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Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe (CICAC) is a free electronic journal (there is no charge for processing and publication of the articles) and an open access scientific-academic publication. It belongs to the Centro de Investigación en Identidad y Cultura Latinoamericanas (Center for Research on Latin American Identity and Culture) (CIICLA) of the University of Costa Rica.
Its primary objective lies in the dissemination of scientific production and academic reflection on issues related to identities and cultures in Central America and the Caribbean, while considering that the region is part of a broader set of Ibero-America and other cultural areas. Our purpose is to be a means of spreading knowledge on cultural and social issues and facilitate academic exchange between researchers from universities around the world engaged in investigating phenomena associated with such topics. To achieve this goal, Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe accepts articles in both Spanish and English.
The target audience of Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe is made up of researchers, professionals, and students in higher education in the areas of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the general public. In addition to refereed scientific articles, the journal publishes reviews of scientific, literary and artistic works, and non-refereed academic contributions, which provide new knowledge and valuable information of research interest.
Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe is a biannual academic journal, and its publication is continuous, which means that both scientific articles (refereed section), as well as reviews and other non-refereed texts included the in Intercambios y memorias section are published once they have duly completed the editorial process. The first issue covers the months of January to June (publication begins in January), and the second issue covers the months of July to December (publication begins in July). More than one issue may be open at the same time; in the table of content of each issue will show the sign “Number under construction” to indicate that it is open.
The articles are received throughout the year. The texts sent to this journal must be original, unpublished, and it must be stated that the article has been exclusively submitted to the Editorial Board of Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe.
This journal uses the DOI digital object identifier.
Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe publishes texts of the following types:
- Scientific articles of no more than 12,000 words, or 30 pages in Times New Roman 12pt with 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm top and bottom margins, and 3 cm on the sides (Normal in MS Word).
- Reviews of no more than 2,700 words, or seven pages in Times New Roman 12pt with 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm top and bottom margins, and 3 cm on the sides (Normal in MS Word).
- Academic articles or other non-refereed novel materials that enrich the numbers due to their value for scientific research and their contribution to the topics of interest of the journal.The suggested length for the documents published in this section is between seven pages (700 words) and thirty pages (12,000), in Times New Roman font (12pts) with spacing and a half. Taking into account that this section of interest is characterized by publishing diverse and non-refereed texts, the publication of documents that do not comply with this range of pages could be valued.
Descriptors (according to Tesauro de Ciencias Sociales): Research; Social Sciences; Humanities; Central America; Latin America; Caribbean; Antilles; Ibero-America; Demography; Ethnology; History; Philosophy; Literature; Human Geography; Gender; Migration; Politics; Art; Identity; Culture.
Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe does not charge for submission, evaluation, and publication of the articles, or for assignment of the Open Access license.
The Journal Sections
[.scientific articles.](peer reviewed)
Scientific articles on topics related to identities and cultures in Central America and the Caribbean are included in this section.
These documents are submitted to the double-blind arbitration system.
The maximum length is 12,000 words, or 30 pages in Times New Roman 12pt with 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm top and bottom margins, and 3 cm on the sides (Normal in MS Word).
A prior review for philological accuracy is recommended.
[.open page.] (peer reviewed scientific articles)
This section includes academic articles on topics related to identities and cultures in regions other than those of Central America and the Caribbean, and that are in Ibero-America or in other cultural areas.
These documents are submitted to the double-blind arbitration system.
The maximum length is 12,000 words, or 30 pages in Times New Roman 12pt, with 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm top and bottom margins, and 3 cm on the sides (Normal in MS Word).
A prior review for philological accuracy is recommended.
[.reviews.](non peer reviewed)
Reviews constituting a rigorous reflection on a recent publication on topics related to identities and cultures in Central America and the Caribbean, in Ibero-America or other cultural areas are published in this section.
The Editorial Team of the journal is responsible for evaluating these proposals considering their quality and relevance.
Reviews should present the structure of the book and include a brief description of each chapter (or section), and a critical comment on the main thesis of the book should be included.
The use of citations depends on the author, but if included, they must be placed according to the journal's publication rules and include the references in a section at the end of the text.
Its length goes from 1,550 to 2,700 words, or four to seven pages in Times New Roman 12pt, with 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm top and bottom margins, and 3 cm on the sides (Normal in MS Word).
