About the Journal

Focus and Scope

The journal Colombia Forestal publishes original manuscripts on topics related to forestry and various aspects of natural resources and the environment. These are categorised as research and review articles, with the stipulations of MINCIENCIAS for scientific publications. According to the classification of scientific areas of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the journal Colombia Forestal belongs to the category of Agricultural Sciences (4), sub-category Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (4A) and to the discipline Forestry (4A02).

Since its creation in 1978, the journal has been edited and published by the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, headquartered in Bogotá. The quality of the journal’s content has been strengthened by the collaboration of national and international external evaluators in a double blind arbitration system and dissemination has been extended by publishing manuscripts in a language other than Spanish and with inclusion in bibliographical databases such as Scopus, DOAJ, SciELO, Redalyc, EBSCO, CAB Abstracts, Forestry Abstracts, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory, Latindex, Publindex. Likewise, it has academic profiles on Mendeley, Academia and ResearchGate.

The articles that are submitted to Colombia Forestal must be original and unpublished and not previously proposed to other journals.

Open Access Statement

Colombia Forestal is an open-access journal, which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or their institution. Users can read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full-text articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without prior permission from the editor or author. All of the above is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

Peer Review Process

The manuscript review process consists of a pre-selection and general review by the editorial committee, followed by a double-blind evaluation requested from subject-matter experts who are external to the publishing institution. Once the evaluation by the academic peers is completed, the authors will receive the decision of Approved, Approved with minor modifications, Approved with major modifications, or Not approved. In cases where the manuscript is approved with modifications, the author will also receive the suggestions and comments made by the reviewers. The authors will have a maximum of one month from the delivery of the evaluations to make the necessary adjustments and send the corrected version of the manuscript back to the journal editor, along with a detailed explanatory letter outlining the changes made. The editorial committee will verify the incorporation of the changes into the manuscript, and if deemed necessary, it will be sent back to the reviewer for their feedback. The final decision regarding the publication of the manuscript will depend on the agreement between the academic reviewer and the editorial committee about the inclusion of the requested modifications. If the manuscript is accepted for publication, the authors must sign a declaration of originality and a transfer of the rights for publication and reproduction of the manuscript, as well as its inclusion in databases, websites, or electronic pages, both national and international.

Use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for identifying peer reviewers

In order to enhance the transparency, relevance, and efficiency of the peer review process, the journal employs AI-based tools that allow identifying and suggesting potential reviewers in diverse fields of knowledge. These tools are used to consult open and closed databases containing information on the scientific publications, institutional affiliations, areas of specialization, and academic trajectories of researchers at the national and international levels.

The use of AI at this stage does not replace the selection process or the judgement of the editorial team; it provides technical support to strengthen objectivity and diversity in assigning reviewers. The journal guarantees that all the consulted data are exclusively employed for editorial purposes and in strict compliance with its policies on confidentiality and ethics in scientific publishing.

Review Times

The estimated time between the receipt of the article and the first response from the reviewers is 7 weeks. Therefore, the estimated time between the receipt of the article and its publication is 16 weeks.

Review Guidelines
The review of the articles should be scientific in nature, primarily evaluating the methodology, results, and discussion. Each article must contain original and unpublished material.

The time allocated for peer review is 4 weeks. Reviewers must submit their observations in the text and complete the Evaluation Form.

Publication Frequency

Colombia Forestal has been published twice a year since 2010.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content under the principle that making research available and free to the public fosters greater global knowledge exchange.

Self-archiving Conditions: Authors are allowed to reuse the published works, meaning they can archive the post-print (or the final version after peer review, or the editor’s PDF version), for non-commercial purposes, including depositing it in institutional repositories, subject-specific repositories, or personal websites.

Ethics and Best Practices Statement

Colombia Forestal is committed to high ethical standards and takes all possible measures to prevent fraud and plagiarism. All authors must submit original, unpublished manuscripts of their own authorship, declaring these characteristics when submitting their works for consideration by the editorial board. Furthermore, the journal is dedicated to ensuring a fair and objective review of manuscripts, for which it employs a double-blind peer review system.

Editorial Best Practices and Ethical Guidelines

Authors submitting articles to Colombia Forestal must adhere to ethical publishing practices, specifically regarding authorship, plagiarism of published articles, data manipulation, transparency in the publishing process, declaration of the use of Artificial Intelligence in text writing, addressing conflicts of interest, and following ethical research policies in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): http://publicationethics.org/

Manuscripts are reviewed using the plagiarism detection software Turnitin.

