Editorial Process

The Editorial Process of Mari Papel y Corrugado

At Mari Papel y Corrugado, we implement a thorough and transparent peer review process designed to uphold the highest standards of quality, conducted by dedicated researchers and scholars. Our commitment is to ensure that peer review is conducted in a manner that is not only efficient and rigorous but also equitable for all participants involved in the process. The peer review system we employ is a single-blind model, involving at least two independent reviewers, culminating in a final decision on acceptance or rejection by the Editor-in-Chief or another academic editor designated by the Editor-in-Chief. The responsibility for ensuring the academic integrity of the publication process, including making acceptance decisions, approving external editors, and determining topics for special collections such as Special Issues and Topical Collections, rests with the Editor-in-Chief. Additionally, the Editor-in-Chief is tasked with appointing new members to the Editorial Board. The editorial workflow is outlined in the flowchart provided below.

Pre-check

The pre-screening phase consists of two primary components: a technical pre-check conducted by the Editorial Office and an editorial pre-check managed by an academic editor. Immediately upon submission, the Managing Editor will carry out a technical pre-check to evaluate:

• The overall alignment of the manuscript with the journal’s goals, specific sections, Special Issues, Topics, or Topical Collections;
• Compliance with high standards of research quality and ethical guidelines;
• Adherence to rigor that qualifies the manuscript for subsequent review.

Following this, the academic editor—who may be the Editor-in-Chief for regular submissions, a Guest Editor for Special Issues, a Topic Editor for Topic submissions, or a Collection Editor for Topical Collections, and an Editorial Board member in cases of conflict of interest—will be notified of the submission and invited to conduct an editorial pre-check. During this phase, the academic editor will assess the manuscript’s relevance to the journal’s scope and evaluate its overall scientific validity, including the appropriateness of references and the accuracy of the methodology used. The academic editor has the authority to reject the manuscript, request revisions prior to peer review, or proceed with the peer review process by recommending suitable reviewers. It is important to note that Guest Editors of Special Issues, Topic Editors of Topics, and Collection Editors of Topical Collections are not permitted to make decisions regarding their own submissions, as this would create a conflict of interest. Instead, an Editorial Board member will assume responsibility for the decision-making process. Similarly, Editors-in-Chief or other Editorial Board members are prohibited from accessing the review process of their manuscripts except in their capacity as authors.

Peer Review

From the moment of submission until the final decision or publication, a dedicated staff member oversees the review process, acting as the primary point of contact for authors, academic editors, and reviewers. For each submitted article, a minimum of two review reports is gathered. The academic editor may propose potential reviewers during the pre-check phase. Alternatively, the editorial team at Mari Papel y Corrugado will draw from qualified Editorial Board members, qualified reviewers from our database, or new reviewers identified through web searches for relevant articles. Authors are also welcome to suggest potential reviewers. The staff at Mari Papel y Corrugado will ensure that there are no conflicts of interest with those suggested and will disregard any reviewers with competing interests. Authors may also specify individuals they prefer to exclude from the peer review process during the initial submission stage. The Editorial Team is committed to honoring these requests as long as they do not compromise the objective and comprehensive evaluation of the submission. The following criteria are applied to all reviewers:

• No conflicts of interest with any of the authors;
• Not affiliated with the same institution as the authors;
• Have not collaborated with the authors in the last three years;
• Hold a PhD;
• Possess relevant experience and a demonstrated publication record in the field of the submitted paper (e.g., Scopus or ORCID);
• Be established scholars in the area of the submitted paper;
• Have a recognized and official academic affiliation.

Reviewers who accept the invitation to evaluate a manuscript are expected to:

• Possess the necessary expertise to assess the manuscript’s quality;
• Provide comprehensive review reports and remain responsive throughout the peer review process;
• Uphold standards of professionalism and ethical conduct.

