About the Journal

Focus and scope

A Multidisciplinary and International Scientific Journal on Cultural Diversity. An open-access scientific journal focuses on Cultural Diversity. Edited by the University of Granada and the research group “Curricular Innovation in Multicultural Contexts” (HUM-358), it continuously publishes scholarly works in this field. Its legal deposit reference is ML-37-2017 and The journal’s ISSN is 2530-934X. The Key Features of MODULEMA is a Peer-Reviewed journal that follows a rigorous double-blind peer-review process for all submitted articles. Multilingual Manuscripts are accepted in Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese.

The Indexing and Quality Indicators in national and International Databases:  including DOAJ, ERIH PLUS, LATINDEX, MIAR, DIALNET, Digibug, REDIB, and RECOLECTA. In addition, MODULEMA has quality Indicators:  in various databases. For instance, it is included in the LATIDEX Catalogue, meeting 37 out of 38 evaluated criteria, in ERIH PLUS, satisfying the 6 inclusion criteria, in DIALNET it has an IDR of 0.200, placing it in quartile 2 in the field of Anthropology and quartile 3 in the field of Education. It is also found in Google Scholar with an H index of 8 and an i10 index of 6.

Peer Review Process

For detailed guidelines, please refer to the section on Rules for Authors.

Stages in the editorial process:

The peer review process plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality, relevance, and significance of articles published in the journal. Authors submitting their work to our journal can expect the following stages in the editorial process:

  1. Authors are required to submit their manuscripts through the journal’s platform, accessible from the “Submission” section. The person submitting the article must complete the necessary submission forms and upload the three specified documents: the article text, authorship details, and a responsible statement. Templates provided by the journal should be used for this purpose.
  2. Upon receipt at the journal’s editorial office, the manuscript undergoes initial processing. It is screened using the Turnitin anti-plagiarism software.

  3. Then, a member of the Editorial Board reviews the manuscript to ensure alignment with the journal’s guidelines and adherence to formal and structural criteria outlined in the template. The Editorial Preliminary Evaluation document serves as a reference during this phase.

  4. Once this phase has been completed, the editor associated with the manuscript initiates the double-blind review process (DBPR). Two external reviewers evaluate the quality, originality, and scientific content of the article. In cases of divergent evaluations, a third reviewer is assigned. This thorough evaluation process may take up to three months. External reviewers use the External Evaluation document as an evaluation template.

  5. Once the manuscript receives positive evaluations from external reviewers, authors incorporate any necessary modifications based on this feedback. The revised article then undergoes an additional review by an editor. This step ensures that the final document adheres to journal standards and has undergone linguistic revision. Further adjustments to authorship may be requested.

  6. Following the editorial review, the manuscript proceeds to a typesetter. The typesetter finalizes the formatting to prepare the article for publication in the journal. Metadata associated with the manuscript is included during this stage.
  7. Once completion of layout and formatting, and with the authors’ approval, a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is assigned and the manuscript is then published immediately in the current volume of the journal. In turn, the published article is deposited in the Institutional Repository of the University of Granada (DIGIBUG) and assigned a unique handle. The article will be protected under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
  8. If an article is not accepted, the author will promptly receive notification of this decision. Additionally, the reviewers’ evaluations justifying the decision will be provided.
  9. Accepted articles will have their receipt and acceptance dates indicated on the first page when published.
  10. The journal maintains a confidential register of all received articles, clearly indicating their acceptance or rejection status. While this register is not publicly accessible, it remains available to review institutions upon request.
  11. The journal’s website will feature a general list of external reviewers who have participated to date. This list will be periodically updated. Furthermore, each journal issue will include the names of reviewers who contributed during the year.

Criteria for Acceptance of Papers

MODULEMA places trust in the discernment and expertise of its article reviewers, the following guidelines are recommended for assessing submissions that align with the external review template:

