About the Journal

Focus and Scope

Norteamérica is a semiannual peer-reviewed journal that publishes multi and interdisciplinary academic studies about the North America region (Mexico, United States and Canada) which consider the region itself as an object of study, along with its evolution, its individual processes and internal dynamics. An analysis of the reality of each of the three nations is thematically linked with the rest of the region.

1.- Norteamérica will publish exclusively multi- and interdisciplinary academic studies focused on the North American region (Mexico, the United States and Canada) that: 

  1. a)  address the region as an object of analysis: specifically, its evolution, particular processes,  and internal dynamics;
  2. b)  analyze the reality in each of the three nations, linking them thematically with the rest of the region;
  3. c)  carry out comparative studies of the nations of North America;
  4. d)  address the region and its insertion in the international context; and
  5. e)  expand upon international processes and their impact within the region. 

2.- Through these research perspectives, the journal will disseminate articles addressing a wide variety of general and specific issues:

  1. a)  politics, economics, society, and culture.
  2. b)  foreign policy, trade, political systems, security, comparative politics, political philosophy and history; and
  3. c)  migration, electoral processes, borders, science and technology, minorities, the environment and natural resources, education, human rights, gender, and others. 

 

 Peer Review Process

Norteamérica is a double-blind, peer-reviewed journal that guarantees the publication of rigorously evaluated articles in its three sections titled “Essays”, “Contemporary Issues", and "Dossier." 

For the “Essays” and “Contemporary Issues”, and "Dossier" sections, collaborations that meet the criteria stablished by the “Editorial guidelines and Norms” will be accepted for review only after an internal revision regarding form and content has been conducted. The journal will not proceed with the review process otherwise. 

Norteamérica uses a double peer-review process that is strictly anonymous for both parties (author and reviewer). The reviewers are outstanding researchers that all together form a multi-institutional and multinational Board of Reviewers. The reviews will be specialized and documented, specifically referring to the quality and originality of the article, its timeliness and contribution to the corresponding field of study. 

Reviews can have only the following results:  

_____ APPROVED FOR PUBLICATION AS IT IS 

_____ APPROVED FOR PUBLICATION WITH MINOR CORRECTIONS 

_____ POSSIBLY ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION WITH SIGNIFICANT CHANGES 

_____ REJECTED  

  • Approval by two referees is an indispensable requirement for publication. If one of the reviews is negative, a third reviewer will decide. 
  • Articles that receive a conditional approval will only be published if authors incorporate the modifications indicated and these are also approved by the Editorial Board. 
  • The content of the reviews is strictly for internal use of the journal and the author. 
  • Texts will be evaluated, in accordance with the “Guidelines and Norms” of the journal, both formally and thematically by the Direction of the journal and the Editorial Board. These two committees hold the right to decide whether articles suit the interests of the journal or not. 
  • The review process will be strictly anonymous for both parties (author and referees). The author will receive a copy of the two reviews.
  • The proposed deadline for reviewers will be between 4 and 6 weeks. 

 

Open Access Policy

In 2006, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) endorsed the Berlin Declaration, which promotes open access to all digital content resulting from the academic, scientific, and cultural activities carried out by the university, published by its departments and institutes, as well as to all content over which it holds ownership, patrimonial rights, or authorization from the authors. This journal provides immediate open access to all its content under the principle that making research available to the public contributes to the global exchange of knowledge.

 Ethical Guidelines

Norteamérica, Academic Journal of CISAN-UNAM is governed by principles of integrity, transparency, and quality in the academic publication process. This Ethical Guidelines outlines the responsibilities of the journal, authors, and reviewers, as well as specific policies on conflicts of interest, authorship, plagiarism, retractions, misconduct, and the use of artificial intelligence, within the framework of the best open science practices and the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Responsibilities of the Journal

