Publication Ethics

Antigüedad y Cristianismo adheres to the principles and recommendations established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) for identifying principles of transparency and best practices in scholarly publishing, which serve as the foundation for its ethical code.

1. Website: The journal's website reflects the editorial processes involved in manuscript management, aiming to ensure the highest possible standards in manuscript selection and avoiding any information that could mislead readers or authors. The site includes a clear statement of the journal’s aims and scope, a definition of its intended audience, and the main thematic areas it covers. The printed and electronic ISSNs are displayed prominently and accessibly at the top of the homepage.

2. Journal Title: Antigüedad y Cristianismo is a unique title, widely recognized by the international scholarly community, and does not create confusion with any other journal.

3. Peer Review Process: The journal follows a double-blind peer review process, in line with standard practices in scholarly journal publishing. Each submission to the “Doctrina” section is reviewed by two external referees, guaranteeing the anonymity of both authors and reviewers. This process is clearly described on the website and in the submission workflow, and at no time are authors promised rapid review or publication.

4. Ownership and Management: The patrimonial rights of all published content belong to the Publications Service of the University of Murcia, as stated in the journal’s submission guidelines.

5. Governance: Antigüedad y Cristianismo is managed by an editorial structure composed of an Editorial Team, an Editorial Board, and a Scientific and Advisory Committee, all of which include recognized national and international experts in the journal's areas of interest. The journal is committed to promoting gender equity and internationalization within its governance structures. Full names, affiliations, and contact information of the editors are made available.

6. Copyright and Licensing: The journal's copyright policy is clearly defined in its author guidelines and open access policy. The copyright holder is named in all published articles. Authors are permitted to deposit accepted or final published versions of their articles in third-party repositories, in accordance with Open Science principles.

7. Author Fees: Antigüedad y Cristianismo is a “diamond” open access journal that does not charge any fees for submission or publication (NO-APC), nor does it impose fees for accessing its content. The journal is fully committed to the Open Science paradigm and has signed the Manifesto on Open Science as a Global Public Good: Non-Commercial Open Access, adopted at the 2023 Toluca Summit.

8. Handling Allegations of Research Misconduct: The editorial board takes reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of content where research misconduct has occurred, including plagiarism, citation manipulation, data falsification/fabrication, and improper use of Artificial Intelligence in manuscript preparation, among others. If allegations of research misconduct arise in relation to a published article, the journal will follow COPE guidelines to address the matter, which may include manuscript rejection or article retraction, as necessary.

9. Data Sets: In support of Open Science, Antigüedad y Cristianismo encourages the deposit of research data sets, recognizing their value and the importance of sharing and reuse. The journal has created a dedicated collection in DIGITUM, the institutional repository of the University of Murcia, for storing data sets linked to published articles. Authors may also deposit such data in other general or subject-specific repositories.

10. Publication Schedule: The journal follows an annual publication frequency with an "open issue" format, clearly communicated to its readers and contributors.

11. Access: All journal content is freely and openly accessible without charge.

12. Archiving: All journals published by the University of Murcia are preserved in DIGITUM, its institutional repository, ensuring digital preservation.

13. Revenue Sources: Antigüedad y Cristianismo does not receive any form of financial subsidy. Its website is hosted by the Publications Service of the University of Murcia.

14. Advertising: The journal announces the opening and closing of each issue through major scholarly mailing lists relevant to its disciplinary field. It also maintains active profiles on Facebook and Academia.edu to disseminate its published content.

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A detailed description of the journal’s ethical code follows, tailored to the roles of each participant involved in the editorial and publication process of Antigüedad y Cristianismo.

To the authors.

• Manuscripts submitted for publication must be the result of original and unpublished research. They must include the data obtained and used, as well as an objective discussion of the results. Sufficient information must be provided to allow any specialist to verify the research conducted and thus confirm or refute the interpretations presented in the work.

