Guide for authors

You can download the current version of the authors' guide in PDF format with attachments at the following link

General guidelines of the document

  • For the presentation of the manuscript, set the page as follows: Letter-size page, 2.5 cm margins on each side. Line spacing 1.5. Left alignment, including titles and subtitles (avoid the use of tabs and indentations). All pages numbered at the bottom right
  • Use Arial or Times New Roman font size 12 points in all texts (for Tables use font 10 points). Avoid using bold and underlines.
  • Write the scientific names of genera, species, and subspecies in italics. Proceed in the same way with Latin terms (e.g. sensu, et al.).
  • Do not underline any word or title.
  • Do not use footnotes.
  • Regarding abbreviations and metric system, use the rules of the International System of Units (SI)1, remembering that a space must always be left between the numerical value and the unit of measurement (e.g. 16 km, 23 °C). For relative measurements such as m/sec., use m.seg-1.
  • Always write the numbers from one to ten in letters, except when they precede a unit of measurement (e.g. 9 cm) or if they are used as markers (e.g. plot 2, sample 7). Numbers greater than ten must be written with the Arabic number symbols. If in the same paragraph numbers under ten and numbers over ten are used, they should be unified to leave the numbers only with Arabic numerical symbols.
  • Do not use a period to separate the thousands, millions, etc. (p. e.g. 54000). When the text is in Spanish, use a comma to separate the whole portion from the decimal of the number (e.g. 3,1416). In the case of English texts, the decimals are separated by period (e.g. 3.1416).
  • List the hours of the day from 0:00 to 24:00.
  • Express the years with all figures without thousands mark (e.g. 1996-1998). In Spanish the names of the months and days (enero, julio, sábado, lunes) are always written with the first lowercase letter, in English they are written with the first capital letter (January, July, Saturday, Monday).
  • In Spanish the cardinal points (norte, sur, este and oeste) must always be written in lower case, except for their abbreviations N, S, E, O (in English W), and when they are referred to as points or are part of a proper name (e.g. cordillera Oriental). The correct indication of geographic coordinates is as follows: 02°37'53"N-56°28'5"O. The geographical altitude will be cited as follows: 1180 m s.n.m. and in English 1180 m.a.s.l.
  • Abbreviations should be explained the first time they are used.
  • When citing references in the text, follow APA standards (Publications Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition) (See Appendix 1). Include the authors' last names if they are one or two, and the last name of the first followed by et al. (en cursiva) in italics) whenever there are three or more authors. In the case of two authors, the surnames must be separated by the letter "y" (e.g. Cochran y Goin, 1970). In English, surnames must be separated by "&". If several references are mentioned, they should be ordered chronologically and separated by semicolons (e. g. Rojas, 1978; Bailey et al., 1983; Sephton, 2001, 2001). Insert a comma after the authors' names and before the year of the reference (e.g. Acevedo, 2009).
  • References that are taxonomic descriptive authority should not be included in the reference list at the end but should be included in the text.
  • Refer the figures (graphs, diagrams, illustrations and photographs) without abbreviation (e.g. Figura 3) as well as the tables (e.g. Table 1). Graphics and figures must be presented in a uniform font and font size. For tables use Arial or Times New Roman font in 10 point size.
  • Figures must be sharp and of good quality, avoiding unnecessary complexities (e.g. three-dimensionality in bar graphs, frames or three-dimensional effects); if possible use only solid colors instead of patterns. The letters, numbers or symbols in the figures must be of an adequate size so that they are clearly legible once reduced.
  • Each figure must be inserted in the text, and additionally its separate file must be sent in high quality. In the case of photographs and digital figures, they must be saved as tiff, jpg or pdf format with a resolution of 300 dpi.
  • Tables and annexes must be simple in structure (frames) and be unified. Make the table footer calls with letters placed as superscript. Avoid large tables overloaded with information and dividing lines or lines presented in a complex way
  • The file must be saved in a text editor similar to or higher than Word version 97-2003, with tables, figures and images positioned (in low resolution) in relation to the text (See additional recommendations in Appendix 2 of this document).
  • The manuscript should not exceed 30 pages including tables, figures, and annexes (See additional recommendations in Appendix 3 of this document). Articles that merit a greater number of pages will be analyzed by the Editorial Committee
  • Biological terminology must be governed by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature2. Physical, chemical, and biochemical terminology must follow the standards of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)2. Conventional international abbreviations and International System (SI)3units should be used.
  • To submit an article, it is necessary to attach a letter of intent signed by all the authors (See Appendix 4, letter of intent template), indicating:
    1. Full name of the author(s).
    2. Institutional affiliations.
    3. Email of each of the authors, to send correspondence.
    4. Full title of the manuscript.
    5. Type of article: research, review, reflection, scientific note, case report, technical report (See section Types of Articlesin this document).
    6. Explanation - no more than three lines - explaining why the manuscript deserves to be published in the Pérez-Arbelaezia Journal.
    7. Statement that the research is being submitted only in this journal, and your commitment to continue in the editorial process until its publication.
    8. List of three or four suggested reviewers to evaluate the document, with their respective emails.
    9. List of files sent.

