"Revista de Geografía Agrícola, Regional Studies of Mexican Agriculture" is a scientific journal founded in 1981, published by the Autonomous University of Chapingo (UACh), through the Directorate of the University Regional Centers System with the support of the Coordination of Institutional Journals (CORI). Since January 2018, the publication of this journal has been bilingual.
Revista de Geografía Agrícola emerged thanks to a co-publishing agreement between the then Coordination of Regional Centers and the Directorate of Cultural Outreach. In the presentation of the first issue, it is stated: "In November 1980, the Coordination of University Regional Centers and the Directorate of Cultural Outreach of the Autonomous University of Chapingo analyzed the possibility of publishing a technical-scientific journal that would allow us to present the progress made by different instances of our institution in the areas of teaching, research, and service related to the analysis of agricultural production processes in various geographical regions of Mexico."
Thus, two university entities, two years after their creation, joined forces to promote a journal that addressed the "clear needs of our University, given the significant boost received in some Academic Departments that structure it, to the study of Mexican agriculture from an integrative perspective provided by regional analysis under a geographical approach.
Currently, the "Revista de Geografía Agrícola, Regional Studies of Mexican Agriculture" is part of the Mexican Journal Classification System for Science and Technology (SCRMCyT) of the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT) in its area V: Social Sciences, considered as "National Competition." It is also cataloged in Redalyc and Latindex.
The publication is aimed at the international and national scientific-academic community in various fields of knowledge focused on the analysis and reflection on regional agricultural problems.
The journal accepts original and unpublished contributions, written in Spanish and English, and not simultaneously submitted (partially or completely) to other national and international scientific publications.
Ethics in Publication
Revista de Geografía Agrícola is a respectful publication that applies ethical criteria in all its processes, most of which are regulated in its Editorial Operating Guidelines. In addition, it follows the ethics policy of the Coordination of Institutional Journals, which takes into account the Code of Ethics of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Accepted Types of Writings
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Scientific Articles (by invitation and proposition): These are unpublished writings resulting from scientific research with an emphasis on the socio-economic, political, cultural, and educational analysis of rural societies.
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Essays: These are short, original, and unpublished writings where the author(s) present their personal interpretation of a specific topic.
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Critical Reviews or State of the Art: These are writings resulting from a deep, broad, and updated review with a critical focus, characterizing analytical trends on emerging themes in rural analysis.
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Book Reviews (by invitation and proposition): Text describing or summarizing the viewpoints expressed in a book. The reviewer expresses agreement or disagreement with the author and invites reading the work.
Except for reviews, all other types of contributions will undergo a double-blind peer-review process.
Sections
Revista de Geografía Agrícola will publish writings in the following sections:
- Regional and Territorial Issues
- Studies on the Relationships between Agriculture, Modes of Production, and Geographic Space
- Ethnobotany
- Agricultural Education
- History of Agriculture
- Other sections recommended by the Advisory Committee and Editorial Committee of the Journal.
General Model for All Sections
All texts submitted to the journal must strictly adhere to the following instructions:
Cover:
- Title of the text
- Name of the author or authors (identifying corresponding author)
- Affiliation institution (University, Faculty or Institute, and Academic Body or Research Group)
- Country
- Email (corresponding author)
- ORCID identifier
- Section for which the text is submitted
- Submission date
General Text Format:
- Typeface: Arial
- Size: 12 points
- Spacing: 1.5 lines
- Numbering: At the end of the page
- No headers or watermark
- Margins: 2.5 cm on all four sides
- Format: Word 2003-2019 (.doc, .docx). Documents with other extensions will not be accepted, except for images, tables, figures, photographs, etc.
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Submission:
- All submissions must be made through the Editorial Manager (Open Journal Systems). Separate files, including the front page of the contribution, the body of the text, and a submission letter per the journal's model, must be sent through this system.
- The submission letter, signed by all authors, requests evaluation for potential publication in one of the sections of Revista de Geografía Agrícola. It explicitly states that it is an unpublished work, any presentation at a conference is indicated, and it is submitted solely to Revista de Geografía Agrícola for evaluation and, if applicable, publication. The letter highlights the originality, novelty, and key findings of the submitted work.
- A contribution is considered "previously published" if it has already been disseminated in conference proceedings or any other academic event with ISSN or ISBN.
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Reception:
- Upon receiving the submission, OJS will automatically send a reception email signed by the Editor-in-Chief (EP) of Revista de Geografía Agrícola.
- The EP will read the text to verify compliance with editorial standards and ethical criteria, and a specialized software will be used to identify plagiarism. Once verified, a code will be assigned, and the peer-review process will begin. This information will be sent to the authors via email through OJS.
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Peer Review:
- The Editor-in-Chief will send the submitted text to the Associate Editor (EA) of the corresponding section, who will conduct a further review. If any deficiencies are found, the contribution will be returned to the Editor-in-Chief. If no issues are identified, the EA will proceed to identify academic peers with expertise in the subject, methodological approach, or field of knowledge relevant to the text.