• Authors must adhere to the submission guidelines for original manuscripts and appropriately reference the source of ideas or literal phrases taken from previously published works, following the indicated format. When graphic material (figures, photos, maps, etc.) is included as part of the research, its source must be specified, along with any necessary reproduction permissions. Unnecessary fragmentation of research across multiple articles should be avoided.

• Authors must ensure that their works are original, authored by them, do not duplicate any previously published work—including their own—and that their data and conclusions have not been copied, fabricated, distorted, or manipulated. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal only the right of first publication. Plagiarism in all its forms, multiple or redundant publication, and the fabrication or manipulation of data constitute serious and unethical practices and will be considered scientific fraud.

• Authors must not submit manuscripts that are under consideration by another journal, nor submit the same manuscript to another journal unless they receive notification of rejection or voluntarily withdraw it. However, it is acceptable to publish a work that expands upon another previously published as a brief note, communication, or abstract in conference proceedings, provided the original text is properly cited and the new work constitutes a substantial modification. Secondary publications aimed at a different audience (e.g., articles in another language or versions adapted for specialists vs. general audiences) are also acceptable, but these circumstances must be specified, and the original publication must be properly cited.

• In cases of multiple authorship, the corresponding author must guarantee the recognition of all individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, planning, design, execution, data collection, interpretation, and discussion of the results. All authors share responsibility for the submitted work. Additionally, the corresponding author is solely responsible for communication with the journal, ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and consent to its potential publication. The corresponding author must also ensure that no eligible contributor is omitted and avoid unethical practices such as fictitious or honorary authorship. Other contributions should be acknowledged in a note within the article, and a brief description of each team member's individual contribution should be provided.

• All publications that have influenced the research must be acknowledged in the manuscript; therefore, original sources on which the work is based must be identified and cited in the bibliography. Misuse of sources, whether accidental or not, constitutes plagiarism. Irrelevant or redundant citations should be avoided, as well as excessive mention of well-established facts. Authors must not use information obtained privately through conversations, correspondence, or debates with colleagues unless explicit written permission is obtained, and such information was received in a context of scientific advice.

• If an author discovers a significant error in their work, they are obliged to inform the journal as soon as possible to modify the article, withdraw it, or publish a correction, clarification, or erratum. If a potential error is detected by any member of the editorial team, the author is required to provide proof of the correctness of their work.

• Where applicable, the original manuscript must be accompanied by a declaration disclosing any commercial, financial, or personal relationships that may affect the results and conclusions of the work. All sources of funding for the study must also be indicated. This information will be included in the published version of the article.

• Authors must explicitly assess the relevance of including an analysis of sex and/or gender variables in their research, integrating it, when pertinent, into the study design, methodological approach, presentation of results, discussion, and statement of limitations; such analysis must justify from the initial conception the theoretical and methodological relevance of these variables, describe the criteria for data collection and processing that allow their consideration, present results in a disaggregated manner when appropriate, and critically examine the meaning of any differences observed, as well as the constraints derived from their absence or insufficiency; likewise, it is established that the conclusions of the works must explicitly take into account the existence or absence of sex and/or gender-related differences and their relevance for the overall interpretation of the results and for future lines of research.

 

To the Editors

All members of the Editorial Team are responsible for the content published and, therefore, it is their duty to ensure its scientific quality, prevent malpractice in publication, and manage the editing of submitted works within a reasonable timeframe. This responsibility entails strict adherence to the following principles:

• The journal will accept original contributions on Late Antiquity in any of the disciplines it encompasses, as well as book reviews.

• Submitted manuscripts must comply with the submission guidelines, which are publicly available and specified in the Publication Guidelines.

• The Editorial Team will guarantee the publication of one annual issue and ensure free and unrestricted access to all its content from the moment of electronic publication. Therefore, there will be no cost to authors for publication or editorial processing.

• The opinions and facts expressed in each article are the sole responsibility of their authors. The journal assumes no responsibility for the credibility or authenticity of the articles.

