Code of ethics

Varela Journal is committed to ensuring the quality of its content and the ethical practices of each of its contributors. To this end, it adheres to the international standards developed by Elsevier's Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), set out in the https://publicationethics.org/core-practices, which apply to all those involved in the publication of academic literature: editors and their journals, publishers, and institutions. It also uses the resources provided by the Publication Ethics Resource Pack (https://www.elsevier.com/editors/perk).

First, the most common ethical violations that should be avoided by those involved in the journal's publication process will be described. Ethics is a very important issue in scientific publishing, so it is dangerous to assume that all those involved in the publication process are knowledgeable about ethics, as there are ethical problems that are sometimes committed out of ignorance and can lead to fraudulent practices. Therefore, the ethical problems that most frequently arise in scientific journal publications (plagiarism, self-plagiarism, double publication, fabrication and/or falsification of data, authorship issues, conflict of interest) and the steps to be taken to detect and deal with them will be specified.

Plagiarism occurs when other people's ideas are used without properly acknowledging the source of the information. This highlights the importance of citing everything that is copied or paraphrased directly from the text, interpreting and rewriting the ideas in the text, ensuring that only a few words are not copied or replaced, and verifying that an exact copy has not been made by accidentally using the same words. On the other hand, copying text from one of your own published articles and presenting it in a new article may result in SELF-PLAGIARISM. To avoid this, you can cite the original source and add a note saying that the text you have reproduced originally appeared in a previous article.

Related to the above, it is also important to highlight DOUBLE PUBLICATION as a particular case of plagiarism, since the same article should not be published more than once. A published article is a unique contribution; it is ethically unacceptable to attempt to publish it again, either in its entirety or a substantial part of the published document. To detect the ethical problems mentioned above, the editorial board will use anti-plagiarism tools and, if necessary, will take appropriate measures, which in extreme situations may result in rejection and immediate removal from the editorial process.

DATA FABRICATION-FALSIFICATION is considered to be the manipulation of data obtained to force compliance with the objectives of the research. To avoid this ethical breach, the journal requests that authors make supplementary data available in a visible location so that it can be consulted if necessary. In relation to this aspect and taking into account the principles of Open Science, the journal will soon begin to include access to research data among its requirements for authors, as it is good practice to share this data with the entire scientific community, thus promoting its use for the benefit of scientific development.

On the other hand, another very common ethical lapse in scientific publications is AUTHORSHIP ISSUES, which can arise for various reasons. According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/translations/spanish2015.pdf), authorship of articles is particularly important for authors, as it provides them with:

Assign responsibility and merit for research work, which is why it is considered a fundamental element of the incentive structure in science, where publication is often the currency for recognition and professional advancement.
Verification and credibility. The names associated with a study are generally considered a seal of quality and methodological rigor. It is likely that other researchers, knowing the authors, can judge the reliability of the results based on previous work and reputation.
Traceability and ethical responsibility: Authorship also has an ethical component, as authors must be accountable for the integrity of the data and the interpretation of the results.
Collaboration and discipline: Multiple authorship can reflect the interdisciplinary nature of modern research and collaboration between different fields or institutions.

Consequently, recognition as an author of scientific work can lead to ethical breaches when the established requirements are not met, which, according to the ICMJE, are based on four criteria:

That the author has made a significant contribution to the conception or design of the article or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of the data.
- That they have participated in the writing of the research work or in the critical review of its intellectual content.
- That they have been involved in the approval of the final version to be published.
That they have the ability to respond to all aspects of the article to ensure that issues related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are adequately investigated and resolved.

In view of the issues raised, the Varela Journal requires that these requirements be met, as set out in the letter of authorship responsibility, which all authors must sign and upload to the platform together with the article to be submitted. A conflict of interest exists when the professional evaluation of a primary interest may be influenced by a secondary interest (due to economic benefits, friendships, family relationships, among others). The journal will be alert to any suspicion of a conflict of interest and will not allow the conflict to interfere with the ethical conduct of those involved in the publication process.

Taking into account the issues raised, Varela Journal establishes the following responsibilities for the achievement of good ethical practices by each of its actors.

Responsibilities of authors

Guarantee the originality of their contributions and their exclusivity to the journal.
Respect intellectual property and prevent plagiarism.
Protect the identity of research subjects or obtain their informed consent.
Resolve any conflicts of interest before submitting the article to the journal regarding the contributions of authors and other participants.
Guarantee the accuracy of the data. The journal also encourages authors to be willing to share the source data if requested for reproducibility.
Notify the editor immediately if any significant inaccuracies are detected after the article has been published.
Assume responsibility for the content of their manuscript.

Responsibilities of the journal's management and editorial team

Ensure adherence to procedures relating to contributions and the evaluation and publication processes.
Maintain the confidentiality of documents submitted by those involved (authors, editors, and referees) throughout the editorial process.
Ensure the quality of the content of publications and the editorial process.
Select experts for peer review who are sufficiently qualified to evaluate the contribution objectively, thoroughly, and honestly.
Process complaints of misconduct received by or detected by the editorial team, whether during or after the editorial process.
Request a statement from authors declaring that they have no conflicts of interest related to the contribution.
The journal will respond to any complaints made against its staff and procedures.
The journal will request authors' consent to the transfer of their rights in accordance with the journal's policy.
Review proposed articles without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, country of origin or citizenship, or political orientation.
Not use the content of unpublished articles by the journal's staff.
Keep authors informed about each stage of the editorial process and communicate with them in order to ensure the highest quality of the publication.
Inform authors of the peer review model adopted and manage any complaints or conflicts that may arise from it.
Manage the correction, revision, or retraction of articles after publication.

Responsibilities of reviewers

Voluntarily undertake reviews of only those contributions on topics in which they are considered experts.
Conduct a thorough, rigorous, and objective evaluation of contributions.
Respect the confidentiality of information related to the editorial process.
Alert the editor when any published content is remarkably similar to the article being reviewed.
Inform the editor if you feel you have a conflict of interest (financial, institutional, collaborative, content-related, or any other type) with the author, in case it is necessary to withdraw your collaboration in the review.
Respect the deadlines established for the review. If you are unable to meet them, you must notify the editor well in advance.