Declaration of Ethics and Negligence

ETHICS AND NEGLIGENCE STATEMENT: Based on the Code of Conduct formulated by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE, 2008), Temas de Comunicación Journal develops its Ethics and Negligence Statement, which constitutes its Code of Ethics addressed to editors, reviewers, and authors and establishes the following aspects for each of the aforementioned roles:

1.- FOR AUTHORS:

ORIGINALITY: Original and unpublished research will be accepted. Temas de Comunicación Journal uses TURNITIN software, provided by the Research and Knowledge Transfer Secretariat of the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB), to detect similarity levels in received manuscripts. All articles will be reviewed using this method, accepting up to a maximum of 10% similarity.

MULTIPLE AND/OR REPETITIVE PUBLICATIONS: Authors should not publish the same article or the same results in more than one journal, nor should they submit manuscripts submitted to Temas de Comunicación to other journals during the editorial process.

SOURCES: Authors must provide an accurate list of sources used in their manuscript.

AUTHORSHIP: All authors are deemed to have contributed significantly to the work, and the order of authors is established based on their level of contribution and input in the conceptualization, development, interpretation, and writing of the manuscript.

If a change of author or the inclusion of new authors is necessary, once the manuscript review process has begun, the Editorial Team of Temas de Comunicación Journal will proceed in accordance with the COPE Code of Ethics. Intellectual property rights remain with the authors.

In writing their articles, authors must demonstrate their adherence to the Ethics of Research in the Social Sciences, developed in the 1970s as an extension of the debate that began in the field of bioethics in Western Europe and the United States after World War II.

In this regard, various scientific societies have developed codes with ethical guidelines to guide the behavior of researchers in their relationships with research subjects, funding agencies, their profession, and society at large, as well as the consequences of their decisions during and after fieldwork and the publication of results.

In line with international practice, authors submitting works to the Temas de Comunicación Journal must demonstrate compliance with principles such as informed consent, anonymity, and confidentiality to avoid harming participants and demonstrate special care when conducting studies with populations.

INFORMED CONSENT OF RESEARCH SUBJECTS: All social research creates tension by inviting people to collaborate in a process that is not directly designed for their benefit and in whose design they have not participated.

One way to resolve this tension is to respect the autonomy of individuals, that is, their capacity to make decisions. To this end, according to the Professional Codes of Ethics of sociologists in the United States and the United Kingdom, researchers must seek the consent of research subjects to participate in a study (Committee on Professional Ethics, 1999; British Sociological Association, 2007).

For the autonomy of individuals to be respected, this consent must be informed. That is, participants must receive information about the objectives of the research, the type of participation requested, the source of the project's funding, and the possible uses of the study's results. They must also be asked for permission to use the information and, finally, they must be guaranteed the right to discontinue their participation at any time.

ANONYMITY OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS: Anonymity refers to a person's right to have their identity withheld. To achieve anonymity, researchers must protect the locations of individuals and places, and the identity of subjects, groups, and institutions, both in the published results and in the way empirical material is collected and archived.

To this end, the information must be collected anonymously or, in other words, it must be recorded and archived in such a way that the individuals and organizations referred to cannot be recognized by outsiders. That is, the data should be presented in such a way that informants are able to recognize themselves, while readers should not be able to recognize them.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE INFORMATION RECEIVED: Confidentiality is defined as the quality of being confidential, which refers to "what is done or said in confidence or with mutual trust between two or more people." Therefore, it is associated with the concept of privacy.

Ensuring confidentiality means that what has been discussed, analyzed, or shared will not be repeated, or at least not without permission. Although researchers have an obligation to report their findings, they should not disclose information that could identify participants and should try to protect their identities through various anonymization processes.

POLICIES RELATING TO VULNERABLE GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS: Guideline number 13 “Research involving vulnerable individuals” of the Ethical Guidelines of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences and the World Health Organization (https://cioms.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/PAUTAS_ETICAS_INTERNACIONALES.pdf), defines that:

“Vulnerable persons are those who are absolutely or relatively incapable of protecting their own interests. Specifically, they may have insufficient power, intelligence, education, resources, strength, or other attributes necessary to protect their interests” (Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences and the World Health Organization, 2002, p. 48).

In this sense, the editorial policy of Temas de Comunicación Journal is aligned with general ethical principle 19 of the World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki (https://www.wma.net/es/policies-post/declaracion-de-helsinki-de-la-wma-principios-eticos-para-las-investigaciones-medical-en-seres-humanos/), which states that:

19. Some groups and individuals subjected to research are particularly vulnerable and may be more likely to suffer abuse or additional harm. All vulnerable groups and individuals must receive specific protection.

