Focus and Scope

Geography Papers is an open, electronic scientific journal published once a year by the University of Murcia.  It was founded by researchers and teachers with the Department of Geography, University of Murcia, during the 1968-69 academic year. Since Issue 41-42, it has been published as a double issue. From the 59-60 issue, the journal started to be an electronic-only publication.

Geography Papers welcomes original, unpublished papers that make a theoretical, conceptual and/or methodological  contribution to the advancement of both geography and topics pertaining to the interplay between human beings and territory. Where possible, papers may seek to make a contribution to other related disciplines such as cartography, ecology, demography, sociology, etc. The journal seeks to give voice to foreign researchers by accepting publications in English, French, Portuguese and Italian. Every issue of the journal includes reviews as well as news and commentaries concerning geography-related activities anywhere in the world, although a focus on Spain, South America and Mediterranean countries has traditionally been in place.

All the issues of Geography Papers can be reached on the following URL: revistas.um.es/geografía

Peer Review Process

1. Once the author(s) has submitted a manuscript, our editorial team will make sure that it meets all the publication criteria. After that, acknowledgement of receipt is sent to the author. 

2. Two or more external reviewers familiar with the area of expertise of the manuscript, and/or with the territory involved, will be appointed by the editorial team. When they finish the review procedure, they are requested become part of the internal list of evaluators if they wish.

3. The anonymised manuscript will be sent to the reviewers, who will have a month to decide whether they accept the evaluation. These reviewers will be answered back by the editorial team. If the proposed reviewer in unavailable, a new one will be promptly contacted. As the reviewers’ reports come in, the journal editorial team will get back to the reviewers and thank them for their contribution. Certificates will be issued at the request of reviewers. A gentle reminder will be sent out to reviewers if the report submission date is past due 15 days.

It will be necessary two positive evaluations for the manuscript to be published. If the two reviewers’ reports recommend the rejection of the manuscript, its publication will be rejected by the Editorial Board.  If one of the reviewers’ reports recommends the rejection of the manuscript, while the other recommends its publication, a third report will be required by the Editorial Board. 

4. The manuscripts accepted for publication will be re-sent by their authors within the deadline set out by the editorial team. Authors will list out the modifications included in the new version of the manuscript.

5. Once the manuscript is re-examined and modifications are accepted by the editorial team, the authors are notified that the manuscript has been accepted for publication. 

6. Authors will be required to submit an extended abstract of the manuscript in English. Certificates of acceptance for publication will be issued at the request of the authors.

7. The manuscripts accepted for publication are formatted into pdf files by the publishing house. Authors will then receive the proofs of their contribution which can be checked, corrected, if appropriate, and returned within three days.  Corrections will be identified by page, paragraph and line.

8. A new issue is ready to be published.

Publication Frequency

Geography Papers is published once a year by the University of Murcia the first month of the year.

Open Access Policy

Geography Papers provides open access to its full contents. We believe that open access to research has a positive impact on the generation and sharing of knowledge worldwide. For more information, please check the Copyright section.

Articles and submissions processing charges (APC)

Geography Papers does not ask for article processing charges (APC) and submissions charges

Ethics of publication

The publication of an article in a peer-reviewed journal is an essential building block in the development of a coherent and respected network of knowledge. It is a direct reflection of the quality of work of the author and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed articles support and embody the scientific method. It is therefore important to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior.

Ethics topics to consider when publishing:

• Authorship of the paper: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study.
• Originality and plagiarism: The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others, that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.
• Data access and retention: Authors may be asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data.
• Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication: An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Elsevier does not view the following uses of a work as prior publication: publication in the form of an abstract; publication as an academic thesis; publication as an electronic preprint. 
• Acknowledgement of sources: Proper acknowledgment.
• Disclosure and conflicts of interest: All submissions must include disclosure of all relationships that could be viewed as presenting a potential conflict of interest.
• Fundamental errors in published works: When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author's obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

Sponsors

• Facultad de Letras de la Universidad de Murcia

Journal History

Geography Papers is an open, electronic scientific journal published once a year by the University of Murcia.  It was founded by researchers and teachers with the Department of Geography, University of Murcia, during the 1968-69 academic year. Since Issue 41-42, it has been published as a double issue. From the 59-60 issue, the journal started to be an electronic-only publication. 

Since number 61 (2015), the magazine has a number that stays open where is publishing the works accepted until the end of the period at the beginning of next year.

The norms and boards, academic and editorial, have experienced the corresponding changes to the time evolution of a long-running journal like Geography Papers. The last substantial change in all these sections was performed with the publication of the number 59-60 (2014).