Author Guidelines

1. Submission files
2. Style guide
3. Submission preparation

1. SUBMISSION FILES

a) Cover page.

b) Manuscript.

2. STYLE GUIDE

a) Word count. Articles must have a minimum of 6,000 and a maximum of 8,000 words (without including abstract or references).

b) Font size. Text, tables, and illustrations must be in 12-point Times New Roman.

c) Line spacing. The text must be spaced at 1.5 between lines.

d) References. The RCGJMC follows the guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th Edition (2020).

e) Headings. There are three different heading levels:

1) First level: The header is aligned to the left, in boldface, with the first letter capitalized, and in 14-point font.
2) Second level: The header is aligned to the left, in boldface, with the first letter capitalized and in 12-point font.
3) Third level: Paragraph heading, boldface, and italics, the first letter capitalized, in 12-point font.

f) Explanatory notes. Footnotes should be limited and reserved for explanatory notes by the author. Quotations and references must be included in the text body, following APA style guidelines (7th Edition).

g) Abbreviations. Use them sparsely. Use the nomenclature adopted by the international community of your particular field. Abbreviations should be defined for the first time in the text and used to refer to the term. They should not appear at the beginning of a sentence or in the title, and their use should be avoided in the abstract.

h) Equations. Must appear to the left and be numbered consecutively (numbered in parentheses, justified right). Use an equation editor. The meaning of each symbol should be explained in the text. Example:
y = mx + b (1)
Where y is the abscissa, m is the slope of the line, x is the cell concentration in g/ml, and b is the intercept on the y-axis.

i) Tables and figures. They must follow the APA style guidelines (7th Edition) and be submitted in an editable file. They must be mentioned and numbered within the text. Each table and figure must have a legend (in Times New Roman, 11-point font, and 1.5 spacing). The legend should be explicit enough so the reader does not have to revert to the text to understand its importance and result. Abbreviations and acronyms must be explained in the legends. Tables and figures from other sources must be copied exactly as they appear in the original source and cited according to the APA style. Tables and figures created by the author must read "Source: created by the author" in the last line of the table or figure caption. 

j) Illustrations, maps, and drawings. Must be in color and have a minimum resolution of 600 dpi. Maps should have a legend, compass, and scale when relevant. Illustrations with specific copyright restrictions must be accompanied by the corresponding legal authorizations, which should be attached to the declaration of originality and assignment of rights form.

3. SUBMISSION PREPARATION

Authors must submit two separate MS Word files (PDF files will be returned) in the article's original language (Spanish or English). The files are a) cover page and b) manuscript.

These files must be submitted using the RCGJMC's Open Journal System (OJS) platform. Ensure the files adhere to the style guidelines outlined above. Files that do not conform to the guidelines may be rejected or returned for corrections and resubmission.

a) Cover page. In MS Word, A4-letter size (21.59 cm x 27.94 cm), symmetrical margins of 2.54 cm, and with the following information (cover page):

1) Authors. The following must be provided for each author (a maximum of 4): full first and last names, institutional affiliation (name of the university or academic organization where they work and the country), institutional emails (Hotmail, Yahoo, etc. accounts are not accepted), and ORCID unique identification codes (Each author must have an individual code. To create one, go to the following link).

2) Type of article and thematic axis. Specify the type of manuscript they are submitting, depending on the characteristics and methodology of their research project (scientific and technological article). They must also state to which of the Journal's thematic sections the article pertains: Education and Doctrine, Policy and Strategy, Security and Defense, Justice and Human Rights, Armed Forces and Society, Intelligence and Logistics, or Industry and Technology.

3) Acknowledgements. This section is optional. It can include sponsoring institutions, other contributors, institutions that supported the research, reviewers, translators, research permits (with code), and informed consents (when applicable). Personal acknowledgments (family, deities, spouses) will not be accepted.

4) Disclosure. State any conflicts of interest (personal or institutional) concerning the results obtained and published in the article, whether any exist regarding the creation of the scientific work or during the review and publishing process, either by a personal relationship with a reviewer, editor, funding source, or unfair academic competition. A conflict exists when it influences and biases the judgment on the conclusion and results, or any part of the research, and the manuscript's copyright, acceptance, or publication.

5) Funding. Provide any funding sources during the article's production and any existing reference code (if applicable).

6) About the author(s). Provide a summary of each author's academic profile and research interests (50 words maximum per author).

b) Manuscript. In MS Word, it must be A4 letter size (21.59 cm X 27.94 cm) with symmetrical margins of 2.54 cm. The authors must ensure they have deleted their names, personal details, and identifying references from the submitted manuscript. The manuscript must include the following sections in the order established below (manuscript). 

1) Abstract. It should not exceed 130 words and succinctly summarize the most outstanding contents of the text to provide the reader with a comprehensive view of the subject and problem addressed in the document. The structure should contain (at minimum) objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. Do not include acronyms (especially unusual abbreviations), tables, mathematical expressions, references, and speculative statements.

2) Keywords. Six keywords conveying the topics of the article (in lowercase and separated by semicolons) must be listed in alphabetical order, concise, and specific to your field (never adjectives alone). They must describe and represent the content developed in the abstract and facilitate online searches in a thematic manner. At a minimum, three keywords must be included in the UNESCO thesaurus, available at the following link.

3) Introduction. This section describes the topic addressed, discusses the writings of other authors on the matter, and states the study's objective and the main question or hypothesis. It must provide the reader with sufficient context to understand the results. The author must establish the main question and why it was formulated.

4) Theoretical framework. This section develops the theory that underpins the project in coherence with the approach to the problem (central question). 

5) Methods. Explicitly describes how the study was carried out and how the variables and information were analyzed so that the research can be replicated. It explains what was done to answer the main question. Do not include results in this section unless they are preliminary results used to design the study. Using diagrams, tables, or flowcharts is recommended for complex protocols.

6) Results. Presents only those results that answer the central question/hypothesis and support the conclusion. Results are not discussed or speculated on; they are only reported. If appropriate, use figures and tables.

7) Discussion. It establishes the relevance of the results and answers the main question, showing its relationship with the results, how they support the hypothesis, and their coherence with previous research. Here, unexpected findings are reported (if any), and why they occurred. Other possibilities for interpretation of the results obtained and their contribution to the subject, in general, are presented. The study's limitations and the opportunities for future research should also be discussed.

8) Conclusion. The conclusion must properly conclude the introduction and explain the most significant contribution, relevance, and possible use to the reader. It cannot extrapolate, recommend, or reach conclusions about what was not measured or present arguments outside the study's limits.

9) References. The authors should follow the APA, 7th edition reference style. In this reference model, in-text citations must include the author's last name (without initials) and the year of publication. Exact page numbers must be provided for direct quotations. For example: "Caldas (1815/1966) maintains that […]" or "(Caldas, 1815/1966, pp. 57-58)." Each reference cited in the text must be listed alphabetically at the end, under the heading "References." 

• Quotations. Use double quotation marks ("text") for direct quotations under 40 words. Single quotation marks ('text') should be used for quotations within quotations. Use ellipses between parentheses "(...)" for omitted sections in a quotation. Quotations exceeding 40 words should appear as a separate paragraph, indented five spaces to the left, in 11-point font. Omit quotation marks.

• Words, quotes, and text in foreign languages. Words and short phrases in languages other than Spanish should be in italics. Translating texts in foreign languages must appear in parentheses next to the text. The names of institutions and universities should not be written in italics because they are proper names.