Code of Conduct
Outline
Top of pageFrench Institute of Andean Studies: Code of Conduct
As a contributor to the production of works in Social Sciences in the Andes, the French Institute of Andean Studies is particularly interested in the development of different areas of research, as well as the demands of the contributors and the public. This document has been written with this purpose in mind. It articulates the ethical guidelines and that of good practice that apply to the institute’s publications (Bulletin, Travaux, Actes et Mémoires, Biblioteca de Bolsillo), in addition to its editorial standards. Inspired by the basic principles of intellectual property, copyright and human rights, this code of conduct is written for the members of the editorial division (director of the institute, head and editorial assistant, BIFEA editorial committee), as well as for authors and the assessors.
Rights and Responsibilities of the IFEA’s Editorial Division
It is the pursuit of scientific quality, independent of any ideology and lobby group, which drives our editorial production.
The IFEA’s editorial division firmly rejects all forms of violation against the human dignity of any individual or group of individuals, especially because of their political opinions, background, religion, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Therefore, it is the IFEA’s responsibility to ensure that all of its editorial work and all of its derived products respect human rights. The Institute reserves the right to exclude from its works anyone deemed guilty by a criminal or responsible disciplinary institution of offenses such as discrimination, incitement to hate, and moral or sexual harassment.
It is the IFEA’s duty to choose the most competent assessors in each of the corresponding domains and ensure that the process of evaluation is undertaken in the most impartial and fair manner. Other than a few exceptions, the assessors must have a PhD or the equivalent level of education.
Throughout the editorial process, the IFEA’s editorial division is committed to not disclosing the manuscripts to those outside the review process and to respecting the principles of confidentiality regarding the authors and assessors, as mentioned in the editorial standards.
The director has the authority to make the final decision in publishing a manuscript. This basis of this decision must be communicated the author or authors.
Rights and Obligations of the Authors
People that appear as authors of a text certify having participated actively in the elaboration, recovery, processing, interpretation and formatting of the data and ideas. In the case of a collective task, the names of the authors either will be listed alphabetically or be done according to the level of participation of each person.
The authors are responsible for the data and ideas stated in the manuscripts, as well as the exactitude of the information transmitted. The content of the IFEA’s publications does not imply in any way the juridical responsibility of the institute on an editorial level.
With the exception of a reprinted article, a manuscript sent to the IFEA’s editorial division must not have already been published or presented to another editor even in another language.
If data and ideas come from a third party, the contributors must state their sources according to the IFEA’s editorial standards for quotes and bibliographies. It is also their responsibility to present the necessary authorizations in order to reproduce any unpublished document that is not of their doing.
After having presented a manuscript, the authors commit to undertaking a process of evaluation and also accept taking into account the recommendations suggested by the reviewers and the scientific editors. Any rejection of these recommendations must be adequately explained. If an author wishes to exclude a potential evaluator, he can inform the editorial division who will take into consideration the request.
The Reviewers Responsibility
The reviewers must inform the editorial division in any case of conflict of interest regarding the authors or the content of the manuscripts.
The manuscripts are submitted to the assessors in strict confidentiality. The manuscripts must not be disclosed in any way outside of the circle of individuals involved in the process of evaluation.
The reviewers are committed to using their expertise in order to examine the content and the form of the manuscripts through a critical, fair, constructive and objective reading. To do so, the reviewers must complete the evaluation form submitted by the IFEA’s editorial division and also explain their final decision in accepting or rejecting a manuscript.
In the case of plagiarism or auto-plagiarism in a manuscript, the assessors have the obligation to inform the IFEA’s editorial division. The assessors must also take corrective action if they know of any confirmed attempt against human dignity, as detailed earlier. The responsibility for taking the final decision of excluding a manuscript falls on the IFEA’s editorial division.
The reviewers commit to respecting the deadlines set by the editorial division; if they are unable to do so, they must inform the editorial division in a timely fashion.