 

Document sections

Manuscripts must contain the following order: title, abstract and keywords, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions (optional), acknowledgments (optional) and references. Followed by a page with the list of tables, figures and annexes.

Section names should be bold, with only the first letter capitalized. If you need to add subheadings to sections, they should be on the same line as the beginning of the paragraph text, separated by a dot from the rest of the text, and in bold.

  • Title. Maximum 15 words, it must be concise and explanatory, it must inform about the content of the manuscript. It should not include abbreviations or chemical formulas.
  • Authors. They should be listed by their full first and last names. Institutional affiliation and email are described in a footnote. This will be the only part of the text where the identification of the authors appears. Corresponding author. Indicate with an asterisk the author to whom the information is sent.
  • Abstract. Maximum 200 words. It must be precise and indicate the objective, basic methods adopted, study area, results and most relevant conclusions. Here should be mentioned If something novel or exceptional is presented. The abstract will be accompanied by an Spanish version (Resumen). Avoid the use of highly specialized terms, abbreviations, and citations in this section.
  • Keywords. Maximum six keywords, complementary to the title of the article, in Spanish and English, in alphabetical order and separated by a period. The use of thematic thesauri is suggested to find synonyms and suitable terms.
  • Introduction. It presents the topic and provides the necessary context for the development of the manuscript. In this section, the purpose or main objective of the paper must be explicit.
  • Materials and methods. Detailed description of the methodology and procedures, including materials, set, dates, statistical methods, etc. used. It must be complete enough so that other researchers can replicate the research; If a novel methodology was applied, it must be explained and supported.
    It is recommended to subdivide the section (if applicable) into sections such as: study area, materials, experimental design, statistical analysis, etc.

    Do not present results in this section. When a published method is modified by the authors, these modifications must be included in the text. The origin of reagents, culture media and equipment must be mentioned. Trade names and trademarks must also be indicated.

    The experimental design must indicate: reference population (n), treatments (t), replicas (r), sampling unit (um), experimental units (su), and space-time range. It must include precise information on the statistical analysis carried out (cite the software used). The way in which the results are expressed (arithmetic means, standard deviations or standard errors of the mean or medians and confidence ranges or limits), the tests used (parametric or non-parametric), correlation coefficients, etc. must be indicated. The levels of significance must be mentioned. It is written in past tense.

  • Results. Presents the findings of the research- avoiding discussion of them - in an organized manner and with the appropriate use of figures. Avoid including very long tables in this section and rather include them as annexes. Information on variability and statistical significance should be provided. Mean values must be accompanied either by standard deviation or by standard errors, but not both. Graphics should be as clear and simple as possible. All tables and figures must be cited in the text, and listed in the order of appearance. Maps will be published in sizes where the legend is fully legible. It is written in past tense.
  • Discussion. The most relevant, controversial, or novel points of the research are highlighted, and the main results are explained in relation to the importance or contributions in the field of research. The objective of this section is to locate and evaluate the contribution of the study in the context established in the introduction. The approach is comparative: their results are compared with those of other researchers, highlighting, evaluating, and interpreting the concordances and discrepancies. It is evaluated to what extent the objectives were achieved, the questions were answered, or the initial hypotheses were tested, and how this study’ results have changed the status of the subject matter. New hypotheses or questions can be suggested, new studies, and the limits of the study done, and the questions not yet answered are also indicated in this section. It must include a) the principles, relationships and generalizations shown by the results, considering that the results are discussed and not summarized. It is written between present and past tense.
  • Conclusions. Final thoughts on the research in relation to its purpose and objectives, often leading to future actions and research.
  • Acknowledgments. Simple and concise paragraph between the main text and the list of references. Mention only essential credits as sources of funding, financial support, scientific and technical assistance, and people who have made substantial contributions to the study and who agree to be named. Avoid using titles like Dr., Lic., PhD, etc.
  • Cited literature. References should be arranged alphabetically according to the name of the first author, and chronologically for each author, or combination of authors. For publications by the same author at the same year, they must be differentiated (e.g. a, b, c). Unpublished works must be cited in the text as unpublished or unpublished data (Páez, ined. Or Páez, unpublished data). Personal communications -oral or written- must be cited (Cifuentes, personal communication). Only the references cited in the text must appear in the list of references at the end of the paper and vice versa, and must comply with APA standards (See specifications in Appendix 1)
  • Annexes. These should be included only if they are necessary for the understanding of the text. Otherwise, the author will be contacted and asked for the required information. The reviewers, referees or editors will judge the need for its publication.