Indicators for Manuscript Evaluation

  • Relevance to the Research Community.
    • Assess whether the article addresses a relevant topic within the knowledge of the subject treated. 
    • Evaluate whether the manuscript contributes new insights or advances existing knowledge in the subject area.
    • It offers original research or reflection.
    • The bibliography used is related to the subject dealt with and is adequate and up to date.
  • Adherence to Standards.
    • Confirm that the manuscript follows the journal’s submission guidelines.
    • Check the appropriate use of citations and accurate referencing.
    • Verify compliance with the latest APA standards for references.
    • Assess the clarity, conciseness, and correctness of the language used.
    • Look for effective communication of ideas.
  • Title.
    • It accurately reflects the article’s content.
    • It is suitable in both Spanish and English and any other relevant language.
    • Ensure the title is no longer than 12 words.
  • Abstract.
    • The abstract addresses the IMRYD (Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions). 
    • The introduction clearly states the study’s objective or purpose and sets the context for the research; the methodology describes the basic design procedures, specifies sample or case selection, and outlines data collection methods and techniques for analysis; the results highlight the main findings and If applicable, mentions statistical significance; and the discussion and presents the most significant conclusions.
    • The abstract is presented in both Spanish and English and if applicable, any other relevant language.
    • It should not exceed 250 words.
  • Keywords.
    • Three to five keywords are included.
    • The words are included in the UNESCO Thesaurus.
    • The keywords are in Spanish and English and, where appropriate, in the language of presentation if different from these.
    • The keywords are relevant and closely aligned with the subject matter of the article.
  • Subject Matter Review.
    • The introduction effectively establishes the rationale for the study.
    • It convincingly outlines the significance of the chosen subject matter.
    • The theoretical review demonstrates adequacy.
    • It provides a solid foundation for the research context.
    • The citations and references align precisely with the manuscript’s content.
    • They adhere rigorously to the journal’s citation standards.
    • The topic directly pertains to aspects of cultural diversity.
    • The chosen topic is not only current but also carries societal implications.
  • Structure and Internal Coherence.
    • It follows the IMRYD structure.
    • All statements are related to the topic.
    • All statements are logically related to each other.
    • Quality of argumentation.
  • Scientific and Methodological Rigor.
    • Coherence between design and study problem.
    • Quality of scientific information.
    • Validation of methods used.
    • Evidence of proof.
    • Transparency in the scientific process.
  • Data Collection Procedures and Techniques.
    • Adequacy of the sample or case studies.
    • Specification of sampling techniques used, criteria and characteristics of the sample.
    • Quality of data collection procedures and techniques.
    • The data collection techniques are appropriate for the object of study analysed.
    • Specification and specification of the techniques and their psychometric characteristics, if applicable.
  • Depth of Data Analysis Procedures.
    • Adequacy of conducted analyses.
    • Clarity and explicitness in the method of analysis.
  • Relevance of Results.
    • Concise communication of acquired data.
    • Effective use of tables and figures.
    • Adherence to journal specifications for tables and figures.
  • Dissemination of Results.
    • Utility of results in cultural diversity management.
    • The obtained results are applicable beyond the immediate study context.
  • Substantive and Contextually Relevant Conclusions.
    • Alignment of conclusions with research objectives.
    • Emphasis on topic significance.
    • Exploration of new research avenues.
    • Acknowledgement of study strengths and limitations.
  • Robustness of the Bibliography.
    • Timeliness and pertinence of reference sources.
    • Quality of national and international references.
    • All references are appropriately cited, and all in-text citations are meticulously referenced.
    • Adherence to the latest APA standards.
    • The inclusion of 20 to 40 references avoids excessive reliance on self-citations (limited to 10-15%).
  • Tabular and Graphical Representations: tables and figures.
    • Ensures that all tables and figures adhere to the current APA guidelines.
    • High-Quality figure inclusion.
  • The content is tailored to resonate with an international readership.
    • Linguistic accuracy of foreign language.
    • Inclusion of international examples and evidence.
    • Comprehensive international references should be included.

Report Writing.

When composing the report detailing the rationale behind acceptance, rejection, or suggested modifications, it is advisable to conduct a thorough analysis of the manuscript. Whenever feasible, provide explicit guidelines for enhancing its quality.

In instances where modifications are requested, focus on the specific elements highlighted in the preceding section. Delineate the areas that require attention to facilitate the continuation of the editorial process. Additionally, consider incorporating relevant indicators, such as novel ideas or pertinent bibliographical references for improvement.

The report should be crafted in a manner that allows direct delivery to the manuscript authors. Specify the reasons underlying the final decision regarding potential publication in the journal. Importantly, the reviewer’s identity remains confidential throughout this process.

