Guide for authors

Focus

AQUACIENCIA is the journal of the School of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of El Salvador. This journal emerges as a space to share scientific knowledge in an accessible and thoughtful manner. Originally, AQUACIENCIA focused on marine-coastal ecosystems and continental water bodies; however, AQUACIENCIA now includes topics on general biodiversity, ecology, and environmental education. After all, what is life but an extraordinary byproduct of the presence of water on Earth?

General Criteria

Manuscripts submitted to the Aquaciencia Journal must be framed within its objectives; otherwise, they will be automatically rejected by the Editorial Committee. Part of the submission process includes verifying compliance with the following criteria:

1. The manuscript has not been previously published, hosted in any repository, social network, etc.; nor has it been submitted for consideration by any other journal simultaneously.
2. URLs or DOIs of bibliographic references are provided, as requested in the journal's sections.
3. Manuscripts must be submitted via the Aquaciencia journal platform at the following link: https://revistas.ues.edu.sv/index.php/aqc/about/submissions

Once the manuscripts are received by the Editorial Committee of the Aquaciencia Journal, they must undergo an evaluation process based on the following considerations:

• Style, content, and relevance.
• In the event that the manuscript has several authors, correspondence will be assigned to only one of them.
• Authors must include the following information: full name, affiliation, email address, and ORCID code.
• The language of the journal is Spanish.

The Editorial Committee of the Aquaciencia Journal reserves the right to approve, reject, or suggest corrections for publishing a manuscript, relying on the results of the double-blind peer review arbitration. Once the suggested corrections are sent to the author, they must address the observations in the shortest possible time and resend it via the journal platform https://revistas.ues.edu.sv/index.php/aqc

Authors assume responsibility for any conflicts arising from the authorship of the works or from third parties published in the Journal.

Peer Review System

The papers are reviewed according to the peer review system (peer review) in double blind, ensuring mutual anonymity between the reviewer and the author or authors of the paper. The journal entrusts the review to experts in the field, members of the Scientific Committee of the journal and/or external to the editorial team. The editorial team will communicate to the authors the result of the evaluation and the decision, whether to accept or reject the article.

Format and Style Guidelines

Manuscripts must be presented in the following format and style:

1. Prepared in Microsoft Word format. The text should be written in a single column, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 11, single-spaced, with justified alignment. Page margins should be 2.5 cm on each side.
2. Section titles should be left-aligned with bold text.
3. Tables must include their basic elements in the following order:
   • Table number.
   • Title: should be clear and simple, written in lowercase without bold, font size 9, in italics.
   • Header, body, and footnote (if necessary). The word (Note) in italics and bold, font size 9.
   • In the text, reference should be made to the table as (table followed by the corresponding number).
   • If the size of the table exceeds one page, the header row must be repeated on each additional page. Horizontal orientation may also be used in cases where the table is too wide.
   • A maximum of five tables is allowed.
   • Tables must be prepared under APA 7th Edition standards.
4. Figures must contain the following elements:
• The word Figure followed by the corresponding number and in bold.
• Title: should be concise and explanatory, written in lowercase, font size 9, in italics.
• Footnote (if necessary). The word (Note) in italics.
• Photographs must be high resolution (they must also be attached to the submission, in JPG, PNG, or TIFF format).
• In the text, reference should be made to the figure as (Fig. followed by the corresponding number).
• Figures must be presented under APA 7th Edition standards.
5. If the table or figure is created by the author, "Elaboración propia" [Author's own creation] should be placed.
6. In-text citations must be written following APA 7th Edition standards. Avoid excessive self-citation.
7. Bibliographic references must be written following APA 7th Edition standards. 

Types of Manuscripts

• • Original Research Articles
  • Scientific Outreach Notes
    • Selected Topics in Biology (Scientific Outreach Notes)
    • Meet Your Biologists and Naturalists
    • Short Stories, Narratives, and Poems
    • Tales from the Field (Stories from the Practice of Biology)

General Structure of Manuscripts

Abstract and Abstract (in English): must have a maximum of 250 words and include an English translation of the same (Abstract). It should be succinct and informative enough to allow the reader to identify the content; written in the past tense

Keywords (Key words): these must refer to the content of the dissemination note and be written at the end of the summary and Abstract. The maximum number is five keywords. The first letter of the first keyword capitalized, the rest in lowercase, and ordered by importance separated by a comma (,).

• • Original Articles: It is a manuscript written with scientific rigor, adhering to a citation style and following specific editorial guidelines, with the purpose of presenting the results of original scientific research.
  • Scientific Outreach Notes
    • Hecho en la Universidad de El Salvador: a space for biology, marine biology, and related area teachers and students to share experiences acquired in the development of their coursework, projects, specialization courses, and internships. Here we set aside technicalities and focus on communicating scientific activity at the University of El Salvador in a clear and attractive way. The idea is to bring knowledge closer to other students, teachers, and the general public, showing what biological sciences and related areas do and how they contribute to understanding our environment.
    • Temas selectos en Biología (notas de divulgación): Are you passionate about a topic and want more people to understand its importance? Excellent! This is the ideal space to do so. In an entertaining, attractive way and without losing scientific rigor, you can share about any aspect of biology that sparks your curiosity: why is the sea salty?, why shouldn't we fear Saharan dust?, does AI really affect the availability of water resources? These and many other questions can find answers here. After all, in science... not even the sky is the limit.
    • Conoce a tus biólogos y naturalistas: a space dedicated to highlighting those who have left a mark on biological sciences, whether through teaching, work with communities, conservation, or field research. It is not necessary to be a biologist to love and recognize the importance of life. In this section, we pay a well-deserved tribute to all those people whose work has contributed to the development of biological knowledge, both locally and internationally.
    • Cuentos, relatos y poemas: Do you want to express your appreciation for nature from a literary perspective? This is the place to do it! You can create a story, a short story, or a poem that generates knowledge and reflection, inviting the conservation of resources.
    • Tales from the Field (stories from the Practice of Biology): Do you have a field or laboratory story or anecdote that no one would believe?, did it really happen? If you answered yes to both questions, this is your space! Tell us your experience, because we all want to know.