Editorial Process

UDA Law Review uses the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform, developed by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP), for its entire management process. This system guarantees the transparency and traceability of the entire editorial workflow, from initial submission to final publication. Only articles received through this official portal are submitted for peer review.

Phase 1: Submission and Editorial Admission
Once a manuscript is received, the Editorial Committee conducts a preliminary review to verify compliance with the following basic parameters:
Anonymity: The uploaded file is verified to ensure it does not contain authorship or affiliation information in the text or document properties to guarantee the integrity of the review.
Format and Style: Adherence to the length guidelines (3,000–8,000 words) and the Chicago 18th edition citation style is checked.
Originality and Plagiarism: Each article is analyzed using Turnitin® software. A maximum similarity threshold of 20% is required (excluding properly referenced bibliography).
Use of AI: The mandatory declaration regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence tools is confirmed, if applicable.
Submissions that do not meet these technical criteria will be returned to the authors for revision or rejected outright if serious ethical violations are detected.

Phase 2: Double-Blind Peer Review
Manuscripts that pass the admission phase are sent for technical evaluation under a double-blind peer review process. In this process:
Reviewers: These are specialists external to the publishing institution with recognized expertise in the article's subject area.
Evaluation Criteria: Methodological rigor, legal relevance, originality of the approach, and clarity of argumentation are analyzed.
Timeline: The journal guarantees efficient management with an average turnaround time of 45 days for the reviewers to issue their decision. Results: The decisions can be: Accepted, Accepted with minor revisions, Re-evaluate (major revisions), or Rejected. In case of disagreement between reviewers, a third reviewer will be requested.

Phase 3: Editing and Editorial Production
After final acceptance of the article, its production stage begins:
Style Correction: The editorial team conducts a final review to ensure grammatical and spelling consistency, in coordination with the authors.
Design and Layout: The manuscript is formatted for publication in digital formats (PDF and, soon, HTML/XML).
Identifier Assignment: Final metadata, institutional affiliations, verified ORCID codes, and the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) are added.

Digital Preservation Policy
To ensure that the content remains permanently accessible, the journal uses the LOCKSS and CLOCKSS systems through OJS. It is also integrated into the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) and performs periodic backups on the technological infrastructure of the University of Azuay.