Guidelines for the Journal
Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos* is published by the Center for Demographic, Urban and Environmental Studies at El Colegio de Mexico. It specializes in analysis and reflection on population, urban and environmental topics affecting Latin America, with an emphasis on Mexico, from the perspective of social sciences. Since its inception in 1986, it has been one of the main forums for discussion on its fields of study. Its contents are published continuously, once the evaluation and editorial processes have been completed. The journal is registered in several indexes, directories and scientific databases.
Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos is a scientific journal, and its Articles section seeks primarily to publish theoretical reflections, methodological proposals and the results of academic research in its fields of interest. The Notes and Comments section includes theoretical essays, reports on academic documents and methodological applications to specific databases. The Reports section describes the contents and results of activities in the scientific community, such as congresses, seminars and forums concerning the journal’s fields of research. The Reviews and Bibliographical Comments section deals with new bibliographical developments in population, urban and environmental issues.
Since its creation, the journal has been published in printed format available in Mexico and abroad. The collection is digitalized so that issues may be consulted electronically, in accordance with El Colegio’s editorial distribution policies.
General characteristics of the journal
Article 1. Characteristics of the Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos journal.
a) Texts submitted to the journal for possible publication must be written in Spanish, English, French, Portuguese or Italian. However, all the texts in the journal will be published in Spanish, with the exception of the abstracts of the articles, which are also published in English.
b) The author(s) of the texts accepted for publication in the journal will cede their ownership rights, to enable the texts to be published and distributed in both printed and electronic format. The author(s) will maintain their moral rights and the possibility of distributing these articles free of charge for academic or scientific purposes.
Content of the journal
Article 2. Articles:
a) These texts constitute the bulk of the journal, since they contain the results of research or theoretical essays on the aforementioned topics, and are produced by specialists from a variety of institutions.
b) Articles suitable for publication in the journal must be unpublished and not have been simultaneously submitted to any other editorial process.
c) In order to be published, articles must undergo a double-blind review. In other words, the author does not know who is reviewing him/her and the reviewer does not know the identity of the author.
d) The text must receive two favorable opinions. In the event that one review is positive and the other negative, a third review will be requested.
e) At least one reviewer external to CEDUA will be used for the review of each article.
f) Articles proposed for publications by CEDUA researchers will be reviewed by researchers external to the Center.
g) Reviewers are researchers who may belong to any academic institution in Mexico or abroad, who collaborate in the review of articles relating to their field of specialization, in which they have experience borne out by works published in high-profile specialized books and journals.
h) The reviewers will judge in written form, in formats established for this purpose, the relevance of the work in keeping with the nature of the journal and the scientific validity of the texts, based on their internal coherence, originality, contribution to advancing research and the appropriate, updated use of specialized bibliography.
i) Authors must comply with the Publication Guidelines in the last pages of the journal and on its website.
Article 3. Notes and Comments:
a) These are unpublished texts without the depth of the articles, but which can have a methodological value or illustrate cases of applying research processes.
b) The notes may also be the result of an assessment process of texts originally presented for inclusion in the Articles section, when the reviewers deem that they do not display the required characteristics but are considered sufficiently pertinent for their content to be published.
c) The comments are reflections and opinions supported by published articles.
d) In all cases, these will be unpublished texts that will be subject to review by a member of the Editorial Committee, which must be favorable.
Article 4. Reports:
a) These are texts that describe the content and results of activities in the scientific community, such as congresses, seminars and forums on one of the journal’s fields of research.
b) In order to be published, they must receive a favorable opinion from a member of the Editorial Committee.
Article 5. Reviews and Bibliographic Comments:
a) These are critical reviews of books published on the journal’s topics of interest.
b) In addition to summarizing the content of the publication, they must reflect on its contribution to the state of the art of existing literature, and show how it develops knowledge on the subject.
c) In order to be published, they must receive a favorable opinion from a member of the Editorial Committee.
