Editorial Policy

 1. Focus and Scope

Porta Linguarum is an interdepartmental and interuniversity scientific journal, founded in 2004, specializing in foreign language teaching and bilingual education. Its mission is to foster research and academic exchange in these fields by providing an international scientific dissemination space that promotes knowledge advancement without economic barriers.

The journal publishes original research, empirical studies, critical reviews, and theoretical models on foreign language teaching and learning processes. Its areas of interest include pedagogical innovations, social and cultural influences on learning, individual learner factors, and teacher training. Additionally, it addresses methodological and assessment issues at different educational levels, from early childhood education to higher education.

With an international focus, Porta Linguarum aims to be a reference for rigorous studies and the dissemination of research-based educational practices in foreign language teaching.

 2. Publication Frequency

Porta Linguarum is published semiannually, with issues released in January and June each year. Additionally, the journal considers publishing monographic issues on specific topics, which are managed according to the guidelines established for each special issue.

 3. Journal Section Policy

Originality Requirement: The journal is committed to maintaining high standards of quality and originality in the works it publishes. Therefore, only original and unpublished papers will be accepted. All manuscripts must be submitted through the online management system (OJS), strictly following the author guidelines, which can be consulted in the “Submissions” section under “Author Guidelines.”

As a general policy, the journal does not allow the publication of articles by the same author in consecutive issues unless exceptional circumstances justify such a decision.

 4. Open Access Policy

Porta Linguarum provides free and open access to its content to facilitate public research and foster a greater global exchange of knowledge. The journal follows the recommendations of Article 37 of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Law regarding open-access dissemination. Authors retain the non-exclusive right to use their contributions for academic and educational purposes, including self-archiving in open-access repositories.

Authors are encouraged to use the publisher’s post-print version of their articles or, alternatively, the author’s evaluated and accepted post-print version.

No embargo period is imposed, allowing contributions to be accessible as soon as possible.

 5. Article Processing and Submission Fees

Porta Linguarum does not charge any fees for the submission or processing of articles under consideration. We invite all academics to submit their original work, knowing that our journal values the exchange of ideas and scientific quality at no cost.

 6. Research Funding

Porta Linguarum is supported by the following institutions:

• Universidad de Granada - Sección de Granada
• Universidad de Granada - Sección de Melilla
• Universidad de Granada - Sección de Ceuta
• Universidad de Murcia
• Universidad de Valladolid
• Universidad de Málaga
• Universidad de Burgos
• Universidad de Huelva
• Universidad Complutense de Madrid
• Universidad de Córdoba
• Universidad de Oviedo
• Universidad a Distancia de Madrid - (UDIMA)

This support allows Porta Linguarum to offer free open access, eliminating any processing or submission fees. Thanks to this sponsorship, the journal guarantees an accessible platform for the dissemination of high-quality academic research in foreign language education, promoting knowledge without economic barriers.

 7. Editorial Process

Porta Linguarum follows a double-blind peer review process to ensure impartiality and confidentiality. All submitted articles are reviewed by at least two scientific evaluators selected on an ad hoc basis. These reviewers assess the originality, novelty, relevance, and methodological quality of the manuscripts. The evaluation reports are submitted to the Editorial Board through a specific form. At least 50% of reviewers are external to the editorial team and publishing institution.

 8. Proceso Editorial

1. Acknowledgment of Receipt: Upon submission, the author will receive an email acknowledging receipt of the manuscript.
2. Initial Review: A member of the Editorial Board will verify that the manuscript meets the journal’s submission guidelines. The author will be notified of the initial review results within six months.
3. Peer Review: If the manuscript meets the basic format and originality requirements, it will be sent to external scientific reviewers for evaluation. Reviewers must submit their reports within a maximum of one month.
4. Editorial Board Decision: After receiving all review reports, the Editorial Board will analyze the results and decide on acceptance and section placement.
5. Communication of Results: Authors will be immediately informed of the evaluation results, along with any suggested revisions for publication.
6. Proofreading: Accepted articles will be sent to the authors in PDF format for final proofreading and corrections, if necessary.
7. Final Publication: Once authors submit the corrected proofs, the article will be published in the next issue of the journal’s website.

Authors will receive automatic notifications through the OJS system throughout the editorial process.

 9. Plagiarism Policy

To ensure the originality of published works, Porta Linguarum uses plagiarism detection software to analyze all submitted articles before initiating the peer review process.

Submitted manuscripts must be original and unpublished. If plagiarism is detected, the article will be immediately excluded from the editorial process. The journal uses Turnitin for text similarity analysis.

If more than 20% of the manuscript matches other works, the Editorial Board will reject the submission but offer authors the opportunity to revise and resubmit. All submissions must comply with ethical research standards and explicitly state how ethical considerations were met.

 10. Digital Preservation Policy

The journal implements the following digital preservation strategies in collaboration with the University of Granada Press and the OJS system:

• Daily Backups: The publisher performs 24-hour backups to ensure content preservation.
• Digital Object Identifier (DOI): Each article receives a DOI managed by Crossref, ensuring persistent identification.
• PKP Preservation Network (PN): Articles are digitally archived in LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) for long-term preservation.
• LOCKSS Compatibility: Ensuring a permanent archive of journal content.
• Database Indexing: The journal is indexed in multiple databases to guarantee long-term access.

 11. Interoperability Protocols

The journal implements the OAI-PMH interoperability protocol to facilitate access and content transfer via OAI link.

 12. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright and grant Porta Linguarum the right of first publication. The journal publishes content under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, allowing:

• Sharing – Copying and redistributing the material in any medium or format.
• Adapting – Remixing, transforming, and building upon the material.

These freedoms must be exercised under the following conditions:

• Attribution – Proper credit must be given, with a link to the license and disclosure of any modifications.
• Non-Commercial Use – The material cannot be used for commercial purposes.

Authors may also enter non-exclusive agreements for distributing their work (e.g., institutional repositories or books) as long as the original source is credited.

 13. Retraction and Correction Policy

In cases of significant errors or scientific misconduct, Porta Linguarum follows COPE guidelines to ensure transparency and editorial integrity.

 14. Self-Archiving and Repository Deposit Policy

Authors are encouraged to share the published version (editor’s post-print) or the peer-reviewed post-print version in repositories to facilitate early citation and knowledge dissemination.

 15. Conflict of Interest

Authors and reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest when submitting or reviewing a manuscript. The Editorial Board will assess these declarations to ensure the integrity of the publication process.

 16. Code of Ethics

The journal adheres to rigorous ethical standards. The full Code of Ethics can be consulted at the following link: Código ético.