Inviting junior researchers to contribute to ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías

Resumen

As we (editors and USFQ Press staff ) have carried out various activities to improve the
experience of the users of ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías (our authors, readers,
reviewers, and editors), I would like to extend a special invitation to junior researchers to
contribute articles to our scientific journal.
ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías is working on obtaining indexation in various
internationally renowned databases. For example, our journal is not yet indexed in
Scopus. As such, junior researchers may find it less intimidating to submit their article to
ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías.
Among the benefits of submitting to our journal, the editors of ACI Avances en Ciencias
e Ingenierías can give personal feedback to authors when needed. For those authors
to whom the review process is not clear, we provide explanations and assistance as
necessary. I am convinced that all researchers are capable of publishing articles, but that
sometimes the unwritten rules of academic publishing (which forms part of the hidden
curriculum of academia) form a barrier to publication. As editor-in-chief of ACI Avances
en Ciencias e Ingenierías, I prefer to explain the expectations to authors, rather than to
desk reject a submission because it does not tick all the boxes.
Over the past months, I have worked with authors by helping them understand
the various steps in the editorial workflow. With great pleasure, I have explained the
expectations for submissions and the function of the similarity report, provided guidance
on the expectations on the letter with replies to the reviewers, and explained the various
steps after article acceptance. I would like to iterate to junior researchers that I would be
happy to guide them through the process as well. At no point would I interfere with the
technical contents of a submission; rather, I am here to make the academic publishing
process clearer to those who may not be familiar with it.
To shine a light on the peer review process and academic publishing in general,
the staff at USFQ Press and I have organized various workshops at Universidad San
Francisco de Quito for all faculty members specifically geared towards explaining the
inner workings of the editorial workflows and the peer review process. We have also
organized a training for students on how to write scientific articles for publication. I
hope that these trainings will serve our community of researchers and that we will be
able to welcome contributions from our junior faculty members and students in the
upcoming period.

I would also like to clarify that ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías receives a variety of
submissions, including traditional research articles, short communications, and reviews.
For those who are interested in sharing the findings of a research project of small scope,
or a particular observation, a short communication can be the right type of submission.
Moreover, as short communications are more limited in scope, they can be a great
opportunity to get a first experience with the peer review process and publishing
in a scientific journal. For those who are starting a new line of research, or who have
carried out a preliminary or feasibility study, a review article can be an excellent way to
communicate the findings to the broader scientific community.
I would like to conclude by repeating that publishing in academic journals is possible for
all those who carry out research: students and faculty members alike. If you want to gain
experience with this process, know that with ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías we are
willing to guide you through the peer review system with personalized advice. We highly
value the contributions of junior researchers, and as such, I hope to read about your work,
your thoughts, and your insights in a future issue of ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías.

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