Other Editorial Policies
Archiving and digital preservation policy
Terra Latinoamericana maintains a digital preservation policy based on the LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) initiative integrated into the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform. This preservation strategy ensures the long-term accessibility, integrity, and availability of the journal's scholarly content.
The journal permits immediate self-archiving of published articles by authors. Authors may deposit their works through the journal's OJS platform and may also archive the final published version of their articles in institutional, disciplinary, or personal repositories. Each article and journal issue is assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), which facilitates permanent identification, citation, retrieval, and long-term archiving.
In addition to its participation in LOCKSS, Terra Latinoamericana maintains internal backup systems through dedicated storage devices that are updated monthly to ensure the security and preservation of editorial content.
All articles published since the journal's first volume and issue remain permanently available through the journal's online archive:
https://terralatinoamericana.org.mx/index.php/terra/es/issue/archive
In accordance with Mexican legal requirements, Terra Latinoamericana complies with legal deposit regulations, and all published volumes and issues are deposited in the National Newspaper and Periodicals Library of Mexico (Hemeroteca Nacional de México) for long-term preservation and public access.
Authors are permitted to deposit versions of their articles in institutional, disciplinary, or personal repositories, provided that the original publication in Terra Latinoamericana is clearly acknowledged, the corresponding DOI is included, and the deposited version is identified as the final published version of record.
Depositing articles in commercial academic networking platforms or third-party services is permitted only when such deposition does not conflict with the terms of the journal's publication license (Creative Commons) and appropriate acknowledgment of the original source is maintained.
Through these preservation and archiving practices, Terra Latinoamericana promotes the long-term accessibility, visibility, dissemination, and preservation of scientific knowledge in accordance with internationally recognized principles of Open Access and Open Science. Terra Latinoamericana does not impose any embargo period on self-archiving of the published version of record.
Manuscript submission and initial editorial screening policy
i. Preliminary considerations
a. Before submitting a manuscript, Terra Latinoamericana strongly recommends that authors carefully review the Journal Guidelines and Editorial Policies.
b. Submitted manuscripts must not have been previously published, nor be under consideration or peer review by another journal.
c. Each submission must be accompanied by a Submission Letter addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, confirming that all authors agree with the authorship attribution, content, and submission of the manuscript.
d. Authors must submit the Copyright Transfer Agreement as part of the submission process.
e. Authors are encouraged to suggest between three and five potential reviewers with recognized expertise in the subject area who are not affiliated with the same institution as any of the authors.
f. During manuscript submission, authors must provide the email address and ORCID identifier of each co-author. ORCID registration is available at: https://orcid.org
ii. Manuscript submission process
a. Manuscripts must be submitted through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform available at https://www.terralatinoamericana.org.mx
b. The progress of the editorial and peer-review process will be managed exclusively through the OJS platform and communicated directly with the corresponding author.
c. Authors must log in using their username and password. New users should complete the registration process before submitting a manuscript.
d. Authors should select "New Submission" and complete all required submission steps and documentation.
e. If the manuscript falls within the journal's scope and complies with the Editorial Guidelines and submission requirements, it will be assigned to an Associate Editor or Section Editor. The assigned editor will then select the reviewers responsible for evaluating the manuscript.
f. All manuscripts submitted for publication undergo a rigorous peer-review process. Each manuscript is independently evaluated by three reviewers, who may recommend acceptance with minor revisions, acceptance with major revisions, or rejection.
Special issues policy
A Special Issue is a collection of peer-reviewed articles focused on a specific scientific topic, emerging research area, or theme of particular interest to the scholarly community. Special Issues may also consist of selected contributions arising from scientific meetings, conferences, symposia, or other academic events associated with the journal or related scientific societies. In addition, Special Issues may include retrospective collections of articles previously published on a common theme. Such issues contribute to the visibility, dissemination, and promotion of the journal.
Terra Latinoamericana recommends that proposals for Special Issues be submitted by at least two Guest Editors with demonstrated expertise in the subject area and, preferably, previous editorial experience. Guest Editors are responsible for promoting the Special Issue, inviting submissions from qualified researchers, selecting contributions based on submitted abstracts or thematic relevance, and overseeing the editorial process of the manuscripts submitted to the Special Issue.
Although submissions to a Special Issue are coordinated by the Guest Editors, all manuscripts are subject to the same editorial standards, ethical requirements, and rigorous peer-review procedures applied to regular submissions in Terra Latinoamericana.
Manuscripts submitted to a Special Issue will undergo the journal's standard peer-review process. The Guest Editor selected during submission will be assigned to oversee the manuscript, unless a conflict of interest exists or another circumstance requires editorial reassignment.
