Ethics and Research Integrity Policies

Cruces. Revista de Ciencias Religiosas, Filosofía y Ética adheres to the principles and good practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and to the research integrity guidelines of the Universidad Católica de Temuco.

Statement of Originality

Authors are responsible for guaranteeing the originality of their work and for not submitting it simultaneously for evaluation to any other publication, academic or otherwise. A statement of originality signed by all authors of the manuscript must be attached at the time of submission.

Plagiarism Policy

The journal uses Compilatio software as a plagiarism detection tool to verify the originality of manuscripts. Submissions must not literally reproduce parts of previous works, including theses. Please note that if the work has been published in a repository or on a web page, the plagiarism detection software will identify it.

Any significant overlap above 20% will be reviewed by the editorial team and may lead to the rejection of the article.

Authorship and Contribution

All authors must have made a significant contribution to the research and to the article. The contribution of each author must be clearly stated, indicating the corresponding percentages and roles, according to the CRediT taxonomy.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional or personal conflict of interest that may have influenced the research or the interpretation of its results. Peer reviewers must not have conflicts of interest that could affect their evaluation.

Research Involving Human Participants

Manuscripts involving studies with people must meet the following requirements:

  • Informed consent: every participant must receive clear information about the risks, benefits, objectives and methods of the study, and must freely express in writing their willingness to take part, with the right to withdraw at any time without penalty.
  • Privacy and confidentiality: personal and sensitive data must be handled so as to protect the identity of participants, in compliance with data protection law, through anonymisation or dissociation of the information.
  • Risk-benefit balance: the risks for participants must not be disproportionate to the social and scientific value of the research.
  • Protection of vulnerable populations: the inclusion of minors, pregnant women, people with cognitive disabilities or persons deprived of liberty must be thoroughly justified.

Authors must confirm that the studies were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki or equivalent ethical standards, and include in the manuscript a statement that written informed consent was obtained from all participants or their legal representatives. Where applicable, approval of the protocol by an accredited ethics committee must be stated, giving its name and approval number.

Studies Involving Animals

Authors must certify that procedures complied with international guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals, such as those of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) or equivalent standards, stating the ethics committee that approved the study and the approval number.

Personal Data Protection

Research using personal or sensitive data must comply with applicable local and international laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The manuscript must state how data privacy was protected and whether participants consented to the use of their information. Photographs showing people require the appropriate authorisations and must not cause harm or detriment to those who appear in them.

The journal reserves the right to request additional documentation supporting the ethical and legal compliance of the study. The Editorial Committee or the reviewers may request further information on the ethical standards and safeguards of the research, which must follow the principles of the Singapore Statement on Research Integrity. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the rejection of the manuscript.

Retraction Policy

The journal reserves the right to retract published manuscripts when, after publication, they are shown to contain honest errors, research misconduct or fraud. Authors may request the retraction of their articles if they discover that their work contains serious errors. This policy is based on the COPE Retraction Guidelines (2019).

Post-publication Corrections

If serious errors or omissions are detected in a published article that affect the reputation of the author or of the journal, or that alter the understanding or integrity of the text, a correction or retraction process will be initiated as appropriate. Corrections will be made by the author, as determined by the Editor. An editorial note or erratum will also be published, clearly detailing the errors and the changes made.