Reviewers are allotted 2–3 months to complete their evaluations via our online platform, Scholar Manuscript system, with extensions available upon request. When reviewing revised manuscripts, reviewers are asked to submit their reports within one month. Extensions can also be granted upon request. To facilitate academic editors, the staff at Mari Papel y Corrugado manage all communications with reviewers, authors, and external editors. Academic editors can monitor the status of manuscripts and the identities of reviewers at any time, and they can discuss the review process with Mari Papel y Corrugado staff at any stage.

Revision

In instances where only minor or major revisions are recommended, the staff at Mari Papel y Corrugado will request that the author revise the manuscript before it is referred back to the academic editor. If there are conflicting review reports or recommendations for rejection, feedback from the academic editor will be sought prior to communicating any decisions regarding revisions to the authors. Additional reviewers or further review reports may be requested by academic editors at this stage. Revised manuscripts may or may not be sent to reviewers depending on whether the reviewer has requested to see the revised version. By default, those who requested major revisions or suggested rejection will receive the revised manuscript. All reviewers can access the most recent version of the manuscript through the Scholar Manuscript system. Typically, a maximum of two rounds of major revisions are permitted for each manuscript. If further rounds are needed as per the reviewers’ recommendations, the staff at Mari Papel y Corrugado will consult with the academic editor. For manuscripts that require extensive revisions, if the estimated time for revision exceeds two months, authors are encouraged to withdraw their manuscript prior to resubmission to avoid unnecessary pressure and to ensure that all manuscripts are sufficiently revised. In cases where manuscripts receive a status of “Reject and Encourage Resubmission,” authors are welcome to resubmit their work to Mari Papel y Corrugado at their convenience once they have completed the necessary revisions. Resubmitted manuscripts will be assigned a new manuscript ID. Following resubmission, the editorial process will continue as usual, with the same reviewers invited to assess the revised manuscript to ensure a smooth and effective peer-review experience.

Editor Decision

After peer review, acceptance decisions regarding manuscripts may be made by the academic editor, contingent upon receiving a minimum of two review reports. These decisions are made by an academic editor, which could be the Editor-in-Chief, a Guest Editor/Topic Editor/Collection Editor, or another appropriate member of the Editorial Board. Guest Editors, Topic Editors, or Collection Editors cannot make decisions about their own submissions; instead, a suitable Editorial Board member will be assigned to oversee this. In making their decisions, academic editors are expected to evaluate:

• The appropriateness of the selected reviewers;
• The sufficiency of the reviewer comments and the authors’ responses;
• The overall scientific integrity of the manuscript.

The academic editor may select from the following options: accept in its current form, accept with minor revisions, reject with no encouragement for resubmission, reject but encourage resubmission, request revisions from the author, or ask for an additional reviewer. Academic editors are obligated to inform the Editorial Office of any potential conflicts of interest that may bias or be perceived to bias their decision-making. While reviewers provide recommendations, the Editors-in-Chief or academic editors retain the freedom to disagree with these recommendations. Should they do so, they are expected to justify their reasoning for the benefit of both the authors and the reviewers. In certain situations, an academic editor may advocate for manuscript acceptance even if a reviewer has recommended rejection. In such cases, Mari Papel y Corrugado staff will seek a second independent opinion (double decision) from a member of the Editorial Board or the Editor-in-Chief before conveying the final decision to the authors. The double decision provided by an Editorial Board Member or the Editor-in-Chief represents the final verdict. Only academic editors are authorized to accept articles for publication. The employed staff at Mari Papel y Corrugado will subsequently notify the authors of the acceptance. It is important to note that Mari Papel y Corrugado staff do not participate in acceptance decisions regarding their own submissions. The staff and Editorial Board members (including the Editors-in-Chief) are not involved in the processing of their own academic contributions. Their submissions are allocated and reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Decision-making authority lies with other Editorial Board members who do not have conflicts of interest with the authors. Our goal is to publish only scientifically sound manuscripts, and we do not artificially inflate journal rejection rates, thereby allowing the broader reading community to determine the impact of the research.