• The Editorial Team will act impartially in the management of submitted works and will respect the intellectual independence of the authors, who are recognized the right of reply in the case of negative evaluations. Works or research yielding negative results elsewhere will not be excluded.

• Members of the Editorial Team are obliged to maintain confidentiality regarding the received manuscripts and their content until they are accepted or rejected for publication. Only then may their titles and authorship be disclosed.

• No member of the Editorial Board may use data, arguments, or interpretations contained in unpublished works for their own research without the explicit written consent of the author(s).

• The Editorial Board will ensure that received research papers are evaluated by at least two external specialists in the field, or blind peers, who will determine the acceptance or rejection of the paper. This review process must be fair and impartial and completed within a reasonable period, not exceeding six months. The evaluation will consist of a questionnaire and a detailed report. When one of the two evaluations is negative, a third opinion will be requested.

• The Editorial Team will be particularly vigilant regarding the originality of the works and will entrust reviewers with the detection of plagiarism, redundant publications, and falsified or manipulated data.

• The Editorial Team will appreciate and acknowledge the contributions of those who have collaborated in the review of submitted works. Likewise, it will promote the recognition of peer review activities by academic authorities as part of the scientific process and will dispense with reviewers who provide low-quality, incorrect, disrespectful evaluations, or who fail to meet deadlines.

• The responsibility for accepting or rejecting a work for publication lies with the Editor-in-Chief and the Deputy Editor, who must adhere to the reports issued by the Editorial Board. These reports must base their judgment on the quality of the works in terms of relevance, originality, and clarity of exposition. The Editorial Team may directly reject submissions without initiating the review process if they are deemed clearly unsuitable for the journal due to formal defects, misalignment with the journal's scientific objectives or thematic focus, or due to evidence of scientific misconduct. Such decisions will be communicated to the author(s).

• The Editorial Team reserves the right to retract previously published articles if their unreliability is determined subsequently, whether due to unintentional errors or instances of fraud or scientific malpractice, such as data fabrication, manipulation, plagiarism, redundant or duplicate publication, omission of references, use of content without permission or justification, etc. If only part of the article contains an error, it may be rectified later via an editorial note or erratum. In cases of duplicate publication caused by simultaneous submission to two journals, the issue will be resolved by determining the date of receipt in each case. In the event of a conflict, the journal will request explanations and pertinent evidence from the author(s) and will make a final decision based on them. The journal will mandatorily publish a notice of retraction, mentioning the reasons for such action to distinguish misconduct from inadvertent error. The retraction will be notified to the author(s) and to the authorities of their affiliated institution(s). Retraction decisions will be made as soon as possible to prevent the article from being cited in the field. Retracted articles will be retained, clearly and unequivocally marked as such, to distinguish them from corrections or comments. As a preliminary step to definitive retraction, the journal may issue a notice of irregularity, providing the necessary information in the same terms as a retraction. The irregularity notice will remain in place as long as necessary until its removal or formal retraction.

• The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for ensuring that the rules governing the operation of the Editorial Team are correctly applied and must ensure that its members are familiar with them. Additionally, specific aspects of their role include promoting and representing the journal publicly and legally in various forums and instances; suggesting and supporting possible improvements; soliciting contributions from leading specialists in the field; conducting a preliminary review of received submissions; writing editorials, reviews, comments, news, book reviews, etc., for the journal; and coordinating the Editorial Board.

• A conflict of interest arises when the author of a manuscript submitted to the journal is a person who is part of the Editorial Team, has a direct personal or professional relationship with its members, or is closely related to their past or current research. Anyone affected by any of these situations must abstain from participating in the evaluation process of the proposed article.

To the reviewers

Individuals participating in the evaluation process play an essential role in ensuring the quality of the publication. They assist the journal’s editorial bodies in making editorial decisions and help authors improve their articles.

• Reviewers must consider the manuscript under review as a confidential document until its publication, both during and after the review process. Under no circumstances should they disclose or use the information, details, arguments, or interpretations contained in the reviewed text for their own benefit or that of others, nor should they use it to harm third parties. Only in special cases may they seek the advice of other specialists in the field, and in such cases, they must inform the journal’s Editorial Board.