It is necessary to consider the following:

Responsibilities of the Editors:

Act in a balanced, objective, and fair manner without any type of sexual, religious, political, origin, or ethical discrimination against the authors, properly using the guidelines set forth in the Political Constitution of Colombia in this regard.

Consider, edit, and publish academic contributions solely based on their academic merits without considering any commercial influence or conflict of interest.

Follow and adopt the appropriate procedures to resolve potential ethical complaints or conflicts of interest. The editor and the editorial board will act in accordance with the regulations, policies, and procedures established by the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, particularly in Agreement 023 of June 19, 2012, from the Academic Council, which regulates the university’s editorial policy and the current regulations on the subject in Colombia. In all cases, authors will be given the opportunity to respond to potential conflicts of interest. Any complaint must be supported by documentation and evidence that proves improper conduct.

Responsibilities of the Reviewers:

Contribute objectively to the manuscript evaluation process submitted to Colombia Forestal, collaborating promptly to improve the scientific quality of these original research products.

Maintain the confidentiality of the data provided by the editor, the editorial committee, or the authors, making proper use of such information by the means provided. However, it is up to the reviewer to decide whether to keep or copy the manuscript during the evaluation process.

Inform the editor and the editorial committee promptly if the content of an academic contribution shows signs of plagiarism or substantially resembles other research products that have been published or are in the process of being published.

Notify any potential conflict of interest regarding an academic contribution due to financial, institutional, collaborative, or other types of relationships between the reviewer and the authors. In such cases, and if necessary, the reviewer’s services will be withdrawn from the manuscript evaluation.

Responsibilities of the Authors:

Maintain accurate records and data analysis related to the manuscript submitted for consideration to the journal. When the editor or editorial committee requires this information (for reasonable reasons), the authors must provide or facilitate access to it. When requested, the original data will enter a chain of custody to ensure confidentiality and protection by the journal.

Confirm, via an originality letter (pre-established format by the journal), that the academic contribution submitted for evaluation is not being considered, has not been submitted, or accepted by any other publication. When part of this contribution has been published or presented in another medium, the authors must acknowledge and cite the respective sources and academic credits. Additionally, they must provide the editor and editorial committee with a copy of any publication that may have overlapping or closely related content to the submitted contribution. The author should also recognize the appropriate credits for material reproduced from other sources. Any elements, such as tables, figures, or patents, that require special permission for reproduction must be accompanied by a letter of consent from the copyright holders of the utilized product.

In research involving animals, proper practices should be maintained and ensured according to the regulations governing such activities.

Declare any potential conflict of interest that may exert undue influence at any stage of the publication process.

Carefully review the final proofs of the contribution before publication in the journal, informing of any errors that may need to be corrected. In case significant errors are found after the academic contribution has been published, the authors must promptly notify the editor and editorial committee, cooperating with the journal in publishing a corrigendum, appendix, notice, correction, or, if deemed necessary, withdrawing the manuscript from the published issue.

Maintain transparency throughout the article submission process and refrain from exerting any type of pressure (academic or financial) on the editorial team for the publication of their results.

Responsibility of the Universidad Distrital:

The Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, under whose name Colombia Forestal is published, and in accordance with Agreement 023 of June 19, 2012, from the Academic Council, which regulates the University’s Editorial Policy, will ensure that ethical standards and good practices are fully met.

Procedures for Handling Unethical Behavior:

Identification of Unethical Behavior:

Unethical behavior by the authors, of which the journal is aware or has been informed, will be initially examined by the editor and the editorial committee of the journal.

Unethical behavior may include, but is not necessarily limited to, what is outlined in Colombia Forestal's declaration of good practices and ethical standards, the regulations of the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas in this matter.

Information about unethical behavior should be submitted in writing and accompanied by tangible, reliable, and sufficient evidence to begin an investigation process. All complaints will be considered and handled in the same manner until a decision or successful conclusion is reached.

Reports of unethical behavior should preferably first be communicated to the editor of the journal and, consequently, to the editorial committee or the publishing committee of the Faculty of Environment. In cases where these actors do not provide a timely response, unethical behavior should be reported to the publishing committee of the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas.