A review does not require Abstract or Keywords.
Reviews are not submitted to the arbitration system.
A prior review for philological accuracy is recommended.
[.exchanges and memories.](non peer reviewed)
This section has the purpose of offering the reading public novel materials that enrich the journal issues and that address more freely than the scientific articles topics of interest linked to the purposes of the journal. Interviews and commemorative texts may also be published in this section.
The Editorial Team is responsible for evaluating these proposals considering their quality and relevance.
The text must be presented in Times New Roman font in 12 points and in its final wording. The documents that are sent to be published in this section do not require an Abstract or Keywords.
The use of citations in this section depends on the author's criteria, if included, they must be cited in accordance with the APA format (sixth edition in English, third in Spanish, or later) and include the References (bibliography) in a section at the end of the text.
If the text is accompanied by graphics, tables, maps, and/or illustrations, it must include the respective source or indicate that it is the author´s elaboration, likewise, they must be sent in image format and have a resolution of 200-300 dpi (dots per inch), in JPEG or similar format; they must be attached in a separate file, and each image must be clearly placed and in parentheses in the text. Image captions must be in lowercase and bold.
It is essential that the images are accompanied by a letter of authorization for publication.
A prior review for philological accuracy is recommended.
The suggested length for the documents published in this section is between seven pages (700 words) and thirty pages (12,000), in Times New Roman font (12pts) with spacing and a half. Taking into account that this section of interest is characterized by publishing diverse and non-refereed texts, the publication of documents that do not comply with this range of pages could be valued.
Peer Review Process
Refereeing systems
The review process of Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe has historically been carried out through the double-blind peer review system, in which the personal data of the reviewers and authors are kept confidential. However, as of July 2023, this editorial project decided to incorporate to its work - gradually and gradually - also the open evaluation, in order to start applying the postulates of open science, understood as: "a movement that aims to make science more open, accessible, efficient, democratic and transparent" (UNESCO, 2023, https://www.unesco.org/es/articles/que-es-ciencia-abierta-unesco-lanza-consulta-global).
Thus, at present, Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio on Central America and the Caribbean has two options for the evaluation of articles: double blind (it will continue to be applied in a majority manner) and open evaluation (it will be incorporated gradually). To learn more about this form of arbitration, see the subsection "About open evaluation" located at the end of this section).
General information on double-blind and open reviews
The estimated time between receipt and publication of the article varies between three and six months.
In the review process, the journal relies primarily on external reviewers (both from the publishing institution and the country), although national reviewers may also collaborate.
The documents submitted to these two evaluation modalities correspond to scientific articles. Neither the reviews nor the texts published in the section Exchanges and Memoirs will be submitted to the arbitration process.
Phases of double-blind and open reviews
The first phase consists of the first filter review carried out by the journal's editorial team. During this phase, we try to detect and anticipate possible observations that the reviewers will make to the document. Specifically, in this review, the manuscript is analyzed to ensure that it complies with the following provisions:
a) Comply with the guidelines requested in the guidelines for authors.
b) Present a well-conducted and applied methodology in the study.
c) Show a clear and understandable writing, with a logical structure of ideas.
d) Not have problems of plagiarism or self-plagiarism, which is checked by means of the Turnitin coincidence detection platform and a coincidence search through Google.
Authors are advised to carefully review the aforementioned aspects before submission.
This initial review process may take approximately one month. If the manuscript is considered to lack one or more requirements, it will be rejected immediately.
To download the Evaluation Instructions click here.
Once the article passes the first filter (second phase), it is sent for peer review, using one of the two review arbitration procedures: double-blind or open review. The option of applying the open evaluation may be requested by the author, or the editorial team may suggest to the author to submit the document to this modality; it will depend on the latter whether he/she accepts the proposal or not.
Each document will be submitted to at least three external international or national reviewers, experts in the subject matter of the article, who will read and analyze the manuscript to determine its quality and validity.
It is estimated that this phase takes two months, where the reviewers study and evaluate the manuscript, according to the evaluation instrument (the criteria to be evaluated are the same for the double-blind and open modalities) provided by the journal and other observations deemed necessary.
In such arbitration, there are three possible judgments:
a) Publish without modification
b) To publish after incorporating the suggested changes in form and content.
c) Do not publish
The peer reviewer sends the article with his/her evaluation to the editorial team.