The web form will indicate the final assessment by presenting one of the available options:

  • Accept (Unaltered Publication).
  • Accept (Conditional on Minor Revisions): The manuscript will be published after addressing the minor corrections and adjustments recommended in the assessment for authors.
  • Accept (Subject to Substantive Changes): Publication is contingent upon implementing the substantial revisions suggested in the assessment for authors.
  • Reject (Infeasible Corrections): The content and/or editorial issues are irreparable within a short timeframe, rendering the manuscript unpublishable.
  • Reject (Alternative Submission Recommendation): While unsuitable for MODULEMA, the author(s) are encouraged to submit the work to a more specialized publication aligned with the subject matter or type of research. Suggestion _________________________________________________.

The evaluation form must be dispatched within the timeframe stipulated in the review request. Under no circumstances should this period extend beyond one month.

Frecuency or publication

MODULEMA publishes articles continuously on an annual basis, so the volume is open for submissions from January to December. Only one volume is published per calendar year.

Open Access Policy

This journal promptly provides open access to its content, guided by the fundamental principle of disseminating research freely to the public. This approach fosters the global exchange of knowledge.

Our journal aligns with the recommendations for implementing open-access publications, as outlined in Article 37 of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Act:

  • Authors whose contributions are accepted for publication in this journal will retain the non-exclusive right to use their work for scholarly, research, and educational purposes, including self-archiving or depositing in open-access repositories of any kind.
  • We encourage authors to use the published version of their scientific contributions (i.e., the publisher’s post-print version). Alternatively, if necessary, the author’s post-print version—already evaluated and accepted—may be employed. In either case, we prioritize making these versions openly accessible without imposing any embargo period.

Article Processing and Submission Costs

This journal does not charge authors for article submission or processing.

Digital Archives Preservation Policy

This journal is part of the Public Knowledge Project's Private LOCKSS and CLOCKSS Network (PKP-PLN), which creates a decentralized archive system distributed among collaborating libraries, aiming to create permanent archives of the journal's original contents and to restore them if necessary.

Additionally, this journal implements various processes to ensure permanent accessibility of the digital objects it hosts on its own servers:

  • Digital preservation metadata.
  • Use of DOI.
  • Use of Crossref.
  • Use of DOAJ.
  • Stored in the Institutional Repository of the UGR (DIGIBUG).

The files published on this website are available in easily reproducible formats (html, pdf, and epub).

Interoperability

The MODULEMA Journal incorporates OAI-PMH interoperability protocols (http://revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/modulema/oai) and Dublin Core metadata, allowing other portals and information services to access the metadata of the published contents.

Journal Ethics Codes

Manuscript authors must indicate in the methodology section, within the data collection procedures, that the data have been obtained with the consent of the research participants, if any.

The MODULEMA Journal adopts the ethics codes of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The guidelines can be consulted at the following links:

Additionally, the journal adheres to the Declaration of San Francisco on Research Assessment (DORA). The declaration can be consulted at the following links:

Duties of Editors

  1. Publication decisions. Editors are responsible for deciding on the publication of manuscripts received by the journal. Manuscripts shall be evaluated impartially, equitably, and without regard to the race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, nationality, or political views of the authors. The decision to publish a manuscript shall be based on the importance of the article itself, its originality and clarity, as well as the validity of the study and its relevance to the journal's purposes. Naturally, it will be taken into account that the work complies with legal requirements regarding the good name of individuals and institutions, copyright, and plagiarism.
  2. Confidentiality. Neither editors nor other members of the journal's team, nor persons collaborating in its activities, shall disclose any information about the manuscripts received to anyone other than the author or the evaluators, and always in proportion to the fulfillment of the purposes of the proposed activity and with due prudence.
  3. Conflict of interest. Unpublished materials appearing in received manuscripts shall not be used by editors for their own research without obtaining prior written authorization from the author.

Duties of Reviewers

  1. Cooperation with editorial decisions. The aim of expert evaluation of received manuscripts is to assist members of the editorial committee in selecting manuscripts for publication, contributing to decision-making on the publication of articles that will be part of the journal, and collaborating in improving their quality.
  2. Diligence. Any expert selected to evaluate a manuscript who does not believe themselves competent to judge it, or who cannot evaluate it diligently, must inform the editors and resign from the evaluation.
  3. Confidentiality. Manuscripts received for evaluation shall be treated as confidential documents. They shall not be used or discussed publicly unless authorized by the authors.
  4. Objectivity criteria. Reviewers shall carry out their task objectively, expressing their judgments clearly and substantively. Personal criticism is excluded.
  5. Determination of sources. It is the reviewers' obligation to determine the existence of published works referenced in the manuscript that have not been cited in the corresponding bibliography section. They must also indicate any observations or arguments appearing in the manuscript that are not accompanied by their respective bibliographic source. Reviewers must inform the editors of any significant similarity or overlap between the manuscript and any other publication of which they are aware.
  6. Conflict of interest. Information or ideas obtained through the privilege of reviewing manuscripts must be kept confidential and therefore cannot be used for personal gain. Reviewers must abstain from judging manuscripts with which they have any conflict of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships, or arising from links with authors, institutions, or companies related to the manuscripts.

