RELACult, Latin American Journal of Studies in Culture and Society | e-ISSN 2525-7870 

RELACult is committed to the highest standards of editorial ethics, scientific integrity, transparency, and academic responsibility at every stage of the editorial process. This Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement constitutes the official editorial ethics policy of RELACult and has been developed in accordance with the requirements of Scopus journal evaluation, the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (version 4.0, COPE/DOAJ/OASPA/WAME, 2022), the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the criteria of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and internationally recognized best editorial practices in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

The journal is committed to ensuring that all processes of submission, peer review, publication, and post-publication are conducted with editorial independence, impartiality, confidentiality, and full respect for the integrity of the scientific record. This statement applies to all published content, including thematic dossiers and special issues.

 

1. Authors' Responsibilities

Authors submitting manuscripts to RELACult must ensure that the work is original, unpublished, and not under simultaneous consideration by another journal or editorial venue. Submission implies a declaration that all listed authors contributed substantially to the conception, development, or critical revision of the work, approved the final version, and consent to its publication.

RELACult adopts internationally recognized authorship criteria, which encompass significant intellectual contribution to the conception or theoretical or methodological development of the work, data analysis or interpretation, drafting or critical revision of the manuscript, approval of the final version, and accountability for the accuracy and integrity of the work. Honorary authorship (inclusion of individuals who did not contribute), ghost authorship (exclusion of effective contributors), and gift authorship are incompatible with the journal's editorial policy.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the data presented, the correctness of references, the proper attribution of sources, and for obtaining the necessary permissions for the use of images, interviews, documents, or any materials protected by copyright. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data constitutes serious scientific misconduct and will result in immediate rejection or subsequent retraction, as applicable.

All authors must explicitly declare any funding sources and any conflicts of interest that may influence the interpretation of results or analyses presented. Manuscripts must contain sufficient methodological detail to allow replication of the research by other investigators.

 

2. Plagiarism Policy and Similarity Checking

RELACult adopts a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, undisclosed substantial self-plagiarism, duplicate submission, and misappropriation of intellectual content.

All submitted manuscripts undergo mandatory screening through the Similarity Check system, operated by Crossref in partnership with Turnitin. The similarity report is reviewed by the editorial team during initial screening. The assessment is not limited to the numerical percentage but considers the nature of the identified matches, their extent, context, and appropriateness within the humanities field.

Indicators of misconduct include, among others, direct plagiarism, mosaic plagiarism, extensive reuse of one's own previously published text without adequate disclosure, manipulation of citations, and deliberate omission of relevant sources. When significant irregularities are identified, the manuscript will be rejected and the authors will be formally notified.

 

3. Peer Review Process

RELACult adopts a double-blind peer review model, in which authors and reviewers remain mutually anonymous throughout the entire review process. Following initial editorial screening for scope, originality, and formal compliance, manuscripts are sent to at least two ad hoc reviewers with recognized thematic expertise, external to the editorial team and without institutional affiliation with the authors.

Reviewers' reports are assessed by the editorial team. In the event of a substantive disagreement between the two reports, a third reviewer may be consulted. The final decision on acceptance, revision, or rejection rests exclusively with the Editorial Board of CLAEC, ensuring institutional independence and consistency with the journal's editorial policy.

RELACult does not guarantee acceptance to any submission prior to the completion of the evaluation process. Submission and acceptance dates are recorded and published with each article. In cases of significant delay in the process, authors are informed and may choose to withdraw their manuscript.

In the case of special issues or thematic dossiers coordinated by guest researchers, the same double-blind evaluation process applies. Coordinators may suggest reviewers, but the final designation is made by the RELACult editorial team, ensuring impartiality and editorial autonomy.

 

4. Reviewers' Responsibilities

Reviewers commit to evaluating manuscripts with academic rigor, impartiality, and strict confidentiality. They must decline the evaluation when they lack adequate thematic expertise, sufficient availability to meet established deadlines, or when they identify any conflict of interest.

Reviewers must disclose to the editorial team any situation that may compromise their objectivity, including institutional, supervisory, recent collaborative, or competitive relationships with the authors. Information obtained during the evaluation process may not be used for personal benefit or shared with third parties prior to the manuscript's publication.

 

5. Editorial Team's Responsibilities

The RELACult editorial team operates on the basis of exclusively academic and scientific criteria, without discrimination on institutional, geographic, ideological, gender, ethno-racial, political, religious, or personal grounds. Editorial decisions are made based on scientific merit, thematic relevance, and contribution to the field of cultural and social studies in Latin America.

The journal ensures editorial independence in relation to sponsors, supporting institutions, advertisers, or dossier coordinators. The confidentiality of submitted and under-review manuscripts is maintained at all stages of the editorial process. The editorial team and the institution responsible for the journal are committed to identifying, preventing, and addressing cases of publication misconduct, following COPE's guidelines and flowcharts for investigations, corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern.

Editors who have a conflict of interest with a submitted manuscript are replaced by another member of the Editorial Board for that specific decision.

 

6. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must declare any financial, institutional, academic, or personal relationships that may influence editorial judgment or the scientific evaluation of a manuscript. When a relevant conflict is identified, appropriate measures will be taken, including substitution of evaluators or responsible editors and, when necessary, public communication regarding the procedure adopted.

