
Editorial Process
Research and Critical Thinking (IPC)
1. Introduction
The journal Research and Critical Thinking (IPC) maintains a transparent and objective editorial process based on international standards of scientific quality, with the aim of guaranteeing academic integrity, impartiality in evaluation, and the publication of high-impact original research.
All manuscripts received are managed exclusively through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform and undergo an evaluation process that includes editorial controls, verification of originality, peer review, and editorial production.
2. Manuscript Submission
Manuscripts should be submitted by email to articulos.ipc@usma.ac.pa
At the time of submission, authors must provide all the requested information:
full authorship details;
institutional affiliation;
ORCID identifier (recommended);
statement of originality;
conflict of interest declaration;
funding information, when applicable.
3. Initial Editorial Review
Once the manuscript is received, the Editorial Team conducts a preliminary evaluation to verify that the work meets the minimum requirements established by the journal.
This stage reviews aspects such as:
correspondence with IPC's thematic coverage;
compliance with author guidelines;
manuscript structure;
overall presentation quality;
required documentation;
compliance with editorial policies.
If the manuscript does not meet these requirements, it may be returned to the authors for revision before proceeding with the editorial process.
4. Verification of Originality
All manuscripts undergo a similarity assessment using specialized text matching tools.
The similarity percentage is only a supporting criterion for the editorial evaluation and never constitutes, by itself, a decision of acceptance or rejection.
During this review, the following aspects are analyzed, among others:
plagiarism;
Self-plagiarism;
redundant publication;
duplication of content;
inappropriate use of citations;
incorrect use of previously published material.
When irregularities are detected that compromise the academic integrity of the manuscript, the editorial process may be suspended until the situation is clarified.
5. Editor Assignment
Manuscripts that pass the preliminary evaluation will be assigned by the Editor-in-Chief to a Section Editor or member of the Editorial Committee whose expertise corresponds to the subject area of the submitted work.
The assigned Editor will oversee all subsequent stages of the editorial process.
6. Peer Review
IPC uses a double-blind peer review system.
In this model:
authors do not know the identity of the reviewers;
reviewers do not know the identity of the authors.
As a general rule, each manuscript will be evaluated by two specialized external reviewers.
Reviewers are selected considering:
academic experience;
scientific output;
Thematic specialization;
Absence of conflicts of interest.
When substantial differences exist between the opinions expressed, the Editor may request the evaluation of a third reviewer.
7. Editorial Decision
Based on the reports issued by the reviewers, the Responsible Editor will formulate a recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief.
The editorial decision may fall into one of the following categories:
Accepted without modifications.
Accepted with minor modifications.
Requires major modifications.
Rejected.
The final decision rests exclusively with the Editor-in-Chief.
8. Corrections by the Authors
When modifications are requested, the authors must submit:
A corrected version of the manuscript;
A document explaining how each observation made by the reviewers has been addressed.
The Editor will verify that the observations have been addressed before continuing the editorial process.
If necessary, the manuscript may be resubmitted for peer review.
9. Scientific Editing and Editorial Production
Once the manuscript is accepted, it enters the editorial production stage, which includes:
style editing;
proofreading;
standardization of bibliographic references;
metadata review;
layout;
proofreading by the authors;
assignment of a DOI;
preparation of files for publication.
Authors must carefully review the editorial proofs and communicate any corrections within the deadline established by the journal
10. Publication
Accepted articles will be published in the corresponding issue, in accordance with the journal's quarterly publication schedule.
All articles are published in open access digital format and receive a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), ensuring their permanent identification and facilitating citation and retrieval.
11. Estimated Editorial Process Timeline
IPC strives to complete the editorial process within a reasonable timeframe; however, this may vary depending on the complexity of the manuscript, the availability of reviewers, and the authors' response time.
As a general guideline, the journal aims to maintain the following timelines:
Stage Approximate Time
Initial Editorial Review 5–10 business days
Originality Verification 3–5 business days
Assignment of Editor and Reviewers 5–10 business days
Peer Review 4–6 weeks
Author Corrections Up to 30 days
Final Editorial Decision 1–2 weeks
Editorial Production 2–4 weeks
These timelines are guidelines and may be modified as editorial circumstances require.
12. Confidentiality
All information related to received manuscripts will be treated confidentially throughout all stages of the editorial process.
Authors, reviewers, editors, and other participants must respect the confidentiality of documents, evaluations, and communications generated during the review process.
