Guidelines for authors

Requirements for Article Submission

Pedagogical Constellations neither charges nor accepts payments for the submission, processing, and publication of texts. Documents submitted for potential publication in the journal must include the complete documentation and the final version of the article through the OJS system:

  • Statement of originality: This form must be filled out with the main author’s information and the express consent of all co-authors, confirming their agreement with this declaration.
  • Copyright Agreement and Conflict of Interest Statement: This must be completed and signed by the author(s) of the article.
  • In the case of previously published material subject to copyright (such as graphics, images, photographs, artistic work, etc.), either by the author(s) or third parties, a reproduction authorization from the copyright holder must be provided.

No changes will be accepted once the process has begun.

Technical Requirements for Article Submission

The following criteria must be considered when submitting materials:

  • Submit the text in an electronic format suitable for a word processor (PDF files will not be accepted). Use the submission template for sending your manuscript.
  • We do not accept tables in image format; they must come directly from programs like Excel or be created in Word and included in the text. The table title must be concise and directly related to its content.
  • Figures (diagrams, graphs, photographs, drawings, maps, etc.) must be in JPG format (or compatible) with proportional width and height. Figures that do not meet these specifications will be returned to the author, and the article will not be eligible for review. Figures not authored by the article's author must include the source.
  • Both tables and figures must be incorporated into the text, numbered in Arabic numerals, and aligned with the text.
  • Authors understand that articles in Spanish, if accepted, must be translated into English at the author's expense. Authors are responsible for ensuring the article is reviewed or translated by native English speakers or professionals with strong language skills. This must be confirmed through a certificate that attests to the review or translation, which must be attached at the time of submission.
  • Authors with a solid command of English may write the manuscript in English, but they must attach a certificate confirming their expertise upon submission. Additionally, if one of the authors is a native English speaker, the editorial process will continue following the established guidelines.

The article may be rejected if there is insufficient evidence to ensure translation/review quality. If language issues are detected during the article’s evaluation, the Editor will request a linguistic review after the article has been accepted.

We will submit the article for Editorial Review once it meets the submission requirements.

Editorial Review

Authors submitting a contribution for potential publication in the RCSI must send the complete and final version of the documentation outlined in the Legal Requirements for Submission section. Once the editorial team verifies that the submission meets all submission requirements, the text will be sent for editorial review, which includes the following stages:

  • We will evaluate whether the text is original and unpublished.
  • We will verify that the submitted text aligns with the Journal's Focus and Scope.
  • The manuscript will undergo a plagiarism check using the tool approved by the Editorial Committee (iThenticate), after which it will proceed to the following stages of the editorial review.
  • We will review that the bibliography is relevant, up-to-date, and properly formatted according to APA 7th edition.
  • We will check that the text adheres to all formatting instructions specified in the submission requirements and author guidelines.
  • In line with the editorial policy guidelines approved by the Editorial Committee, we will prioritize texts whose bibliography is managed electronically with active hyperlinks to the respective DOIs, where applicable.

Once the submitted contribution has passed the editorial review, we will formally notify the corresponding author about the registration and initiation of the academic review process.

Content Responsibility

By submitting the manuscript, we assume that each author has had full access to all study data and takes full, public responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the data analysis. For this reason, RCSI declines any responsibility for potential conflicts arising from the authorship of published works.

Anonymity of Author Identities

Pedagogical Constellations ensures that no information revealing the authors’ identities is included in the article to guarantee anonymous peer review. Author information will be included on the first page only after the manuscript has been accepted.

Presentation Sequence and Article Structure

Articles must be divided into sections in the following order: title in Spanish, title in English, full names of the authors (first and last name, or as typically written in their publications) ordered by contribution to the research or article preparation, not alphabetically or hierarchically; ORCID ID; corresponding author’s email; abstract; keywords; abstract in English; keywords in English; Introduction; Materials and Methods; Results and Discussion; Conclusions; Acknowledgments (optional); Conflict of Interest; Author Contributions; Funding Source; Data Availability; References; and Appendices (optional).

