Code of EthicsSociológica Code of Ethics

CODE OF ETHICS 
Sociológica Journal (Mexico)
Department of Sociology · UAM-Azcapotzalco
This Code establishes the ethical principles governing the conduct of those involved in the editorial process of the Sociológica Journal (Mexico). It is based on the Code of Ethics of the Autonomous Metropolitan University (2022); the journal’s Internal Operating Rules; the Operational Policies for Editorial Production of the Azcapotzalco Unit (approved at the 356th Session of the Academic Council, 2012); the Operational Policies on Editorial Production of the UAM (POPE, 1996); and the Editorial Guidelines of the Division of Social Sciences and Humanities (updated 2025).
I. General Principles
Sociológica (Mexico) is governed by the principles of academic integrity, impartiality, transparency, confidentiality, equity, non-discrimination, and respect for authors’ rights. The use of inclusive and non-sexist language and the inclusion of diverse sexual orientations is a cross-cutting commitment of the entire journal’s editorial community—members of the Editorial Board, Management, Academic and Technical Editors, authors, and reviewers—in accordance with the Editorial Guidelines of the Division of Social Sciences and Humanities (updated 2025). These principles are complemented by the values established in the Decalogue of Ethics for the Use of Artificial Intelligence at the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM, 2026). Everyone involved in the editorial process commits to acting in accordance with these principles at every stage of their respective work.

II. Responsibilities of the Editorial Board (Internal Section)
2.1 Editorial Decisions
Publication decisions made by *Sociológica* (Mexico) are based exclusively on the academic quality, originality, theoretical and methodological rigor, and disciplinary relevance of the submissions.
The journal Sociológica (Mexico) guarantees that the evaluation process—pre-review and peer review—is conducted with strict impartiality. 
The journal Sociológica (Mexico) guarantees the transparency of the peer review process (double-blind system) and communicates editorial decisions to authors in a timely, clear, and well-reasoned manner.
The journal Sociológica (Mexico) verifies, through established procedures, available tools, and qualitative analysis, that materials accepted for publication do not contain plagiarism or self-plagiarism.
2.2 Confidentiality
At the journal Sociológica (Mexico), received manuscripts are treated as confidential documents with appropriate registration, safekeeping, and internal circulation. Their content may not be disclosed to third parties outside the editorial process. 
The identity of the reviewers is kept strictly anonymous from the authors, and vice versa (double-blind system). Similarly, the content of the reviews is kept confidential.

2.3 Conflict of Interest
No member of the Editorial Board shall participate in the evaluation or editorial decision regarding a manuscript with which they have a conflict of interest (a direct or indirect academic, family, or other connection) that could compromise their objectivity and impartiality. In such cases, the person involved must recuse themselves and notify the Editorial Board or the Academic Editorial Office.
The Editorial Board, through the Academic Editorial Office, will verify that reviewers declare any conflict of interest before beginning their evaluation and, if confirmed, will assign an alternative reviewer.
2.4 Plagiarism and Retraction
Sociológica (Mexico) considers plagiarism—whether total, partial, or self-plagiarism—a serious breach of academic integrity. 
The journal uses specialized software (iThenticate) to detect similarities against a comprehensive database of academic literature. However, the results are not interpreted automatically; rather, a qualitative assessment is conducted. 
If plagiarism is confirmed, the article will be withdrawn from the editorial process or, if it has already been published, it will be retracted via an explicit notice on the journal’s platform. The same procedure will apply in cases where a publication is found to be fraudulent due to falsified or fabricated data.

III. Responsibilities of Authors
Submit only original, unpublished work that is not currently under review by another publication.
Refrain from any form of plagiarism—whether total, partial, or self-plagiarism—and from fabricating or falsifying data.
Ensure the accuracy of the data, sources, references, representativeness (quantitative studies), and results presented in their work.
Properly identify all individuals who have made substantial contributions to the work, in accordance with the authorship criteria recognized in the discipline.
Declare whether the submitted work corresponds to the results of a research project with external or institutional funding, indicating the funding institution and/or agency.
Address the comments arising from the peer review process responsibly and within the established deadlines, and incorporate the requested changes with intellectual honesty.
IV. Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers must prepare objective, well-reasoned reviews aimed at improving the quality of the manuscript based on the journal’s evaluation format. Judgments lacking in reasoning or motivated by considerations unrelated to the academic quality of the text should be avoided.
If a reviewer identifies a conflict of interest with the assigned manuscript, they must immediately notify the Editorial Board and decline the review. 
Refrain from issuing reviews that are not properly substantiated.

V. On the Use of Artificial Intelligence
The journal Sociológica (Mexico) recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) tools can be useful as support for minor writing tasks. This policy applies to all individuals involved in the editorial process: authors, reviewers, and editors. This policy is framed within the Decalogue of Ethics for the Use of Artificial Intelligence at the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM, 2026), which establishes the following guiding principles for the use of AI in university work: honesty and responsibility in the declaration of authorship and supervision of generated content; transparency and accountability, so that the use of AI is traceable and justifiable; the protection of personal data and intellectual property; impartiality in the auditing of processes; legality and security in compliance with applicable regulations; and sustainability, understood as critical awareness of the environmental, economic, and energy impacts of using these tools.
5.1 Authors
Permitted uses: spelling, grammar, or style correction; translation of texts or quotations; rephrasing sentences to improve clarity.
Prohibited uses: generating ideas, drafting original sections of the manuscript, producing or altering images, analyzing data, or drawing conclusions.
Authors must declare any permitted use of AI in the acknowledgments section of the manuscript, specifying the tool and its purpose.
In addition, authors must provide the journal with a Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in an attached document, detailing the tool used, its version, date of use, purpose, and the prompts employed. This information will be strictly confidential and will not form part of the published article.
Responsibility: Authors are solely responsible for the accuracy, validity, and originality of all content in the manuscript, regardless of the use of AI tools.

5.2 Reviewers
Reviewers may use AI tools solely to improve the wording of their evaluation reports, not to generate them. If they do so, they must notify the Academic Publishing Department.
5.3 Editors
The Editorial Board and the Academic and Technical Editorial Office may use automated tools for logistical purposes—such as similarity detection and the search for reviewers—but not for making editorial decisions. 
VI. Validity and Updates
This Code takes effect upon its approval by the Editorial Board of the journal Sociológica (Mexico) and may be revised when changes in the publishing environment, institutional regulations, or accumulated experience so require. Any modification must be agreed upon by the Editorial Board and publicly communicated on the journal’s website.
VII. Resources
For cases not covered by this Code of Ethics, the editorial team of Sociológica (Mexico) reserves the right to refer to the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

*To ensure consistency between this code and institutional rules, regulations, and policies, we consulted Anthropic, 2025.
** Approved by the Internal Editorial Committee on June 12, 2026.