- Throughout the submission, reception, and peer-review processes, all involved parties must adhere to ethical criteria as outlined in the Editorial Guidelines of Revista de Geografía Agrícola and other relevant documents.
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Acceptance:
- The process of reviewing and accepting works will take an average of four months from the date of submission. This includes cases where the text is accepted with major or minor modifications.
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Correction:
- Once accepted for publication, the text will be returned to the authors for necessary adjustments. It must be returned through OJS within the specified timeframe. Failure to do so within the set timeframe will be considered withdrawal, and it will be automatically removed from consideration.
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Translation:
- The corrected text will be sent to the translation department of the Coordination of Institutional Journals to create the English version. This version will be sent to the authors for their considerations.
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Galley Proofs:
- Spanish and English versions will be sent as galley proofs to the corresponding author for final approval. Failure to respond within the set timeframe will be considered an affirmative response.
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Open Access:
- If the contribution is accepted for publication in Revista de Geografía Agrícola, it will be done following the open-access policies adhered to by the Autonomous University of Chapingo.
Structure of Texts
Title: Written in Spanish and English or, if submitted in a language other than these (Portuguese or French), with a maximum of 150 characters reflecting the essence of the work.
Abstract: A synthesis of the work with a maximum length of 200 words. It should include the most important aspects of the contribution, introducing the topic, objectives, results, and discussion, as well as conclusions or key findings. The synthesis must be written in the original language of the contribution.
Keywords: Suggested five words (single or compound) written in Spanish and English, avoiding repetition from the title. A thesaurus, such as UNESCO's, can be used.
Introduction: Briefly reflect the importance of the investigated problem, the objectives, and address the "state of the art." Ideally, it should establish theoretical references, bibliographical, epistemological, and other antecedents that provide a foundation for the objectives and proposed methodology.
Methodological Approach: Describe in detail the most relevant and unique aspects of the methodology used (qualitative or quantitative) and why this methodology was chosen. This section aims to enable other researchers to replicate the study if possible.
Results and Discussion: Clearly and concisely present the obtained results. It is advisable to compare the results with those of other works using similar or different methodologies, highlighting theoretical and methodological confrontations and revisiting the "state of the art" expressed in the introduction and methodological approach. This section is crucial for developing the scientific and, if applicable, methodological contributions of the article.
Conclusions or Findings: It is recommended that articles in this section include assertions based on reported results, visibly aligning with the work's objectives. Reflections on challenges faced during the study can also be incorporated.
References and Citations: Include only materials cited in the text, formatted in APA 7. Authors are advised to use the APA 7 Reference Guide for correct bibliography creation.
Optional Use of Headings: The use of headings like methodological approach and results and discussion is optional. Authors can use other headings as long as they clarify their reference.
Acknowledgments: Recognitions to individuals, institutions, research funds, and grants, among others, that authors consider provided significant support or collaboration in the study. Authors will submit this section after the contribution has been accepted.
Conflict of Interests Declaration: Explicit statement expressing the possible existence of conflicts of interest during the research reporting process.
Informed Consent: If the text uses testimonials, interviews, or photographic images, these must be supported by a formal document authorizing their use, ensuring anonymity unless a document expressing otherwise is presented.
Format
Extension by Type of Contribution:
- Articles: Maximum length of 8,000 words, including tables, figures, and bibliographic references.
- Essays: Maximum length of 6,000 words, including tables, figures, and bibliographic references.
- Book Reviews: Maximum length of 1,500 words, excluding tables, figures, and bibliographic references. The first page must contain the complete reference of the reviewed book, and the author should make an effort to highlight their views compared to the book's author.
Formulas, Images, and Tables:
- Mathematical formulas should be created using Word's equation editor in Times 12 points.
- For tables, provide a short and precise title starting with the word "Table," followed by the consecutive Arabic number. Tables should have only three main horizontal lines: above, below the table title, below the column-identifying name, and at the bottom as a closure before the reference. Avoid vertical lines. Tables should be constructed in Word; do not use tabs or lines drawn using the drawing tool.
Figures (Graphics or Images):
- Figures can be integrated into the text or sent separately, indicating the insertion point. They must meet the following specifications: 300 dpi resolution; size of 945 x 945 pixels in JPG or TIFF format; if text is used, it should be in Times New Roman, 8 points, complete, and legible. If copyrighted images are used, authors are responsible for obtaining authorization.
- In the upper right corner, include the caption "Figure" with an initial capital letter, followed by the consecutive Arabic number and a brief text with sufficient information to understand it. The title should not be part of the figure. The body of the figure should represent the necessary numbers and symbols. If clarification is needed, explain the meaning in a footnote immediately after the source.
*Note
NOTE: Authors authorize the Editor-in-Chief to propose alternative graphic solutions for aesthetic considerations arising from editorial design.