Regulations

JOURNAL REGULATIONS

1. Governance Bodies

The governance bodies responsible for the scientific coordination and editorial management of the journal are the Editorial Board and the Scientific Committee. All members of these bodies commit to upholding the principles of the MonTI Code of Ethics, as well as any additional guidelines established by the University of Alicante, Jaume I University, and the University of Valencia for their scientific publications.

2. Editorial Board: Structure and Composition

  • The Editorial Board shall be composed of the Editor-in-Chief, two Secretaries, and nine board members. The position of Editor-in-Chief must be held by an active faculty member with a contractual affiliation to one of the universities co-editing the journal. At least half of the board members must be affiliated with institutions outside these universities.

  • The Editorial Board shall assist the Editor-in-Chief in all its functions, particularly in overseeing submitted works (receipt, evaluation, and acceptance) and in defining the journal's content and organization.

  • Members shall be appointed by the Editorial Board in an ordinary session. The Editorial Leadership Team (comprising the Editor-in-Chief and the two Secretaries) must include representatives from all three co-editing universities.

  • All members shall be appointed for a renewable six-year term.

2.1. Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief

  • The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the coordination and representation of the journal, as well as for liaising with the Editorial Board, the Scientific Committee, and research coordinators at the three co-editing universities.

  • The Editor-in-Chief shall ensure the highest scientific quality of the journal and work toward its recognition and inclusion in national and international databases, as well as its evaluation for quality certification. To achieve this, the Editor-in-Chief will be supported by the members of the Editorial Board.

2.2. Responsibilities of the Secretaries

  • The Secretaries shall manage the receipt of submissions and oversee their progress through the evaluation and publication process.

  • The Secretaries shall be responsible for communication with authors, Editorial Board members, the Scientific Committee, and external reviewers involved in the anonymous evaluation process.

  • The Secretaries shall acknowledge receipt of all submitted manuscripts to the authors.

  • The Secretaries shall oversee the preliminary review process, ensuring compliance with journal requirements and determining which manuscripts proceed to peer review and which are returned.

  • The Secretaries shall forward manuscripts to reviewers, along with evaluation guidelines and a standardized review template.

  • Once a final decision has been made regarding a manuscript’s publication, the Secretaries shall formally notify the authors of the outcome.

  • The Secretaries shall oversee the entire editorial process for each issue of the journal.

  • The Secretaries shall organize meetings with the Editor-in-Chief, convene Editorial Board meetings, and draft meeting minutes. They shall also be responsible for safeguarding the minutes and certifying the contributions of board members, scientific advisors, and peer reviewers.

2.3. Responsibilities of the Editorial Board Members

  • Editorial Board Members are required to attend meetings or, if necessary, participate via email in discussions of the agenda items.

  • Under the coordination of the Secretaries, board members shall assist in the preliminary review of manuscripts, deciding which will proceed to peer review and which will be returned to the authors.

  • Board Members shall assist in identifying external reviewers for submitted manuscripts.

  • Board Members shall advise and collaborate with the journal’s leadership to ensure its smooth operation, including maintaining punctuality and consistency in publication schedules.

3. Scientific Committee

  • The Scientific Committee shall be composed of professionals and researchers of recognized academic and professional standing.

  • At least 80% of the Scientific Committee members must be affiliated with institutions outside the three universities co-editing the journal. Additionally, at least 50% must be affiliated with foreign institutions.

  • Members of the Scientific Committee may participate in the peer-review process as external reviewers. However, at least one of the two required evaluations for each manuscript must come from a reviewer not affiliated with the Scientific Committee.