A complaint about unethical behavior by the editor or the editorial committee should be reported to the publishing committee of the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources at Universidad Distrital.

Investigation:

The first decision should be made by the editor, who must consult or seek advice from the editorial committee and the publishing committee of the Faculty of Environment, as needed.

The evidence from the investigation will be kept confidential.

Minor unethical behavior, as deemed by the editor, can be addressed directly between the editor and the authors without additional consultations. In any case, authors must have the opportunity to respond to allegations of unethical behavior.

Serious unethical behavior should be reported to the institutional affiliation entities of the authors or those supporting the research. The editor, in consultation with Universidad Distrital, must decide whether or not to involve the sponsors, either by reviewing available evidence or by seeking additional input from a limited number of experts.

Results (in increasing order of severity, may be applied separately or in combination):

Inform the authors or reviewers where there seems to be a misunderstanding or a violation of ethical norms.

Send an official communication to the authors or reviewers indicating the lack of ethical conduct and serving as a precedent for good behavior in the future.

Make a formal public notification detailing the misconduct based on the evidence from the investigation process.

Issue an editorial page denouncing the misconduct in detail, based on the evidence from the investigation process.

Send a formal letter to the institutional affiliation entities of the authors, which in turn support or fund the research process.

Make corrections, modifications, or, if necessary, withdraw the article from the publication in the journal, closing the indexing services and readership of the publication, and informing the authors’ institutional affiliation and the reviewers of this decision.

Impose an official five-year embargo on the author, during which they will not be allowed to publish in the journal again.

Report the case and the result of the investigation to the relevant authorities if the reputation of Universidad Distrital is compromised.

Correction and Retraction Policy

Colombia Forestal publishes corrections or retractions following the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Retraction is a mechanism to correct and alert readers about manuscripts and/or articles that contain incorrect or unreliable data that cannot be validated, or whose findings and conclusions cannot be trusted. Incorrect and/or unreliable content or data may result from honest mistakes, naive errors, or research misconduct.

Retractions can be used to alert readers to cases of redundant publication, plagiarism, peer review manipulation, unauthorized reuse of material or data, copyright infringement, or other legal issues (e.g., defamation, privacy, illegality), unethical research, and/or failure to disclose a significant competing interest that may have unduly influenced interpretations or recommendations.

The editorial committee of Colombia Forestal will consider retracting a publication if:

  • There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable.

  • It constitutes plagiarism.

  • The findings have been previously published in other publications without proper attribution to the original sources, without disclosure to the editor, permission to republish, or justification.

  • It contains material or data used without authorization.

  • Copyrights have been infringed, or there is some other serious legal issue.

  • It reports unethical research.

  • It has been published solely based on a manipulated or compromised peer review process.

  • The authors failed to disclose a significant competing interest or conflict of interest that would have unduly affected the interpretations of the work.

Colombia Forestal will retract publications as soon as possible once the editor is convinced that the publication is seriously flawed, misleading, or falls into any of the categories described above.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

Colombia Forestal does not charge any fees for the submission, evaluation, or publication of articles.

There are no costs to authors or readers, as the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas assumes the expenses related to editing, management, and publication. Peer reviewers do not receive any financial compensation for their valuable contributions. The work of all the aforementioned parties is understood as a contribution to strengthening and growing the research community in the field of forestry sciences.

Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) for Articles

Colombia Forestal uses the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for identifying and locating its articles.

https://doi.org/10.14483/issn.2256-201X

Self-archive

The journal uses the PKP Preservation Network auto-archiving system, which provides free preservation services for journals managed with OJS that meet the basic criteria. Additionally, the journal utilizes CLOKSS and the Institutional Repository of the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas to ensure the availability and traceability of information.

Sponsors

The journal is funded by the Research Office of the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas.

Journal History

The journal was founded in 1968 with the publication of Bulletin No. 1 from the Faculty of Forestry Engineering at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. At that time, the then dean and editor of the bulletin, Jorge Enrique Becerra Becerra (R.I.P.), was motivated to create a medium for disseminating and publishing research and thesis work developed at the faculty.

Subsequently, in 1978, the bulletin was transformed into Colombia Forestal journal and has since been edited and published by the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, based in Bogotá.

