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2.1 Authors commit to submitting original and unpublished works to Norteamérica.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.