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:
- a) address the region as an object of analysis: specifically, its evolution, particular processes, and internal dynamics;
- b) analyze the reality in each of the three nations, linking them thematically with the rest of the region;
- c) carry out comparative studies of the nations of North America;
- d) address the region and its insertion in the international context; and
- 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:
- a) politics, economics, society, and culture.
- b) foreign policy, trade, political systems, security, comparative politics, political philosophy and history; and
- 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. Norteamérica, the academic journal of the Center for Research on North America (CISAN) at UNAM, provides immediate open access to all its content under the principle that making research freely available to the public contributes to the global exchange of knowledge.
The contents of Norteamérica are available free of charge to all audiences. The journal aligns with the open access initiative, adhering to Creative Commons policies (with attribution and non-commercial rights, specifically under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license). Norteamérica does not charge or pay authors any fees for the evaluation, correction, editing, publication, or distribution of their articles. The journal is committed to disseminating published works through open access indexing services and various repositories that utilize the Open Archives Initiative-Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH).
Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, and link to the full texts of articles in this journal, provided the use is for academic purposes and the original source of publication is properly cited, in accordance with the Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 (Attribution-NonCommercial) license. This ensures that the research remains accessible while respecting the rights of authors and the non-commercial nature of the journal’s mission.
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:
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.