1.1 Norteamérica assumes the responsibility of reviewing the submitted manuscripts and deciding on their thematic relevance and proper formal presentation; subjecting the manuscript to a double-blind peer review process; notifying the authors of the results; and publishing the articles that have received a favorable evaluation in accordance with the journal’s guidelines. 
1.2 Norteamérica will duly inform authors about the stage of the editorial process their submitted manuscript is in: (1) receipt; (2) outcome of the initial internal review of formal and thematic aspects; (3) outcome of the double-blind evaluation; (4) decision of the editorial committee regarding its publication and scheduling; and (5) publication notice. 
1.3 The journal’s editor is responsible for deciding which articles will be sent for review, and the editorial committee will make the final decision on their publication. 
1.4 Editorial decisions are in no way dependent on the nationality, ethnicity, political stance, institutional affiliation, religion, or gender of the authors. 
1.5 The journal commits to respecting the confidentiality of participants in the double-blind review process, ensuring the protection of the identity of both authors and reviewers. 
1.6 Norteamérica will safeguard the integrity of the academic record by implementing retraction and correction policies when necessary, as outlined in section 4 of this guidelines. 
1.7 Within the framework of open science, Norteamérica will promote open access to its content whenever possible, encourage the availability of underlying research data (following FAIR principles: findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable), and support transparency in editorial processes, in line with international best practices.

2. Responsibilities of Authors
2.1 Authors commit to submitting original and unpublished works to Norteamérica. Any previously published text will not be considered for evaluation. 
2.2 A work will be considered previously published when any of the following situations occur: (1) when the full text has been published; (2) when substantial fragments of previously published materials form part of the manuscript submitted to the journal; (3) when the work submitted to the journal is included in published proceedings in full. These criteria apply to prior publications in print or electronic form and in any language. 
2.3 Authors must clearly cite and reference any fragment taken from another’s work or from their own previous texts. This criterion includes proper acknowledgment of data sources, figures, and documents. Failure to comply with this criterion may, at the journal’s discretion, be considered plagiarism, in which case the work will be rejected for publication as per section 4. 
2.4 It is considered good practice for authors to acknowledge the contributions of all individuals who collaborated on the research projects underpinning the article. 
2.5 Since the academic review process for publication in the journal relies on double-blind peer review, it is the author’s responsibility to avoid any reference to their identity in the manuscript. 
2.6 Authors must not submit their work to any other publication while it is under review by the journal. If such behavior is detected, the review or publication process of the manuscript will be suspended. 
2.7 Authors agree to submit their manuscript to Norteamérica in accordance with the journal’s editorial standards, criteria, and procedures. 
2.8 Authors must declare any potential conflict of interest (financial, personal, or professional) that could influence the objectivity of their work, including a “Statement of Conflicts of Interest” upon manuscript submission, as outlined in section 4. 
2.9 Authorship must reflect a substantial contribution to the work, meeting the criteria established in section 4 of this guidelines. 
2.10 In support of open science, authors should consider publishing research data in open repositories, where applicable, and provide information on its availability or the reasons for its restriction, in accordance with the journal’s policies. 
2.11 Authors using artificial intelligence (AI) in the preparation of their work must transparently declare its use, as specified in section 4.6.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers
3.1 Reviewers should only accept manuscripts for which they have sufficient competence, experience, and knowledge to conduct a rigorous, objective, and professional evaluation, in line with the academic standards expected by Norteamérica
3.2 The primary task of reviewers is to assess the scientific quality, originality, and relevance of the manuscript, determining whether it is publishable. If recommending rejection, they must provide clear, specific, and constructive arguments to justify their decision. In all cases, they will offer detailed recommendations to improve the work, contributing to the authors’ academic development. 
3.3 Reviewers must identify and avoid any conflict of interest related to the assigned manuscript (e.g., prior collaborations with the authors, financial interests, or academic rivalries). They also commit to immediately notifying the Editor-in-Chief of any unethical conduct detected (e.g., plagiarism, data manipulation, or misuse of artificial intelligence) or any element justifying rejection, as per section 4. 
3.4 Reviewers must confirm their availability to conduct the review within the timeframe and manner established by the journal, respecting agreed deadlines to ensure the efficiency of the editorial process. If unable to meet this commitment, they will promptly inform the journal to allow reassignment of the manuscript. 
3.5 In the context of open science, reviewers will evaluate the transparency of the manuscript, including clarity in methodology, availability of associated data and resources (following FAIR principles where applicable), and the reproducibility of results. They will encourage practices that reinforce the integrity and accessibility of the research without compromising the confidentiality of the double-blind process. 
3.6 Reviewers will maintain strict confidentiality of the manuscript and its contents during and after the review process, refraining from using the information obtained for personal gain or that of third parties. 
3.7 Where relevant, reviewers will verify that the declared use of artificial intelligence by authors is appropriate, transparent, and does not replace human intellectual contribution, as per section 4.6.