 

Articles and their attachments (graphs, tables, photographs, diagrams, etc.), as well as the letter of intent, must be sent to: editorialcientifica@jbb.gov.co

 

Manuscript evaluation

Only papers that meet the requirements of this Guide for Authors will be received (See the checklist, Appendix 5). Each manuscript will be reviewed by the Journal's Editorial Committee, which decides if the paper continues with the process or if adjustments need to be made. Once accepted by the Committee, it will be sent to two suitable academic peers in the topic addressed. In case of disagreement between the two evaluators, the original will be sent to a third party for evaluation. Academic peers can adopt three options: a) total acceptance; b) acceptance with corrections; c) rejection. In any of the options, the author(s) will be informed and may suggest a review by a new evaluator.

Manuscripts accepted

The accepted manuscripts return to the authors to incorporate the corrections suggested by the evaluators, corrections need to be delivered at specific times.

Final tests

Proofs in PDF format will be sent to authors for error correction prior to publication. The corrected version must be sent to the Journal by the author(s) with a letter specifying the corrections to be made. Substantial changes in the content will not be admitted, nor will the elimination of paragraphs or images that affect the diagrammed version of the document, but only minor changes or errors made in the diagramming process.

 

Type of Articles (Specifications)

Article of scientific and technological research

Manuscript that reports in detail the results of an original investigation in which the scientific method was rigorously applied, studying the effect that different treatments have on the measurable response of a system, as a methodology to verify or reject a hypothesis. It should include explicit or implicit hypothesis tests, or novel explanations.

Research articles must meet the following characteristics: Extension not exceeding 30 pages, including graphs, tables, and images. It consists of title (in Spanish and English), author (s) (name, institutional affiliation, and contact information); abstract (in Spanish and English); keywords (in Spanish and English); introduction; material and methods; results; discussion; conclusions (optional); acknowledgments (optional) and literature cited (See Appendix 1). In addition, tables, annexes, and figures, if deemed necessary.

Review article

Review articles are documents resulting from research where the results of published or unpublished research on a field in science or technology are analyzed, systematized, and integrated, in order to account for progress and development trends. In case the results are not definitive, at least the guidelines for future research should be stated. (Colciencias, 2006).

The document must convey new knowledge, inform and evaluate the published literature, compare information from different sources, inform the trend of research and reveal new areas of research.

Review articles must meet the following characteristics: Length between 12 and 20 pages. It consists of title (in Spanish and English), author(s) (name, institutional affiliation, and contact information); abstract (in Spanish and English); keywords (in Spanish and English). The background, importance and objectives of research and status must be mentioned. Critical analysis. Development of the central theme of the research, presents subtitles or sections. Methods: the methods used to locate, select, extract, and synthesize the information must be described. Conclusions, acknowledgments (optional), and cited literature (See Appendix 1), which includes at least 50 references, mostly recent (from the last five years in the case of widely known topics). In addition, it is suggested to include tables, diagrams and figures that make the text more dynamic and facilitate its understanding.

Reflection article

This type of article presents the critical position of an author on a particular topic, and the argument is based on results and the literature consulted.

Manuscript that presents a synthesis of knowledge, research results with an analysis, interpretative or critical from the author. It consists of title (in Spanish and English), author(s) (name, institutional affiliation, and contact information); abstract (in Spanish and English); keywords (in Spanish and English); introduction; Development of the topic; discussion; conclusions (optional); acknowledgments (optional), and cited literature (See Appendix 1), as well as tables and figures considered necessary. You don't have to include the headings; those can be implicit within the text. Use original sources and the text should have 10 to 15 pages and a maximum of 30 references.

Additionally, manuscripts with the following typology may be submitted to evaluation for publication:

Scientific note

Manuscripts based on experimental research that, without losing scientific method and rigor, present innovative methodological aspects, or results that, due to their novel nature, are considered of interest to be published before completing an investigation. The note, although shorter, covers relevant aspects of the research process and methods. Its structure is similar to that of the scientific article: title (in Spanish and English); author (s) (name, institutional affiliation and contact information); abstract (in Spanish and English); keywords (in Spanish and English); introduction; material and methods; results; discussion; conclusions (optional); acknowledgments (optional) and cited literature (See Appendix 1)), as well as tables and figures considered necessary for a better understanding of the note. You do not have to include headings: they can be implicit within the text. Unlike the previous ones, the Abstract is omitted. Its maximum length will be four pages.

Case report or technical report

Presents results on a particular situation to publicize technical and methodological experiences. Includes a critical review of related literature. It consists of title (in Spanish and English); author (s) (name, institutional affiliation and contact information); abstract of maximum 100 words (in Spanish and English); keywords (in Spanish and English); introduction (two to five sentences of background information and written in the past); methodology (description of reported case); results; discussion (emphasizing the importance or educational value of the case or technique); conclusion (general and relevant); acknowledgments (optional) and cited literature: maximum 15 references (See Appendix 1). Also, tables and figures if deemed necessary. The text should be 10 to 20 pages.

1. Available at https://url2.cl/dEiQH

2. Available at https://url2.cl/1SlTy

3. Available at https://url2.cl/hfiB7