Instructions for authors

Medición y Evaluación del Aprendizaje Inclusivo (MEAI) accepts Original Research Articles, Review Articles, Systematic Reviews, and Brief Communications that are consistent with the journal's aims and scope. Authors should read these instructions, the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy, the Peer Review Process, the Anti-Plagiarism and Similarity Policy, and the Generative Artificial Intelligence Policy before submission.

Submission portal: Submit a manuscript through OJS
Official manuscript template: MEAI manuscript template (.docx) [temporary link: replace after the template is uploaded to the journal website]

1. Article Types, Length, Tables, and Figures

Article type	Main-text length*	Abstract	Tables + figures combined	Recommended structure
Original Research Article	3,000 to 6,500 words	250 words	Maximum 5 in total	Introduction; Materials and Methods/Methodology; Results; Discussion; Conclusions
Review Article	3,500 to 7,500 words	250 words	Maximum 6 in total	Introduction; review approach/method; thematic or critical synthesis; Discussion; Conclusions
Systematic Review	4,000 to 8,000 words	250 words	Maximum 6 in total	Introduction; Methods; Results; Discussion; Conclusions; PRISMA flow diagram where applicable
Brief Communication	1,500 to 3,000 words	200 words	Maximum 4 in total	Concise Introduction; