Submissions

Author Guidelines

Guide for Submitting Scientific Articles – CTI-FIA Journal, University of El Salvador

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Submission Preparation Checklist

Before submitting your scientific article, ensure compliance with the following requirements. Manuscripts that do not follow these guidelines will be returned to the authors:

• The article has not been previously published and is not under consideration by another journal.
• The file is submitted in Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, or RTF format.
• The text is single-spaced, in Times New Roman size 11, justified, with no indentation, and bottom-right page numbering.
• The manuscript does not exceed 8,000 words or 20 pages, including tables, figures, and references.
• The title has a maximum of 20 words and includes an English translation.
• The full names of all authors are included, along with institutional affiliation, institutional email, and ORCID code.
• The abstract contains between 150 and 250 words, written in both Spanish and English, in past tense, and includes 3 to 6 keywords.
• Mandatory sections: Introduction, Methodology, Results and Discussion, Conclusions, References.
• APA 7th edition is used for in-text citations and references, with at least 60% of sources published within the last 5 years.
• All illustrations, figures, and tables are included in the text and comply with APA standards.
• Any potential conflict of interest has been disclosed.

Author Guidelines

Scientific Article Format

Articles must meet the following requirements upon submission:

General Format

Letter-size page, 2.5 cm margins, Times New Roman font size 11, single spacing, justified text, no indentation, bottom-right page numbering.

Length

The article must not exceed 8,000 words or 20 pages, including tables, figures, and references.

Title, Authors, Affiliation, Institutional Email, and ORCID

The full title of the research paper must not exceed 20 words and must include an English translation.
Authors and affiliations are listed directly below the title in order of scientific contribution, not alphabetically. Academic degrees or positions should not be included.
Each author must provide their institutional email to facilitate academic communication.
It is mandatory to include each author's ORCID code to ensure proper attribution of their scientific work.

Abstract and Keywords

The abstract must be between 150 and 250 words and include an English translation. It should be written in past tense and summarize the purpose, methodology, and key findings of the study, including location and date.
Between 3 and 6 keywords should be listed at the end of the abstract. The first keyword should start with a capital letter and all should be ordered by relevance.

Introduction

The introduction serves as a literature review, referencing key studies related to the topic and highlighting the relevance of the research. All claims must be supported by bibliographic references.
It should explain the scientific context and the current state of knowledge, answering the core question: Why was this research conducted?
The final paragraph should clearly state the research objective.

Methodology

This section should provide details about the location and timing of the research, environmental conditions, data collection process, units of analysis, and any economic evaluations if relevant.
It must include statistical analysis, outlining variables, models, and tests used, depending on the type of research. Established methods must be supported by appropriate references.

Results and Discussion

This section presents the findings in a structured and coherent way, with the use of tables and figures when necessary.
The first paragraph should summarize the main finding of the study in a clear, direct sentence.
Use past tense, the International System of Units, and explain all abbreviations.
The discussion should analyze the findings, their significance, limitations, and consistency with existing literature. This is the core of the scientific article.

Conclusions

Conclusions must logically summarize the findings without redundancy.
They should be based solely on the study’s results, without speculation or external references.
They must align with the research objectives.
No tables, figures, or recommendations should be included.
Write in paragraph form, without using numbers or bullet points.

Acknowledgments

This section recognizes institutions and individuals who contributed to the research.
If the study was funded by the University of El Salvador, include the following statement:
"This research was carried out with the financial support of the University of El Salvador, Central America."

References

Only include references that are directly cited in the manuscript. All references must follow APA 7th edition guidelines.
At least 60% of the sources should have been published within the last 5 years.
For detailed APA 7th edition citation rules, consult the official APA Style website.

In-Text Citations

Proper in-text citations acknowledge prior research and support the manuscript’s arguments.
CTI-FIA Journal requires APA 7th edition citation format throughout the text and in the references.
It is the authors' responsibility to ensure proper citation.

Tables

Tables are used to present numerical or textual data in a structured way. They must comply with APA 7th edition and include: table number, title, headers, body, and footnote if applicable.
The title must be clear and descriptive.
Acronyms must follow international standards or be explained in a footnote.
If a table spans multiple pages, repeat the header row on each page. Landscape orientation may be used for wide tables.

Example:

Table 1
Table Title

Figures

Figures include charts, diagrams, maps, photographs, drawings, and illustrations. They must comply with APA 7th edition and include: figure number, title, image, legend, and note if applicable.
Titles must be clear and concise.
Maps must include a scale.
Photographs must be high quality and submitted in JPG, PNG, or TIFF format.

Example:

Figure 1
A concise and descriptive figure title
Note. Illustrative figure, taken from RPubs.

Review and Publication Process

Once received, all scientific articles will undergo a rigorous review process based on:

Writing style, content quality, and scientific novelty
Proper use of technical terminology within the relevant discipline
Originality (only unpublished manuscripts are accepted)
All communication will be handled with one designated corresponding author
Only articles written in Spanish will be accepted

Manuscript Submission

The final version must be submitted exclusively through the journal’s Open Journal System (OJS) platform. Printed or email submissions will not be accepted.

Peer Review

Within 15 days of submission, the editorial team will perform an initial review.
If accepted for review, the article will undergo a double-blind peer review by experts in the field.
Reviewers may be members of the journal’s Advisory Board or external specialists.
Based on reviewer feedback, the editor will decide whether to accept, request revisions, or reject the article.
The Editorial Board reserves the right to accept, reject, or suggest changes, based on the peer review results.

Revision, Corrections, and Right to Rebuttal

Authors will be notified of reviewer comments and will have up to one month to submit a revised version.
If the authors disagree with the evaluation, they may submit a well-argued rebuttal supported by scientific evidence.
Even after peer review, an article may still be rejected by the editorial team if issues such as poor writing, redundancy, inaccurate claims, or faulty references are found.
Final acceptance or rejection will be communicated by the editorial team.

Institutional Requirements and Ethical Responsibility

Authors without direct affiliation to the University of El Salvador must include a publication authorization from their funding institution, if applicable.
Authors assume full ethical responsibility regarding authorship and any third-party claims.

Copyright Notice

Authors retain copyright of their articles and grant CTI-FIA Journal the right to publish, distribute, and reproduce the accepted manuscripts under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Privacy Statement

Names and email addresses submitted to this journal will be used solely for the purposes stated and will not be shared with third parties.

Editorial Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in the articles are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of El Salvador.

Editorial Contact

For inquiries regarding submission or these guidelines, contact the CTI-FIA Journal Editorial Committee at: cti.fia@ues.edu.sv