 

7. Complaints, Appeals, and Reconsiderations

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision have the right to submit a formal appeal to the editorial team, based on scientific argumentation or identification of procedural irregularity. The appeal will be reviewed by the Editorial Board, which may uphold the original decision, request a new round of evaluation, or reverse the decision based on the elements presented.

Any interested party may submit complaints about the editorial process or the conduct of editorial team members to the journal's official address. Complaints will be handled with impartiality, confidentiality, and formal documentation.

 

8. Research Involving Human Subjects

When applicable, authors must declare that the research was conducted in compliance with relevant national and international ethical standards, including approval by a Research Ethics Committee (REC) or equivalent body, when required by applicable legislation. The Declaration of Helsinki and the guidelines of internationally recognized research ethics committees are adopted as references by the journal. The free and informed consent of participants must be ensured, along with the protection of sensitive personal data, in compliance with applicable data protection regulations.

 

9. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Generative artificial intelligence tools may be used as technical support for writing, translation, linguistic revision, or data organization, provided that their use is explicitly declared in the manuscript, identifying the tools used and the stages at which they were applied. Full responsibility for the scientific content, data accuracy, and methodological integrity remains with the authors.

AI systems may not be listed as authors, as authorship presupposes accountability and the capacity for informed consent. The use of AI tools for generating or manipulating research data, for producing results in an opaque manner, or for replacing the intellectual analysis of the authors is incompatible with the editorial policy of this journal.

 

10. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

RELACult encourages that data, research materials, and analytical instruments underlying published results be made openly available or under conditions clearly described in the manuscript, respecting ethical, legal, and confidentiality constraints. Manuscripts must contain sufficiently detailed methodological descriptions to allow the replication or verification of the research by other investigators.

 

11. Intellectual Property and Copyright

Authors retain copyright over their works published in RELACult. By submitting a manuscript, authors grant the journal an irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free permission to publish, distribute, reproduce, and archive the work, provided the original source is cited. Copyright information is clearly indicated in the full text of all published articles (HTML and PDF).

 

12. Open Access Policy and Licensing

RELACult operates under a full Open Access model, making all articles immediately available upon publication, without embargo, under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). The journal does not charge submission, evaluation, or publication fees (Article Processing Charges, APCs), ensuring free open access for both authors and readers, regardless of their geographic or institutional origin. Licensing and usage rights information is indicated in the full text of all published articles.periodicos.

 

13. Archiving and Digital Preservation

RELACult ensures the electronic archiving and long-term digital preservation of published content, guaranteeing permanent access to articles even in the event of a cessation of editorial activities. The preservation policy and systems used for this purpose are described on the journal's institutional website.

 

14. Funding Sources and Economic Model

RELACult operates under a full open access model, providing immediate and unrestricted access to all published content under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, without any embargo. As of November 1, 2025, the journal adopts the Tiered Sustainability Contribution System (SCES), regulated by Ordinance No. 05/2025 of Editora CLAEC, a differentiated contribution model designed to support editorial, technological, and digital preservation activities. The system includes three contribution modalities with accessible values for Brazilian and international authors, providing full waiver upon formal justification, an automatic 50% discount for CLAEC members, and full exemption for special issues.

The administrative management of contributions and waiver requests is conducted separately from the editorial process, ensuring full scientific independence. The contribution is requested exclusively after the final editorial acceptance decision, guaranteeing absolute separation between academic merit and financial sustainability. Under no circumstances do the selected contribution amount, contribution modality, or granted waiver influence the peer review process or editorial decisions. The values, modalities, waiver criteria, and detailed allocation of resources are fully described in the Sustainability Contribution Policy, available on the journal’s website.

 

15. Corrections, Retractions, and Preservation of the Scientific Record

RELACult is committed to the integrity of the academic record. When errors are identified that do not substantially compromise the results or interpretations, a formal correction may be published with date and precise identification of the changes made.

In cases where scientific misconduct, plagiarism, data manipulation, or a serious error that invalidates the work is proven, a formal retraction will be published. The retracted article will remain available on the platform with a clear indication of its status, preserving the DOI and the traceability of the scientific record. In situations requiring ongoing additional investigation, the journal may publish an expression of concern until the process is concluded.

 

16. Reporting and Investigation of Misconduct

Reports of editorial or scientific misconduct may be submitted to the editorial team by any interested party through the journal's official address. Investigations will follow procedures consistent with COPE guidelines, ensuring impartial analysis, the right of response for those involved, confidentiality where necessary to protect the parties, and formal documentation of all decisions taken. Possible sanctions include rejection of the manuscript, formal notification to the authors' institutions, retraction of published articles, and temporary or permanent bans on submissions.

 

17. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

RELACult recognizes the responsibility of editors to promote accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of publishing. Editorial policies are periodically reviewed to ensure they do not create barriers or exclusionary environments for authors, reviewers, or readers of any background. The journal values geographic, linguistic, institutional, and epistemic diversity as constitutive elements of knowledge production in the Humanities and Social Sciences of Latin America and in dialogue with the international community.

 

18. Commitment to Transparency

RELACult reaffirms its commitment to transparent editorial practices, the promotion of open science, academic integrity, and the strengthening of Latin American scientific production in dialogue with the international community. This statement is publicly accessible on the journal's website and will be periodically reviewed to incorporate updates to international publication ethics guidelines.

 

Approved by the Editorial Board. Last updated: February 2026.