Duties of authors

  1. Compliance with quality requirements. Authors must be the authors of original research and must present a clear and precise exposition of the work done, as well as an objective discussion of its importance. The data supporting the work must be clearly reflected in the manuscript. The manuscript must have detailed references so that other authors can sufficiently reproduce the research and verify the results. Any false or intentionally inaccurate statement shall be judged as an ethical breach and shall be grounds for exclusion.
  2. Access to research data. Authors must be able to provide the data from their research along with the manuscript for editorial evaluation purposes. If necessary, they must also make such data public. In any case, it is understood that it is the researchers' obligation to make such data available to the scientific community, provided that confidentiality regarding the participants is guaranteed and that there is no harm to existing institutional rights.
  3. Originality, plagiarism, and sources. Manuscripts must be original works, which shall reference the work of other authors through relevant citations. Works by authors who have been decisive in defining the nature and objectives of the work must also be cited and referenced.
  4. Multiple, redundant, or simultaneous publication. In general terms, works describing essentially the same research should not be published in more than one journal. Likewise, the same work should not be submitted to several journals. All this shall be grounds for exclusion. Manuscripts that have already been published in other journals should not be submitted. All this without prejudice to the fact that the author always retains full copyright with respect to the published work and, therefore, reproduction and transmission as they see fit.
  5. Authorship of the article. Authorship should be limited to persons who have made a significant contribution to the conception, elaboration, or interpretation of the work. All persons who have done so must appear as co-authors. The corresponding author undertakes to ensure that only such persons appear as co-authors and no others. Likewise, they undertake to submit the final version of the article for approval by the co-authors and to obtain their authorization for publication.
  6. Conflict of interest. Authors must disclose the sources of funding for their work and must seek to avoid any conflicts of interest that may affect the results or interpretation of their conclusions.
  7. Fundamental errors in published work. In the event that the author discovers significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work, they have a duty to diligently inform the editors and collaborate in the correction or, if necessary, rectification of the published work.

Plagiarism Detection Policy

In compliance with our ethical code and in order to ensure the originality of manuscripts submitted for evaluation, the MODULEMA Journal will apply the specific anti-plagiarism software Turnitin to each of the works that, by meeting the minimum criteria of the preliminary review, are to be submitted to the review process.

Submission will be rejected if plagiarism or scientific fraud practices are detected, either during the preliminary review or once the external peer review and/or editorial.

Statistics

The journal collects data on manuscript downloads, as well as metrics through PLUMX (Elsevier), which show citations received via CrossRef; captures made through readers such as Mendeley; publications through media channels such as Twitter; or mentions from various websites such as Wikipedia, among others. This information can be viewed on the summary page of each published article.

Example of available statistics:

Sponsors

Sources of Assistance

Journal History

This journal was born as an action within the Teaching Innovation Project "Research and Knowledge Transfer on Cultural Diversity," which was approved within the Call for Teaching Innovation and Good Practices Projects (2016-2017) issued by the Quality, Innovation, and Prospective Unit of the University of Granada.

This project aims to bring the University closer to society by launching an electronic research journal focused on cultural diversity and through research work carried out by undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students. It also involves the participation of other professionals on this subject.

This innovation sought to generate a body of knowledge on Cultural Diversity that would be useful for teaching various degrees that address this aspect and, at the same time, transfer knowledge to society, offering valuable information that can be taken into account by the public administration to improve social, educational, healthcare, and other aspects related to the cultural diversity of our society.

It is the Research Group "Curricular Innovation in Multicultural Contexts" (HUM358) that endorses, with its research trajectory in the field of Cultural Diversity, the implementation of this journal.

Thus, the Master's Degree in Cultural Diversity, which the University of Granada offers at the Melilla Campus, has generated a body of knowledge on this subject, and it is intended to offer the possibility of publishing Master's Theses that provide society with various studies conducted on Cultural Diversity.