• Reviewers must objectively assess the overall quality of the work, including the information supporting the working hypothesis, the theoretical and experimental data, and their interpretation, without neglecting the presentation and writing of the text. Criticism should be specific, objective, and constructive, and judgments must be adequately substantiated. Hostile attitudes must be avoided, and the intellectual independence of the author must be respected. Reviewers should also alert the Editorial Board to any substantial similarity between the manuscript under review and any other article already published or under evaluation in another journal (redundant or duplicate publication). They must also flag any plagiarized, falsified, fabricated, or manipulated texts or data.

• Reviewers must complete their tasks promptly and submit their reports within the agreed timeframe. They should also notify the Editorial Board as soon as possible if they feel unqualified to assess the assigned work or if they are unable to fulfill the task within the stipulated deadline.

• Reviewers must ensure that relevant previously published bibliography on the subject is cited, suggesting the removal of superfluous or redundant references or the inclusion of uncited but pertinent works.

• Reviewers must decline to review a manuscript if they have a professional or personal relationship with the author or if any of the individuals involved might influence their judgment of the work. Conflicts of interest may also arise if the manuscript under review is closely related to the reviewer’s current research or previously published work. In such cases, if in doubt, the reviewer should decline the assignment and return the manuscript to the journal, providing the reasons for their decision.

• The reviewers must rigorously verify that the manuscripts submitted for evaluation incorporate an adequate and methodologically sound treatment of the variables sex and/or gender. This evaluation task entails, first, checking whether the study presents a sex- and/or gender-disaggregated analysis when the nature of the data requires it or when its consideration is relevant for understanding the phenomena under investigation. Likewise, reviewers must examine whether the authors have explicitly addressed the relevance of these variables in the different stages of the scientific work, so that their proper consideration is reflected in the evaluation report, indicating both the strengths and the shortcomings identified, with the aim of contributing to the quality, comprehensiveness, and scientific responsibility of the manuscript.

  Editorial Policy on Gender Equality and Inclusive, Non-Sexist Language:

  Gender equality

  At the Journal Antigüedad y Cristianismo we want to apply a policy of gender equality by applying measures that:

  1º- Have made it possible to exceed 40% of women in the Editorial Team as well as in the external evaluation processes.

  2º- The inclusion of the full names of the authors in the published works.

  3- Recommendation of the use of inclusive language in the paper presented to the journal in accordance with the Real Academia de la Lengua (Royal Academy of Language).

  4- To make a commitment to inclusive and neutral language in the journal.

  5º- The express desire to improve this aspect within the journal until parity is achieved and thus eliminate the glass ceiling that limits female participation in the different phases of the process of production and dissemination of knowledge.

   

  Inclusive and non-sexist language

  Antigüedad y Cristianismo encourages authors to adopt inclusive and non-sexist language in their submissions, in line with the promotion of gender equality in science advocated by the European Research Area (ERA) agenda for the period 2022–2024, specifically under Action 5: “Promote gender equality and foster inclusiveness.”

  We acknowledge that not all texts lend themselves equally to the adaptation of linguistic formulas in accordance with inclusive language standards. Moreover, we recognize that the promotion of gender equality extends far beyond morphological considerations alone. Nevertheless, we share the view expressed in the Guide for non-sexist language usage (UAM, 2019) that the language provides sufficient resources and mechanisms to communicate effectively. As the guide states: “The speaker can choose among various forms to express themselves in an inclusive and non-sexist manner, so that language becomes a tool for change” (p. 9).

  For further guidance, we recommend consulting the APA’s guidelines on inclusive writing:
  https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language

  At Antigüedad y Cristianismo, we believe that even a small effort in choosing inclusive language while drafting an academic article can represent a significant step forward for society. Scientific communication cannot remain isolated from the societal transformations that underpin it.