In this regard, authors should take into account that the concept of avoiding harm is one of the most important principles in research practice, present in ethics codes and guidelines across various disciplines, making it essential to protect participants. Humanization in research aims to build a specific good in society, and therefore research must be conducted alongside the community, in unity with the population groups being studied, and not based on the wishes of the researcher.

Authors must be aware that all social research can place the subjects of the research at risk or cause harm, even unintentionally. Therefore, research involving vulnerable populations, those experiencing social exclusion, or those with addictions, requires special care in research practices.

Special attention must be paid to research involving minors—children and adolescents—in which the study of their behavior, feelings, and private spaces is addressed. Authorization must be obtained from their parents, guardians, or legal representatives.

The principle of no harm, or harm reduction, implies a professional commitment that incorporates the humanization of research practice based on ethical principles such as respect and recognition of others, as well as avoiding behaviors and attitudes based on paternalism, ethnocentrism, colonialism, or sexist perspectives. Therefore, the Editorial Team of Temas de Comunicación Journal disapproves publications that introduce false statements that damage the reputation of individuals, groups, or organizations. It will ensure that texts regarding potential defamation are reviewed prior to publication and will address allegations of defamation in any of its publications.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND DISCLOSURE: Authors must declare that there are no conflicts of interest (COI) that may have influenced the results presented. To do so, they must follow the respective guidelines included in the Submission Preparation Checklist, which appears in the "Submit an Article" section of the journal's website. Authors must disclose in writing any personal or financial relationships between the authors of the article and public or private individuals or entities that could give rise to a potential conflict of interest (COI) that could inappropriately influence their work.

Potential COI can arise from various types of relationships, past or present, such as employment with the organization referenced in the manuscript, consulting services in which the author(s) participated and through which the data were obtained, stock ownership, compensation, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, grants or other funding, and others, which could unintentionally bias the work of the manuscript's authors.

Authors must make the COI declaration at two different times and in different parts of the manuscript submission process:

1. A COI summary. If there is no conflict of interest, the following must be declared: "DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest." If there is a conflict of interest, it must be declared. If the manuscript is accepted, this declaration will be published with the article.

Failure to declare COIs may result in immediate rejection of a manuscript. If an undisclosed COI comes to light after publication, Temas de Comunicación Journal will take action in accordance with COPE guidelines and issue a public notification to the community.

¿WHAT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST?: When a researcher, author, editor, or reviewer has an opinion or financial/personal interest that could affect their objectivity or inappropriately influence their actions, compromising confidence in the research and disseminating biased results, a potential conflict of interest exists.

COIs constitute conditions under which professional judgment about the primary interest (publication of an article) may be influenced by a secondary interest, financial or non-financial, professional or personal, and bias the generation of a complete, objective, and quality manuscript (whether research or not), peer review, or decision-making during the editorial process.

Submitting all COIs is a requirement to contribute to transparency in research. Declaring COIs does not imply that scientific misconduct exists or has occurred. Failure to declare COIs may result in immediate rejection of a manuscript.

If an undisclosed COI comes to light after publication, Temas de Comunicación Journal will take action in accordance with COPE guidelines and issue a public notification to the community.

ERRORS IN PUBLISHED ARTICLES: Manuscripts accepted for publication will be sent to the authors, after being typeset, for their review and opinion (proof). However, if the authors detect errors or inaccuracies after the article has been published, they must immediately inform the journal's Editor-in-Chief, providing the necessary information so that the appropriate corrections can be made.

RESPONSIBILITY: The information contained in the submitted papers is the sole responsibility of the authors.

2.- FOR REFEREES (REVIEWERS):

REFEREE PROCESS: The process used to evaluate manuscripts submitted to the Temas de Comunicación Journal follows the double-blind review process. The reviewers are blind to the identity of the authors of the articles, and the authors are blind to the identity of the reviewers. Therefore, the editors are the ones who mediate the interactions between reviewers and authors.

The referees are professionals selected based on their prestige and scientific achievements in the area of ​​knowledge addressed by the manuscript they are assigned to evaluate. They are committed to conducting an objective review using scientific, critical, honest, and unbiased criteria, in order to provide the editors with truthful information about the quality of the proposed article and to provide the authors with constructive feedback that will encourage appropriate corrections.

They must submit the corresponding review forms, clearly stating the reasons for accepting or rejecting an article and notifying the referees if they detect or suspect any duplication of work, conflicts of interest, ethical issues, or fabricated data.

The Editorial Team will act impartially regarding the decisions made by each referee. If a manuscript is accepted by one referee and rejected by another, it will be sent to a third referee, whose decision will be final and final.

TIMELINESS: The referees agree to complete the requested review within the deadlines established by the journal's editorial team.