4. Specific Ethical Policies

4.1 Conflicts of Interest:
4.1.1 A conflict of interest is defined as any situation where personal, financial, or professional interests may influence, or appear to influence, the objectivity of authors, editors, or reviewers. 
4.1.2 Authors must include a “Statement of Conflicts of Interest” when submitting their manuscript. Editors and reviewers will notify the Editor-in-Chief of any arising conflicts, and measures such as reassignment of reviewers or exclusion of the involved editor will be taken if necessary. 

4.2 Authorship:
4.2.1 To be considered an author, an individual must: (1) have made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation of the work; (2) have participated in drafting or critically revising the manuscript; (3) have approved the final version; and (4) accept responsibility for its integrity. 
4.2.2 “Honorary authors” or the omission of legitimate contributors will not be accepted. Authors must include a “Statement of Contributions” specifying each individual’s role. 

4.3 Plagiarism:
4.3.1 Plagiarism includes the improper appropriation of ideas, texts, or data without proper credit, including self-plagiarism. 
4.3.2 All manuscripts will be analyzed using plagiarism detection tools. Minor plagiarism will require correction; severe plagiarism will result in rejection and, if applicable, notification of the author’s affiliated institutions. 

4.4 Retractions and Corrections:
4.4.1 Corrections will be issued for minor errors, and retractions for serious issues (fraud, irreparable errors). 
4.4.2 The process includes: (1) receipt of a request with evidence; (2) investigation by the editorial committee; (3) publication of a transparent notice linked to the original article, which will remain online marked as “Retracted” or corrected as appropriate, ensuring traceability in the spirit of open science. 

4.5 Editorial Misconduct:
4.5.1 Misconduct includes data manipulation, fabrication of results, fraudulent reviews, or abuse of editorial power. 
4.5.2 Allegations will be investigated by an ad hoc committee. If confirmed, sanctions such as manuscript rejection, retraction, exclusion of reviewers, or notification of institutions will be applied, as appropriate. 

4.6 Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
4.6.1 The journal recognizes the growing use of AI tools in research and academic writing. Authors must explicitly declare if they have used AI (e.g., for data analysis, text generation, or translation), specifying the tool and purpose in the “Statement of Contributions.” 
4.6.2 AI-generated content cannot be considered an authorial contribution; intellectual responsibility lies solely with human authors. 
4.6.3 Misuse of AI (e.g., submitting AI-generated text without significant human revision or declaration) will be treated as editorial misconduct, subject to sanctions under section 4.5. 

4.7 Open Science:
4.7.1 Norteamérica aligns with open science principles, promoting open access to its publications, data availability in public repositories (following FAIR principles), and transparency in review and editorial decision-making processes, provided it does not compromise the confidentiality of double-blind review. 
4.7.2 Authors will be encouraged to share protocols, guidelines, and data related to their research, indicating their location or justifying their unavailability. Reviewers will consider these elements as part of assessing the work’s quality and reproducibility.

 

Directory

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Dr. Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas

Rector

Miguel Armando López Leyva

Coordinator of Humanities 

Dra. Graciela Mártinez Zalce-Sánchez

CISAN Director

José Luis Valdés-Ugalde

Founder of Norteamérica, Academic Journal of CISAN-UNAM

José Luis Valdés-Ugalde

Editor in Chief

Silvia Maldonado Rivera

Assistant Editor

Juan Carlos Tarriba

Assistant Editor

Astríd Velasco Montante

Managing Editor

Teresita Cortés Díaz

Associate Managing Editor

Teresita Cortés Díaz, María Cristina Hernández Escobar, Diego Bugeda Bernal, Ana Luna

Copy Editing

María Elena Álvarez Sotelo

Typesetting and Lay-out

Ximena Monterrosas Escoto, Ximena Flores Oviedo, Teresa Jiménez Andreu

English Copy Editor

Patricia Pérez

Graphic Design

 

Indexing

Norteamérica, Revista Académica del CISAN-UNAM, is ranked as a Q2 Journal by CONACYT; it is also included in the following data bases and catalogues:

logo Scopuslogo Conacytlogo LatindexLogo Dialnet

 

logo DOAJlogo Redalyclogo Biblatlogo SciELO México

 

 

 

 

Editorial Bodies

The Editorial Board is responsible for the editorial and academic policies of the journal as well as the application of its norms, promoting the journal and evaluating the published issues. It will also decide on any controversial matter unforeseen by the Guidelines of the journal. 