  • Title: It must be brief and explanatory, capturing the essence of the work in less than 20 words. It should not contain scientific or common names of organisms, nor include abbreviations or acronyms, except those widely known in the scientific community. It should not begin with grammatical articles, verbs, or actions. Avoid phrases like "Aspects of," "Comments on," "Investigation of," "Studies of," "Preliminary studies on," "Notes on," or ambiguous phrases, dates, regionalisms, or formulas. Titles must be included in both Spanish and English.

  • Abstract: The abstract should contain between 150 and 200 words (100 for short communications and scientific notes), including a brief introduction, objectives, materials and methods, results, and conclusions. It must be written in a single paragraph and in the past tense. At the end of the abstract, include three to five keywords in alphabetical order, separated by commas, which are not included in the title and that identify the article's content. The abstract must be written in both Spanish and English.

  • Introduction: This section should include the research problem, its relevance or justification, a brief review of updated literature on the subject under study and/or theories supporting it, the scientific gap, and should conclude with the research purpose. The problem should be supported with reliable sources, preferably scientific articles less than 5 years old, avoiding grey literature. The introduction should be written in the present tense and should not exceed 10 paragraphs of less than eight lines each.

In review articles, the body of the text may include easily understandable subheadings.

  • Materials and Methods: Indicate the geographical area or controlled environment where the study was conducted. Specify the type, level, and design of the research, population, sample, and sampling methods. List the study variables, unusual or novel methods and techniques used, and the modifications applied. Mention the data collection techniques and instruments used, as well as their validation and reliability processes, if applicable. Include the statistical analysis methods and software used in the research. The writing should be sequential and in the past tense, ensuring the methodology is replicable. Tables, figures, and diagrams may be referenced.

In review articles, this section will be called "Methodology" and should indicate the bibliographic review protocol.

  • Results and Discussion: Present the new knowledge generated by the original research clearly, objectively, and impartially, without interpretive elements. Include the research findings that respond to the objectives of the work. The most statistically significant results should be briefly described. Tables and figures that expand on the results may be included, but they must not duplicate or repeat the data presented in the text.

As the results are presented, they should be interpreted, analyzed, and discussed, supported by previously published studies or well-founded criteria. Compare the results with the authors cited in the introduction, and expand the analysis using other reliable sources. Results must be written in the past tense.

In review articles, this section will be titled "Review Results" and written in the present tense. It is necessary to clarify the evidence supporting any key statements made in the review and the strength of the evidence (published trials, systematic reviews, observational studies, expert opinions). For topics where the evidence is poor or of low quality, this must be indicated. The body of the text may include easily understandable subheadings, which can be written as questions.

  • Conclusions: Conclusions represent the main takeaway for future research and should be written briefly and precisely, aligning with the established objectives. Recommendations for future research and the benefits of the results should also be included. Do not use bullet points or lists; write the conclusions in paragraph form.

  • References: At least 20 references for original articles and 40 for review articles. All publications cited in the text must be listed in the References section according to APA 7th edition, and vice versa. Importantly, at least 80% of references should be scientific articles from the last five years. Minimize the use of books, theses, and/or websites. Include DOI numbers or URLs in references where possible. The use of reference management software like Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote is recommended. A style guide with examples of proper citation is available at https://bit.ly/2S3MflT.

  • Acknowledgments (optional): Mention individuals and institutions that advised the research.

  • Conflict of Interest: Authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest related to their work in a letter (Legal Requirements). Authors with no conflicts of interest should declare that "No conflict of interest related to the subject of the work exists."

  • Funding Source: Articles derived from funded projects must indicate the funding entity, including contract number, agreement, resolution, etc. Otherwise, state, "The authors received no sponsorship to conduct this study/article."

  • Author Contributions: The journal adopts the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy), which lists 14 typologies through which an author can receive recognition in the publication.

  • Data Availability: Authors must mention that data has been deposited in a repository, providing a description of the data type, repository name and URL, identifier code, and license details (for more information, refer to the journal's data availability policy). If not applicable, authors must declare "Not applicable."

  • Appendices (optional): Material strictly related to the research may be included as appendices.

  • Units: Only use units and abbreviations from the International System (IS). Abbreviations referenced in the IS or non-standard abbreviations must be explained when they first appear in the text. Do not use periods in abbreviations.