The main editors of the journal have been:

1968. Jorge Enrique Becerra Becerra, M.Sc. (R.I.P.)

With the Boletín de Ingeniería Forestal, the first version of a serial publication from the Faculty of Forestry Engineering was created. This issue included a list of approved thesis projects, research work, and thesis documents from the Forestry Engineering curriculum. It also presented the results of research conducted by Professor Becerra in Colombia’s Pacific region and formally invited the academic and scientific community to publish the ongoing research results.

1978 - 1979. Héctor Rojas León, I.F.

After the Boletín de Ingeniería Forestal was converted into Colombia Forestal, a numbering format was established, presenting the journal in August 1978 with Volume 1, Issue 1, pages 1-26. In this issue and subsequent ones, the publication began including monographs, technical notes, professional considerations, and other documents aimed at presenting to the academic and scientific community the current state of the forestry sector in the country, along with the research being developed within it.

1979 - 1989. Not published.

1989 - 1994. Jorge Enrique Becerra Becerra, M.Sc. (R.I.P.)

During this period, the journal was again edited by Professor Becerra, who, along with the editorial committee formed by faculty members Hugo Riveros Polanco, William Klinger, and Ernesto Martínez, introduced a new format for the publication. This marked the beginning of defining editorial content and the continuous improvement of the journal’s editorial and scientific quality. During this period, the first version of author guidelines was presented, and the types of contributions that would be published in the journal under the categories of scientific articles, research notes, technical communications, notes, and comments were delineated.

1995 - 1997. Miguel Cadena, I.F.

During this time, the journal, edited by Professor Cadena with the editorial committee composed of faculty members Yesid Navas, Oswaldo Ortegón, Jairo Silva, and José M. Orozco, continued its constant improvement in editorial and scientific quality. The focus was also on maintaining the journal’s publication frequency and consistency, which was vital for both the Francisco José de Caldas District University and the Colombian forestry sector.

1998 - 2009. Heliodoro Sánchez, I.F. (R.I.P.)

Since 1998, Professor Heliodoro Sánchez took over as editor of the journal. During his tenure, Colombia Forestal acquired the characteristics that now define it as the only serial publication of high scientific quality in the forestry sector in Colombia, disseminating original research results, presenting innovative topics, and discussing current issues related to forestry, renewable natural resources, and the environment. It was also during this period that the journal was indexed in Category C by Colciencias (2005) and later reclassified to Category B (2009). Additionally, it was included in bibliographic databases such as CABI Publishing, Forestry Abstracts, Forest Products Abstracts, Latindex, Ulrich’s, and the National Index of Serial Scientific and Technological Publications of Colombia (Colciencias Publindex).

2010. Olga Patricia Pinzón Florián, Ph.D., and Heliodoro Sánchez, I.F. (R.I.P.)

In this year, Dr. Pinzón, in collaboration with the editorial committee composed of faculty members Ángela Parrado, Heliodoro Sánchez, Rocío Cortés, and René López, published the special edition “Robledales” in Volumes 13, Issues 1 and 2. This edition featured national and international research results related to the current status and case studies of this important ecosystem in various regions of the world. With this issue, the journal adopted a biannual publication schedule

2011(I). Heliodoro Sánchez, I.F. (R.I.P.)

During this period, and continuing to the present, the journal aimed to enhance its editorial process with the goal of increasing the dissemination of its publications both nationally and internationally. To this end, the journal joined the Open Journal Systems (OJS) for the management and publication of serial journals and began new requests for indexing in national and international bibliographic databases.

2011(II)-2013(I). Olga Patricia Pinzón Florián, Ph.D.

During this period, Dr. Pinzón, with the collaboration of the editorial committee composed of professors Ángela Parrado-Rosselli, Rocío Cortes, and René López, published volumes 14(2), 15(1), 15(2), and 16(1). Likewise, a process of indexing in national and international bibliographic databases such as DOAJ, Ulrichsweb, CABI, and Scielo was initiated, with the support and supervision of editorial assistant Roy González.

2013 (II) – Present. René López Camacho, Ph.D(c)

During this period, Colombia Forestal journal has achieved and maintained its classification in category B of Publindex and its indexing in recognized bibliographic databases such as Scopus, Redalyc, EBSCO, among others. This achievement has been possible thanks to the management and editorial work of assistant editor Camilo Andrés Angulo M. M.Sc., and the editorial committee.