The International Advisory Board is a consulting body; its members will actively participate in the academic evaluation of the articles received. They can also serve as reviewers when needed and participate in assigning the reviews, while periodically evaluating the reviewers’ directory, according to thematic areas of expertise. 

The Editor in Chief is responsible for managing the peer-review process as well as the other management areas of the journal, such as editing, communicating with authors and reviewers, and indexing.

Editorial Board

Roger Bartra, Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales, UNAM, México

Jorge Basave Kunhardt, Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas, UNAM, México

Marianne Braig, Lateinamerika-Institut, Freie Universität Berlin, Alemania

Daniel Drache, Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies and Department of Political Science, York University, Canadá

Luis Maira, Embajador, Chile

Juan Carlos Moreno Brid, Facultad de Economía, UNAM, México

Patricia Eugenia de los Ríos Lozano, Departamento de Ciencias Sociales y Políticas, Universidad Iberoamericana, México

Mónica Verea Campos, Centro de Investigaciones sobre América del Norte, UNAM, México

Scott Whiteford, Center for Latin American Studies, University of Arizona, Estados Unidos

 

International Advisory Board

Carlos Alba Vega, Centro de Estudios Internacionales, El Colegio de México, México

Enrique Cabrero Mendoza, Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE) , México

Leonardo Curzio Gutiérrez, Centro de Investigaciones sobre América del Norte, UNAM, México

James Dunkerley, School of Politics and International Relations Queen Mary University of London, Inglaterra

María Teresa Gutiérrez Haces, Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas, UNAM, México

Christopher Hill, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Estados Unidos

Laura López Morales, Colegio de Letras Modernas, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, UNAM, México

Laura MacDonald, Department of Political Science and the Institute of Political Economy,Carleton University, Canadá

Alejandro Mercado Celis, Centro de Investigaciones sobre América del Norte, UNAM, México

 Olga Pellicer Silva, Departamento Académico de Estudios Internacionales, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, México

Ricardo Pozas Horcasitas, Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales, UNAM, México

 Guillermo Pulido González, Centro de Estudios Mexicanos UNAM /China, México

 Pablo Ruiz Nápoles, Facultad de Economía, UNAM, México

Jorge A. Schiavon, División de Estudios Internacionales, Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas, México

Johanne Sloan, Department of Art History, Faculty of Fine Arts, Concordia University, Canadá

 William Straw, Department of Art History and Communication Studies, McGill University, Canadá

Marcela Terrazas y Bazante, Instituto de Investigaciones Históricas, UNAM, México

Blanca Torres Ramírez, Centro de Estudios Internacionales, El Colegio de México, México

Diego Valadés Ríos, Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas, UNAM, México

Jesús Velasco Grajales, Social Science Department, Tarleton State University, Estados Unidos

 Juan Villoro, escritor y crítico literario, México

Donatella M. Viola, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali, Università della Calabria, Italia

Laura Zamudio González, Departamento de Estudios Internacionales, Universidad Iberoamericana, México

Paz Consuelo Márquez Padilla, Centro de Investigaciones sobre América del Norte, UNAM, México

 

Sponsors

 

Journal History

Norteamérica is the first publication of its kind dedicated to a systematic review of North America. For the past two decades, Canada, the United States and Mexico have taken down some of the barriers that divided them and we dare to assert that “North America” is, as of today, more than a mere geographic denomination. However, our understanding of the biggest free trade region in the world is still inadecuate, in terms of its economy and territory, and the differences that tell these countries apart seem monumental in contrast to the features they share. This is the reason, among others, why we decided to undertake the publishing of this journal.