Then (third phase), the editorial team analyzes the inputs generated by the peers, in order to verify the result of the peer reviewers. If accepted, the documents will be returned to the author, with the purpose of including the observations and recommendations made by the evaluators, in a period of approximately 15 to 22 days. If the author does not submit the document on time, the publication of the article may be moved to the next issue. If the result of the evaluation is not to publish the article, the decision will be immediately communicated by the editorial team to the author. In case of controversy, the final decision regarding the publication or rejection of an article rests with the Editorial Board of the journal, which will consider, without being obligatory, the opinion of the reviewers and the editorial team.
During the fourth phase, the editorial team carefully reviews the content of the second version of the article in order to improve the document as much as possible. Once the editorial team considers that the document is ready for publication, it will request the author's approval prior to publication. After the author's approval, the document will be published. After that, the author will be informed that the text is available on the journal's website, thus concluding the editorial process.
About open evaluation
The journal Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe (CICAC), in the framework of its 20th anniversary, assumes the challenge of incorporating the open evaluation modality. As of July 2023, this editorial project began to implement open refereeing with one of the articles submitted for Vol. 20, No. 2-2023 (July-December). It is planned that from Vol. 21, No. 1, 2024 onwards, the experience can be extended to more articles. Thus, we open the possibility for authors who wish to submit their articles to consider the option of choosing between the following two evaluation alternatives, namely: the traditional double-blind modality (in which the personal data of both the evaluators and the authors are kept confidential) and the open evaluation (both the author and the reviewer know the identity of their counterparts).
Likewise, starting with Vol. 21, No. 1, 2024, the editorial team may - after an internal evaluation - propose the author of a given article to submit it to an open evaluation. It should be noted that authors and reviewers who decide to participate in this evaluation modality will be duly accompanied and guided by the editorial team. The process will be beneficial and formative for all parties involved.
For the time being, CICAC will be applying the first degree of openness, which consists of disclosing the identity of the author and the identity of those who will be in charge of evaluating the article. As conditions allow, we expect to apply the second degree of openness, which makes it possible to publish the names of the reviewers on the journal's website. The third degree of openness implies the publication of the evaluation forms. In due time, we will keep our readers informed about the progress we are making in this effort of openness towards the application of open science practices.
Final Adjustments
When the author sends the second version of the article with corrections, the editors will verify compliance with the observations in the new version of the text (if deemed necessary, one of the reviewers will be asked for their colaboration). To speed up this process, the author should mark the changes with another color, within the document, or use the change control tool. If the new version does not meet the requested modifications and quality standards, it will be returned to the author to comply with the criteria. For each return, the author will have five business days to make the requested changes. These returns may imply delays in the publication of the manuscript, for which it is recommended to comply with the observations in the first delivery; otherwise, any delay in publication will be the responsibility of the author.
The Editorial Team of the journal will carry out the procedures for the delivery and return of the manuscripts and, in addition, will be able to support the author in reviewing the use of citations and bibliographic references in accordance with the indicated model, normalization of descriptors (keywords), style correction, construction of summaries, form and structure of the articles, among others. However, it is not the duty of the Editorial Team to address the aforementioned aspects, as they are requirements indicated and explained in detail in the Author Guidelines.
Once the article is ready, and the author has given his/her approval to the final draft, the article will be marked (Redalyc and Scielo). Afterwards, changes can only be made due to marking errors, but not for content. Likewise, once the articles are published on the University of Costa Rica's Scientific Journal Portal, only changes related to the metadata of said portal (name, surname, institution, among others) will be possible.
To download the Manuscript Review Policies, do enter here.
Open Access Policy
This journal provides immediate free access to its content under the principle of making research freely available to the public, which fosters a greater global knowledge exchange.
Being an open access journal implies that all content is freely accessible and at no cost to institutions or users, who can read, download, copy, distribute, print, and search for articles in this journal without requesting prior permission from the editor or the author for educational and non-profit purposes. Authors are given the right to be duly acknowledged and cited.
This journal does not generate any cost for publishing and processing the articles and essays received (APC).