CONFIDENTIALITY: Papers assigned for review will not contain identifying information about the authors or their institutions. Furthermore, they must be treated with complete confidentiality and therefore may not be discussed with others prior to the publication process.

DISCLOSURE: All information related to the peer review process may not be used for personal purposes or shared with others not involved in the editorial process.

REVIEWER CONFLICTS OF INTEREST (COI): Reviewers are required to inform the Editor if they suspect that the manuscript they are reviewing contains undisclosed conflicts of interest that should be declared. Furthermore, you should not accept a review assignment if you have a potential competing interest, including the following:

• Previous or current collaborations with the presumed author(s).
• You are a direct competitor.
• You may have a known history of antipathy toward the presumed author(s).
• You have a close personal relationship with an author that prevents you from evaluating the manuscript objectively.
• You may profit financially from the work.

They should only agree to review the manuscript if they have no conflicts of interest. In the case of conflicts, the reviewer must inform the editors or the journal staff that they must decline to participate if they feel they cannot provide an impartial review. When submitting their opinion, they must indicate whether or not they have any conflicting interests.

3.- FOR EDITORS:

CONSIDERATIONS FOR EDITORS: Temas de Comunicación Journal upholds editorial, scientific, and professional independence as a principle. It does not accept public grants or permanent sponsorship from public or private institutions. It always strives to adhere to independent, non-inbred scientific criteria, and is free from compromise by political, business, or financial interests, or by pressure groups or specific scientific circles.

The editorial processes of Temas de Comunicación Journal do not discriminate against authors, editors, or reviewers based on their personal characteristics or identity. We are committed to integrating diversity in its many dimensions, promoting inclusion and equity at every stage of our editorial process.

The Editorial Team of Temas de Comunicación Journal does not accept inappropriate or abusive behavior or correspondence toward our team of editors, authors, and reviewers, as well as other people involved in the publication process. If anyone engages in such behavior, we have the duty and the right to take measures to protect those involved, which may result, for example, in the withdrawal of a manuscript or the challenge of clearly incorrect or abusive blind peer review comments, regardless of any corresponding legal action.

DECISIONS: Once all the steps of the editorial process have been completed, the Editorial Team of the Temas de Comunicación Journal selects for publication the articles with the highest quality and contribution, in accordance with the evaluation carried out by the referees and without any discrimination or favoritism with respect to the authors.

Throughout this process, the Editorial Team of Temas de Comunicación Journal will rigorously monitor malpractice, such as plagiarism, fabricated data in the article received, duplication in the submission of previously published articles, and fraud in any form. If necessary, they will consult the members of the Editorial Board.

CONFIDENTIALITY: The members of the Editorial Team of Temas de Comunicación Journal undertake not to disclose information related to articles submitted for evaluation to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, and editors. They also commit to the confidentiality of manuscripts, authors, and referees, ensuring the integrity of the entire process.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND DISCLOSURE: The editorial team undertakes not to use the content of articles submitted to the journal for evaluation in its research without the written consent of the author(s). Likewise, any conflict of interest between authors and editors will be avoided.

EDITORS' CONFLICTS OF INTEREST (COI): The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Coordinator must declare their own competing interests or conflicts of interest and, if necessary, disqualify themselves from participating in their respective roles in the editorial process of a manuscript if they detect a COI, immediately convening and informing the other members of the Temas de Comunicación Journal Editorial Team.

The most common reasons why editors recuse themselves from participating in the editorial process of a manuscript may include, among others:

• Collaborating with a current or recent author.
• Having published with an author in the last 5 years.
• Having received grants from a current or recent author.
• Having a personal relationship with an author, which may impair the objective conduct of the editorial process related to a manuscript.

TIMELINES: The editorial team of Temas de Comunicación Journal is committed to adhering to time limits for the review and publication of accepted papers. Depending on revenue flow and the editorial process, authors will be notified when a manuscript is accepted for publication, indicating the issue and date it will be published. The total process between receipt of a paper and notification of results will not exceed six months.

ERRORS IN PUBLISHED ARTICLES: The editorial team of Temas de Comunicación Journal is willing to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when necessary. The editors of Temas de Comunicación Journal consider internationally agreed-upon guidelines and guidelines to resolve specific problems in scientific publishing practice. The instructions provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) are taken into consideration.

Authors, researchers, and reviewers are cordially invited to review the COPE international guidelines: https://publicationethics.org/files/Spanish%20%281%29.pdf related to publication ethics, particularly those described below, in order to avoid shortcomings resulting from their lack of awareness.

The actions of the Temas de Comunicación Journal Editorial Team, in the event of suspicions of improper conduct related to the submission of a manuscript or the publication of an article, will be governed by the provisions of COPE.