Article 6. Interviews:
a) These are dialogues with prestigious specialists on the journal’s topics of interest, which warrant being disseminated in a scientific journal.
b) In order be published, they must receive a favorable judgment from a member of the Editorial Committee.
Thematic issues
Article 7
a) The thematic issues of Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos must be coordinated by at least one professor from CEDUA.
b) The articles in the thematic issues are submitted to the same rigor and arbitration as any article published by the journal.
c) Before beginning any review process, the thematic issue must be approved by the Editorial Committee, which will determine whether the subject is relevant and matches the topics of the journal.
d)The director of the journal will notify the persons coordinating an issue on the deadlines within which they must submit the texts comprising the issue. In the event of non-compliance with these deadlines, publication of the issue will be postponed.
e) A maximum of one thematic issue will be published per year.
f) The thematic issue must include at least five articles, and may contain texts in the journal’s other sections.
g) The presentation of the thematic issue will be created by the issue’s coordinator(s), with unpublished texts, and must highlight its contribution to literature and knowledge of the topic, in addition to reviewing the content of the works included.
Editorial Committee
Article 8. The Editorial Committee is the collegiate body responsible for defining and assessing the journal’s editorial policy.
Article 9. The Editorial Committee is composed of:
a) The incumbent Director of the Center for Demographic, Urban and Environmental Studies, who serves as the chairman.
b) The director of the Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos journal.
c) Six research professors at CEDUA.
d) Six research professors at national institutions.
e) Six research professors belonging to foreign institutions.
Article 10. As president of the Editorial Committee, the director of CEDUA, is responsible for:
a) Designating the director of the CEDUA journal.
b) Designating the remaining members of the Editorial Committee, taking into account the suggestions of the Plenary of Professors.
c) Exercising a casting vote in the event of a draw in voting by the Committee members.
Article 11. The director of the CEDUA journal is responsible for:
a) Implementing the journal’s editorial’s policy.
b) Coordinating the activities of the journal’s Editorial Committee.
c) Proposing candidates to become Committee members, taking into account the suggestions of the current members and CEDUA’s academic department.
d) Updating the list of reviewers on a regular basis, with the assistance of the Committee members.
e) Obtaining high-quality articles for assessment and possible publication in the journal.
f) Carrying out an initial review of the academic documents received for assessment, and selecting suitable reviewers for them.
g) Directing the review process, using the double-blind system.
h) Coordinating with the Director of Publications at El Colegio de México to streamline the journal’s publication.
i) Producing an annual report on the advances and problems involved in publishing the journal.
Article 12. The nature of the Editorial Committee members:
a) The Committee must include reviewers specializing in one of CEDUA's research areas.
b) These act as members for three years, renewable once with immediate effect. They may become members again after a period of non-participation.
c) The replacement of Committee members must be done in a stepwise fashion.
Article 13. Members of the Editorial Committee are responsible for:
a) Collaborating in defining the editorial policy of Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos.
b) Assessing the quality of the journal and submitting proposals to improve it.
c) Liaising with the institutions to which they belong, to foster the dissemination of the journal.
d) Suggesting candidates to become Council members to the director of the journal, where necessary.
e) Obtaining high-quality articles for assessment and possible publication in the journal.
f) Collaborating in the assessment processes, whether by reviewing documents or proposing reviewers to do so.
g) Settling disputes.
h) Attending the work sessions of the Editorial Committee (those living in Mexico City).
Article 14. Functions of the Editorial Assistant of Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos:
a) The Editorial Assistant is responsible for the journal’s editorial production process.
b) He/she acts as technical secretary of the Editorial Committee.
c) He/she assists the journal’s director with the functions assigned to him/her.
* Document created and approved by the Editorial Committee of Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos on September 28 2010, and submitted to CEDUA’s Plenary of Professors on February 25 2011, following which it entered into effect. This regulatory framework may be modified by the general regulations adopted by El Colegio for its publications.