Associate Editors of Terra Latinoamericana may be invited to participate in Special Issues as Advisory Editors, when deemed appropriate by the Editor-in-Chief, or may supervise the review process of manuscripts for which the Guest Editors have a real, potential, or perceived conflict of interest.
All proposals for Special Issues submitted to Terra Latinoamericana must be reviewed and formally approved by the Editor-in-Chief before publication planning and manuscript solicitation activities begin.
Terra Latinoamericana reserves the right to reject, modify, postpone, or cancel a proposed Special Issue if it does not meet the journal's scientific, editorial, ethical, or quality standards. Guest Editors are subject to the same ethical standards, conflict-of-interest policies, confidentiality requirements, and editorial responsibilities as members of the Editorial Committee.
Experimental design and statistical analysis policy
Terra Latinoamericana has a dedicated editorial team responsible for reviewing the experimental design and statistical analysis sections of all manuscripts submitted through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.
In this context, Terra Latinoamericana requires that all statements regarding quantitative differences be supported by quantitative data and appropriate statistical analyses. Statistical analyses must be conducted using independent experimental units. The number of independent samples and measures of variability (e.g., standard error of the mean, standard deviation, confidence intervals) must be clearly reported in the Materials and Methods section or in the figure legends, as appropriate.
In general, technical replicates within a single experiment are not considered independent samples and should not be treated as such in statistical analyses.
Descriptions of statistical methods and procedures must include the software used, the statistical analyses performed, and sufficient methodological detail to allow reproducibility of the results.
In addition, authors must clearly describe the experimental design employed, including: the specific experimental design used; the number of times the experiment was conducted; the number of replicates associated with each experimental unit; the statistical analyses performed and their justification.
As a general guideline, a minimum of three independent replicates (n ≥ 3) is recommended when scientifically and methodologically appropriate. However, the number of replicates should always be justified according to the objectives, design, and nature of the study.
Terra Latinoamericana reserves the right to request additional methodological information, clarification of statistical procedures, reanalysis of data, or access to supporting datasets whenever necessary to verify the validity, reproducibility, and scientific integrity of the reported results.
The journal's Statistical Editors may provide recommendations regarding experimental design, statistical methodology, data interpretation, and result presentation to ensure that published research meets internationally recognized standards of scientific rigor and reproducibility.
Equity and non-discrimination policy
All manuscripts submitted to Terra Latinoamericana are evaluated exclusively based on their scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, relevance, and contribution to knowledge within the scope of the journal.
Terra Latinoamericana is committed to promoting equity, inclusion, and non-discrimination throughout all stages of the editorial and peer-review process. The Editorial Committee, editors, and reviewers shall not favor or discriminate against authors, reviewers, or any participant in the publication process on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, race, color, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, political beliefs, institutional affiliation, socioeconomic status, or any other personal characteristic or condition unrelated to the scientific merit of the work submitted.
Any substantiated violation of these principles, as determined by the appropriate authority or through the journal's established procedures, will be addressed through the implementation of appropriate corrective measures in accordance with Terra Latinoamericana's editorial policies and ethical standards.
In the composition of its Editorial Committee and editorial teams, Terra Latinoamericana promotes the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and non-discrimination, while striving to achieve balanced representation in terms of gender, scientific expertise, institutional affiliation, and geographic diversity.
Through this policy, Terra Latinoamericana reaffirms its commitment to fostering a fair, respectful, inclusive, and transparent scholarly publishing environment consistent with internationally recognized principles of research integrity, publication ethics, and Open Science.
Institutional contribution for editorial sustainability policy
Articles published in Terra Latinoamericana are Open Access and are made freely, immediately, and permanently available to all readers without charges for access, consultation, or subscription.
Terra Latinoamericana is not affiliated with a university and does not receive permanent public funding to support its editorial operations. The journal's sustainability depends on a combination of voluntary academic work, institutional support, and partial cost-recovery mechanisms designed to ensure the continuity, quality, preservation, and accessibility of the scientific content it publishes.
To contribute to the sustainability of the journal's editorial, technological, and digital preservation infrastructure, Terra Latinoamericana requests an institutional contribution for editorial sustainability. These contributions partially support costs associated with manuscript management, coordination of the peer-review process, long-term digital preservation, DOI registration and maintenance, hosting and maintenance of technological platforms, cybersecurity, and other activities required to operate the journal under a non-commercial Open Access model.
An institutional contribution of MXN $1,500.00 is suggested to support the editorial management and scientific evaluation of each manuscript submitted to the journal. For manuscripts accepted for publication, an additional institutional contribution of MXN $8,500.00 is suggested to support the editorial and technological infrastructure required for publication, dissemination, preservation, and Open Access availability of the published content.