Author Appeals

Authors wishing to appeal a rejection must submit an email to the Editorial Office of the journal. The appeal must include a comprehensive justification, with point-by-point responses to the reviewers’ and/or Editor’s comments, utilizing an appeal form. Appeals can only be submitted following a “reject and decline resubmission” decision and must be sent within three months of the decision date. Failure to adhere to these criteria will result in the appeal not being considered further. The Managing Editor will forward the manuscript and associated information (including the identities of the referees) to a designated Editorial Board Member. The consulted academic editor will be tasked with providing an advisory recommendation on the manuscript and may suggest acceptance, further peer review, or uphold the original rejection decision. This recommendation will then be validated by the Editor-in-Chief. A reject decision at this stage is final and cannot be overturned.

Production

At Mari Papel y Corrugado, our dedicated in-house teams manage the production of all manuscripts, encompassing language editing, copy editing, and the conversion process to XML. The language editing is executed by qualified professionals who specialize in English editing. In the rare instances where a manuscript requires significant editing or formatting, we provide an optional English editing service for an additional fee, subject to the authors’ prior consent. Additionally, authors are encouraged to utilize other English editing services or seek assistance from a native English-speaking colleague, which we consider to be the preferred approach.

Publication Ethics

Mari Papel y Corrugado adheres strictly to the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including its Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. Our journal also abides by COPE’s procedures for addressing potential ethical issues involving authors, reviewers, or editors. Each member of the Mari Papel y Corrugado editorial team is trained to recognize and respond appropriately to ethical concerns. The editorial office at Mari Papel y Corrugado investigates ethical issues raised by readers, following COPE-recommended procedures. Any disputes regarding the validity of research findings in published articles can be resolved by our Editorial Board. In cases concerning authorship, data ownership, or author misconduct, we may consult external organizations, such as university ethics committees. Authors are expected to address any substantiated claims made against them. To effectively manage authorship disputes, we follow COPE guidelines, especially those outlined in “How to spot authorship problems.” Generally, if all authors agree, authorship can be updated through a Correction. If consensus is not reached, we will require an official statement from the relevant institution(s) indicating who qualifies for authorship.

Publishing Standards and Guidelines

Mari Papel y Corrugado complies with the following standards and guidelines:

• Recommendations from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, which encompass all facets of journal management, including peer review and complaint resolution.
• The CONSORT statement, which provides guidance on reporting randomized, controlled trials. We strongly encourage authors to cross-reference their submissions against the checklist and flow diagram and to include them with their submission.
• The TOP (Transparency and Openness Promotion) framework, aiming for levels 1 or 2 in all transparency aspects.
• The FAIR Principles, which outline guidelines for enhancing the Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability of data.
• The PRISMA statement for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, where authors are advised to complete the checklist and flow diagram and attach them to their submissions.
• The ARRIVE guidelines for reporting in vivo experiments, recommending that authors verify their work against the checklist and submit it alongside their manuscript.
• iThenticate, a leading software for plagiarism detection. This tool is utilized during the initial manuscript screening and can also be applied at any point in the peer review process, particularly before a manuscript is accepted for publication.

Adherence to the aforementioned standards and guidelines will influence the final decision regarding publication, and any deviations must be explicitly clarified by the authors. We suggest that authors highlight pertinent guidelines in their cover letters.

Editorial Independence

All articles published in Mari Papel y Corrugado undergo rigorous peer review and evaluation by our independent Editorial Boards, ensuring that our staff do not influence manuscript acceptance decisions. In making a decision, we anticipate that the academic editor will base their judgment solely on:

• The appropriateness of the chosen reviewers;
• The thoroughness of the reviewer feedback and the author’s responses;
• The overall scientific merit of the manuscript.

Mari Papel y Corrugado‘s policies are rooted in our commitment to making scientific knowledge and research findings openly accessible as widely and swiftly as possible.