Under this policy, Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroameríca y el Caribe guarantees that the authors retain the rights and grant the license for distribution and reproduction. All published articles are protected with a Creative Commons 3.0 license (Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivatives) of Costa Rica. See this license at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/cr/deed.en
History of Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe
Cuadernos Interc.a.mbio on Central America and the Caribbean was born in 2001 as a result of the work of a group of academics interested in the study of issues related to Central American and Caribbean identity and culture. Thus arose the initiative to develop a research program attached to the Center for Research in Latin American Identity and Culture of the University of Costa Rica, which was approved in 2003 with the name "Central American and Caribbean Cultural Productions." This program was active until 2009. Its objective was to create favorable conditions to stimulate academic studies from a regional perspective and with the expectation of generating knowledge capable of achieving a better understanding of the historical processes of the region.
Thus, since its inception, this journal has served as a means of disseminating the knowledge produced by the body of researchers at CIICLA, as well as by other external collaborators (national and foreign). Today, however, Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe publishes more articles of non CIICLA academics, and the CIICLA researchers are now a minority among the authors.
This editorial project is characterized by publishing original, scientific, and multidisciplinary works. Its target audience is the academy and the general public.
Publication Frecuency
Since 2013, Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe has been publishing twice a year. Currently, the first issue includes the months of January to June and the second, the months of July to December.
Plagiarism Detection Policy
The articles, reflection texts and reviews that are presented to Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe must be original and unpublished, and must not have been published in another magazine or publication medium. To ensure that this is the case, the journal implements the detection of coincidences through: Turnitin and a search through Google. Turnitin is an Internet plagiarism prevention service created by iParadigms, LLC, which is responsible for reviewing each document for matching content. In this sense, Turnitin controls potential non-original content, by comparing matches between its own databases, other large private academic databases, and the web; Since this tool is not completely infallible, the other two modalities are used in order to increase the rigor in the detection of plagiarism and self-plagiarism.
The detection of plagiarism and self-plagiarism is carried out before carrying out both the preliminary review of the article and the peer review, in order to corroborate that the writing is original and unpublished.
In case of plagiarism and / or self-plagiarism, the author is notified to resolve the situation, otherwise his article will not be able to continue advancing in the editing process. Depending on the degree of plagiarism / self-plagiarism, the article could be rejected ad portas.
Digital Preservation Policy
Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe does preserve its digital files (images, PDFs, .doc files, .odt files, .indd files, among others) through redundant storage, which consists of continuous backups on hard drives belonging to the Centro de Investigación en Identidad y Cultura Latinoamericanas (CIICLA), under the care of the center's computer scientist. Likewise, the journal internally stores its files in a cloud computing, which grants independence between electronic devices and content. It also has the digital backup provided by the Kérwá Repository of the University of Costa Rica.
The LOCKSS system is also used to create a file that is distributed among the associated libraries, which create a backup that allows the articles to be harvested in case their restoration is necessary.
Policy on the Use of Non-Sexist Language in Manuscripts
According to Guía de uso del lenguaje inclusivo de género en el marco del habla culta costarricense (Rojas Blanco y Rojas Porras, 2015) and Guía breve para el uso no sexista del lenguaje (CIEM, s. f.), upon approval of the Policies for Gender Equality and Equity, in 2010, our journal participates of promoting of an academic culture free of gender inequalities and inequities, through the adoption of an inclusive language. For our conviction, and given the institutional commitment to equal opportunities for men and women, Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe establishes the use of inclusive writing in its published articles.
In this sense, the authors who collaborate with Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe must commit to:
- Eliminate the use of male generics. Use inclusive expressions and words such as "person", "citizenship" or "youth", among others.
- If you use quotes that are sexist or contain discriminatory biases of any nature, you should: a) clarify their content and make clear the critical position in this regard in a footnote; b) comment on its content and implications within the text, and c) using the text to educate and raise awareness.
Publishing Entity
Sede "Rodrigo Facio Brenes" Montes de Oca, San José Costa Rica
Postal Code 2060 San José.
Sponsor
Cuadernos Inter.c.a.mbio sobre Centroamérica y el Caribe es patrocinada por el Centro de Investigación en Identidad y Cultura Latinoamericanas (CIICLA) de la Universidad de Costa Rica.
Source of Support
Office Hours
Monday and Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. María Esther Montanaro Mena, email: intercambio.ciicla@ucr.ac.cr, or intercambiociicla@gmail.com
Monday 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Wednesday 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., and Friday, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Daniela Ureña Sequeira, email: danielaurena.intercambio@gmail.com