Institutional contributions for editorial sustainability are preferably provided by the authors' affiliated institutions, funded research projects, research support funds, sponsoring organizations, or other institutional sources of academic funding. These contributions constitute a partial cost-recovery mechanism intended exclusively to preserve the viability and long-term sustainability of Terra Latinoamericana as a non-profit, Open Access scientific journal serving the academic community and society.
Individuals holding a current membership in the Mexican Society of Soil Science (SMCS) are eligible for a 30% reduction in the institutional contributions for editorial sustainability applicable during the current year.
Refund policy
Institutional contributions for editorial sustainability help partially cover the costs associated with editorial management, scientific evaluation, production, publication, digital preservation, and dissemination of the content published in Terra Latinoamericana.
The contribution corresponding to manuscript editorial management and scientific evaluation (MXN $1,500.00) is allocated to the initiation and administration of the editorial and peer-review processes and is therefore non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of the evaluation.
For manuscripts accepted for publication, the contribution intended to support the journal's editorial and technological infrastructure (MXN $8,500.00) must be formalized prior to the scheduling and final publication of the article.
Because these contributions are directly applied to editorial, technological, and digital preservation activities necessary for the operation of the journal, Terra Latinoamericana does not provide refunds once the corresponding contribution has been formalized.
Submission of a manuscript constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of these provisions by the authors and, where applicable, by the institutions, projects, or organizations providing support for editorial sustainability.
Licensing policy
All content published in Terra Latinoamericana is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Under this license, readers and users are free to access, read, download, cite, share (in both print and electronic formats), print, and distribute the published content, provided that proper acknowledgment is given to Terra Latinoamericana as the original source of publication and the corresponding Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is included.
The published material may not be used for commercial purposes, nor may it be modified, adapted, remixed, transformed, or used to create derivative works without the prior written authorization of the copyright holder.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License
Interoperability and metadata policy
Terra Latinoamericana provides interoperability services through the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH), available at the following URL: https://terralatinoamericana.org.mx/index.php/terra/oai.
The journal platform implements an advanced interoperability scheme that enables the exposure of structured metadata in Dublin Core format, thereby facilitating integration with indexing systems, institutional repositories, and national and international scientific dissemination platforms.
Likewise, the platform incorporates enriched metadata, DOI interoperability, links to PDF files, and compatibility with academic retrieval systems and external consultation services.
Science communication and public engagement policy
Terra Latinoamericana recognizes that scientific knowledge is a public good and that its social appropriation is essential to promoting sustainable development, agricultural innovation, natural resource conservation, and evidence-based decision-making.
In accordance with the principles of Open Access, Open Science, scientific integrity, and social relevance, the journal carries out permanent public communication initiatives aimed at both specialized and non-specialized audiences.
The purpose of this policy is to communicate the research findings published in Terra Latinoamericana in a clear, accessible, and responsible manner, fostering their understanding, social appropriation, and application by producers, students, educators, decision-makers, extension specialists, civil society organizations, and the public.
To achieve this objective, Terra Latinoamericana implements a permanent science communication strategy entitled Voices of the Soil (Voces del Suelo) (https://vocesdelsuelo.org.mx/index.php/vocesdelsuelo/es) whose purpose is to translate the scientific knowledge published in the journal into accessible formats for broader audiences without compromising the scientific rigor of the original research. All dissemination materials developed through this initiative explicitly refer readers to the original scientific article by including its complete bibliographic reference and Digital Object Identifier (DOI).
Progressively, Terra Latinoamericana may develop one or more of the following science communication products derived from published articles, Plain Language Summaries; scientific infographics; visual Abstracts; author interviews; short educational videos; podcasts; informative capsules; electronic newsletters; science news; social media content; and educational resources for students and educators.
All science communication products shall, faithfully represent the scientific content of the original article; avoid interpretations that extend beyond the research findings; appropriately acknowledge and cite the original publication; respect copyright and the journal's licensing policy; employ clear, precise, and inclusive language; and clearly distinguish scientific evidence from opinion.
Terra Latinoamericana may invite authors to collaborate in the preparation of dissemination materials derived from their published articles. Participation shall be entirely voluntary and shall not constitute a requirement for manuscript acceptance or publication.
Materials produced through the Voices of the Soil initiative are disseminated through the Voices of the Soil microsite, institutional social media platforms, audio and video platforms, electronic newsletters, institutional repositories, and academic and science outreach events.
All materials generated through Voices of the Soil are freely available under the journal's Open Access policy, promoting the dissemination, reuse, and social appropriation of scientific knowledge in accordance with the journal's publication license.
