Editorial Ethics

The Colombia Forestal Journal assures that all of the parts (authors, reviewers and editors) strictly follow the ethical international rules in the publication process.

ABC follows the ethic rules in the COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors  and the International Standars for Editors and Authors published by the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Manuscripts are checked with plagiarism detection software TURNITIN.

The following should be considered:

Editor Responsibilities

Act impartially, objectively, and fairly, without any form of discrimination based on sex, religion, politics, origin, or ethics of the authors, adhering strictly to 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 taking into account any commercial influence or conflicts of interest.

Adhere to appropriate procedures for addressing 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 accordance with Agreement 023 of June 19, 2012, from the Academic Council, which regulates the university’s editorial policy and current regulations on the matter in Colombia. In all cases, authors will be given the opportunity to respond to potential conflicts of interest. Any complaints must be supported by documentation and evidence of inappropriate conduct.

Reviewer Responsibilities

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

Maintain confidentiality of the information provided by the editor, the editorial board, or the authors, using this information only through the means provided. However, it is up to the reviewer to decide whether to retain or copy the manuscript during the evaluation process.

Inform the editor and the editorial board promptly if a manuscript’s content appears to contain elements of plagiarism or is substantially similar to other published or pending publications.

Disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to a manuscript due to financial, institutional, collaborative, or other relationships between the reviewer and the authors. If necessary, withdraw from the manuscript evaluation process.

Author Responsibilities

Maintain accurate records of data and analyses related to the manuscript submitted to the journal. When requested by the editor or the editorial board, authors must provide or facilitate access to this information. Upon request, the original data will enter a chain of custody to ensure confidentiality and protection of the information by the journal.

Confirm with an originality letter (in the format established by the journal) that the academic contribution under review is not being considered or has been submitted and/or accepted by another publication. When part of the content has been published or presented elsewhere, authors must acknowledge and cite the respective sources and academic credits. Additionally, they must provide the editor and the editorial board with a copy of any publication that may overlap or be closely related to the submitted contribution. Authors must also acknowledge credits for any material reproduced from other sources. Elements such as tables, figures, or patents requiring special permission for reproduction must be accompanied by a letter of acceptance for reproduction from the copyright holders of the used product.

In research involving animals, ensure adherence to and practice appropriate standards established by regulations governing such activities.

Disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could improperly influence any stage of the publication process.

Carefully review the final proofs of the contribution before publication, reporting any errors that need correction. In case of significant errors, after publication, authors should promptly notify the editor and the editorial board, cooperating with the journal in publishing a correction, appendix, notice, or, if deemed necessary, withdrawing the manuscript from the published issue.

Ensure transparency in the submission process by not exerting any form of pressure (academic and/or financial) on the editorial team for the publication of their results.

Responsibilities of the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas

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

Procedures for Handling Unethical Behavior

Identification of Unethical Behavior

Any unethical behavior by authors, of which the journal becomes aware or is informed, will be initially examined by the Editor and the Editorial Board of the journal.

Unethical behavior may include, but is not limited to, what is stipulated in the Code of Good Practice and Ethical Standards of the journal Colombia Forestal, the regulations of the Faculty of the Environment and Natural Resources, and the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas in this matter.

Reports of unethical behavior must be made in writing and accompanied by tangible, reliable, and sufficient evidence to initiate an investigation. All complaints will be considered and treated equally until a decision or successful conclusion is reached.

Reports of unethical behavior should preferably be made initially to the journal's editor, and subsequently to the editorial board or the Faculty of the Environment’s publication committee. If these parties do not respond promptly, the issue should be reported to the publication committee of the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas.

Complaints regarding unethical behavior by the Editor or the Editorial Board should be reported to the Faculty of the Environment and Natural Resources’ publication committee of the Universidad Distrital.

Investigation

The initial decision should be made by the editor, who should consult or seek advice from the Editorial Board and the Faculty of the Environment’s publication committee, as appropriate.

Investigation evidence will be kept confidential.

Minor unethical behavior, as deemed by the Editor, may be addressed between the Editor and the authors without further consultation. In all cases, authors must be given the opportunity to respond to allegations of unethical behavior.

Serious unethical behavior must be reported to the institutional affiliations of the authors or those backing the research. The Editor, in consultation with the Universidad Distrital, will decide whether to involve sponsors, either by reviewing available evidence or through consultations with a limited number of experts.

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

Inform the authors or reviewers where there appears to be a misunderstanding or misapplication of ethical standards.

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

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

Publish an editorial page detailing the misconduct based on the evidence from the investigation process.

Send a formal letter to the authors’ institutional affiliations that support or fund the research.

Make corrections, modifications, or if necessary, retract the article from the journal’s publication, ceasing indexing services and reader numbers for the publication, and informing the authors' institutional affiliations and reviewers of this decision.

Impose a five-year embargo on the author, during which they cannot publish in the journal.

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