ISSN 2477-8850 printed version
ISSN 1390-8928 on-line version

ABOUT THE JOURNAL

• Aim and Scope
• Contributions
• Publication Frequency and modality
• Peer review process

Siembra is a means of scientific diffusion of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Central University of Ecuador. It publishes half-yearly the results of scientific and technological research in the field of agronomic sciences and tourism, as well as topics related to rural development, the tourist space and the livestock sciences. Unpublished articles are received, whether original or review articles, as well as bibliographic reviews and opinion articles. The articles published in  Siembra are the result of an exhaustive selection process, which includes the Editorial Committee in first instance and peer review (double blind), carried out by national and international specialists.

As part of the submission process, authors are required to define the typology of the manuscript. Contributions to Siembra can be:

• Original or Research Articles: These manuscripts present original results of research projects. The IMRD structure (Full Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusions sections) is suggested. The recommended length is 10,000 words.
• Review Articles: These manuscripts systematize and integrate the state of the field on a certain topic. Published or unpublished research can be included. Reviews cite at least 50 primary research articles, preferably current and directly related to the topic, highlighting the existing academic debate. The IMRD structure (Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion and Conclusions) is suggested. The recommended length is 10,000 words.

Other manuscript types published by  Siembra are:

• Bibliographic reviews: These manuscripts report the analysis of a published text, highlighting its contributions on a certain topic, and/or presenting its content in a clear, organized and summarized manner. The information to be provided are: author/s, year of publication, title of the book in its original language, city of publication, publisher, total number of pages of the book. In the case of a book chapter, it is necessary to add the title of the chapter and the start and end pages. The recommended length is 5,000 words.
• Editorials: Express opinions or positions on a specific, relevant, current and/or controversial topic. Editorials may be requested by the Editorial Board or evaluated directly by their members. The recommended length is 5,000 words.

Siembra is published half-yearly (Issue 1: January-June and Issue 2: July-December) since 2019. The first article of each issue is published in January and July. Each number includes a minimum of 8 articles. Special volumes are properly identified. The estimated time for publishing is 12-14 weeks.

Siembra publishes in continuous flow since 2020. We are permanently open to receive manuscripts.

Manuscripts submitted will be subject to a double-blind review process. Manuscripts must fulfill the issues stated at the “Guide for Authors”. The reception of manuscripts does not imply in any way a commitment of publication by the journal.

Initially, the manuscripts will be received by a member of the Editorial Board, who will review manuscripts complies with the aim and scope of Siembra, as well as the journal's guidelines and the minimum quality criteria in terms of writing and content. This review will verify the level of originality by using specialized software (URKUND) and existing digital resources for this purpose.. 

If manuscript complies with general conditions, it will be sent, in the second instance, to external reviewers, national and international, to the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Central University of Ecuador, who will review according to criteria of relevance, currency and relevance, quality, clarity of expression and organization, and originality of the data included in the manuscript. The reviewers' database is composed by researchers of well-known prestige in their area of knowledge, who accredit it through previous publications and their participation in research projects.

The review form covers the following aspects:

• Topical relevance (recurrent or frontier) and contribution to the area of knowledge
• Correspondence between the title and the abstract with the content of the manuscript
• Structure of the text (organization and linkage)
• Sufficient domain of the literature on the subject
• Content of the manuscript (conceptual and methodological rigour)
• Writing (quality, style and clarity)
• Corrections required for publication

Reviewers may attach documents to their review, and will recommend its:

• Rejection
• Major revisions
• Publication with minor revisions
• Publication without review

The authors will receive the reports of the scientific reviews anonymously. Once the manuscripts with corrections are received, they will be reviewed again by the external reviewers. In the event of a dispute in the opinion of the peer-reviewers, it will be resolved by requesting a new evaluation by another reviewer.

The estimated time for the reviews is 4 weeks, always depending on the availability of the reviewers and the delivery time of the reviews.

The reviewers will follow the án a “COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers” (COPE, 201), in order to comply with ethical aspects of the peer-review process.

Reviewers may decline the invitation to review a manuscript if they believe that a personal or professional conflict of interest may exist.

At least two reviewers will be considered for a final decision on publication by the Editorial Board.

Siembra reserves the right to make style corrections and editorial changes that will be appropriate to improve the manuscript.

After the acceptance of the manuscript, the text will be formatted and a galley proof in PDF format will be sent to the authors for correction of typography and spelling only.