The Editorial Board periodically evaluates the scope and impact of the Voices of the Soil initiative by considering indicators such as the number of dissemination products produced, digital reach, downloads, views, user engagement, use in educational and outreach activities, and community feedback. The results are used to continuously improve the journal's public communication of science activities.
As part of its permanent science communication strategy, Terra Latinoamericana uses its institutional social media channels to broaden the dissemination of the research published in the journal and to encourage its social appropriation.
The journal maintains an official Facebook/Meta page (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064315680998) through which it disseminates newly published articles and issues, scientific infographics, visual abstracts, science communication capsules, news related to agricultural, environmental, and soil sciences, calls for papers and reviewers, academic and editorial activities, scientific commemorations, outreach campaigns, and materials produced through the Voices of the Soil initiative.
Terra Latinoamericana is also promoted through the official Facebook/Meta page of the Mexican Society of Soil Science (https://www.facebook.com/smcs.suelos.7) Whenever possible, social media posts include a direct link to the original article through its DOI or permanent URL, thereby facilitating Open Access and encouraging consultation of the complete scientific publication.
Privacy and confidentiality policy and privacy notice
The Privacy Policy of Terra Latinoamericana is based on the provisions of the General Law on the Protection of Personal Data Held by Obligated Subjects (Ley General de Protección de Datos Personales en Posesión de Sujetos Obligados, LGPDPPSO) and the General Guidelines for the Protection of Personal Data in the Public Sector of Mexico.
The following constitutes a simplified Privacy Notice regarding the submission of scientific manuscripts to Terra Latinoamericana.
1. Who is responsible for processing your personal data?
The Mexican Society of Soil Science (Sociedad Mexicana de la Ciencia del Suelo, SMCS), located at the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Department of Soil Science Building, C.P. 56230, Chapingo, State of Mexico, Mexico. Telephone: +52 (595) 952-1721, is responsible for processing the personal data provided by users. Such information shall be protected in accordance with the provisions of the General Law on the Protection of Personal Data Held by Obligated Subjects (LGPDPPSO) and the General Guidelines for the Protection of Personal Data in the Public Sector.
2. Purposes for processing personal data
The personal data collected by Terra Latinoamericana are used exclusively for the following purposes:
a. User registration and management of journal access credentials.
b. Editorial management of scientific manuscripts.
c. Dissemination of original scientific research.
d. Processing of individual or collective authorship declarations confirming the originality of submitted manuscripts, in accordance with the journal's authorship policy.
e. Electronic communication with authors at both national and international levels throughout the editorial process.
3. Transfer of personal data
The Mexican Society of Soil Science (SMCS) will not transfer personal data to third parties except when such transfer is required to comply with duly founded and justified requests from competent authorities, or when any of the circumstances established in Articles 22, 66, and 70 of the General Law on the Protection of Personal Data Held by Obligated Subjects (LGPDPPSO), as well as Article 36 of the General Guidelines for the Protection of Personal Data in the Public Sector, are applicable. In such cases, prior notification to the data subject shall not be required.
4. Access to the full Privacy Notice and updates
The complete Privacy Notice, as well as any future amendments, may be consulted on the official website of Terra Latinoamericana, under the section Other Editorial Policies, available at https://terralatinoamericana.org.mx/index.php/terra/es/Other_editorial_policies
Web accessibility policy and commitment
Terra Latinoamericana recognizes that Open Access to scientific knowledge should be accompanied by conditions that enable its consultation and use by the widest possible audience, including individuals with diverse physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities.
In accordance with the principles of Open Access, inclusion, equity, and the democratization of knowledge, Terra Latinoamericana is committed to progressively improving the accessibility of its website and digital content.
The purpose of this policy is to promote equitable access to the journal's published content through the gradual adoption of recognized web accessibility best practices that facilitate information retrieval, navigation, and use by all users.
To achieve this objective, Terra Latinoamericana will progressively seek to maintain a clear and well-organized website structure; provide intuitive navigation throughout the journal's different sections; use properly structured headings and semantic elements to facilitate accurate interpretation of content by web browsers and assistive technologies; promote the use of alternative text (alt text) for images and illustrations whenever appropriate; maintain adequate contrast between text and background to improve readability; encourage compatibility with screen readers and other assistive technologies, to the extent permitted by the journal's editorial platform and available technical resources; and ensure that published documents maintain appropriate readability and visual quality.
Terra Latinoamericana will periodically review the accessibility of its website and promote the gradual adoption of internationally recognized accessibility practices, taking as reference the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), in accordance with the journal's technical and operational capabilities.
The Editorial Office welcomes comments and suggestions regarding the accessibility of the journal's website and digital content. Users are encouraged to report any accessibility issues through the official contact channels of Terra Latinoamericana, thereby contributing to the journal's continuous improvement.
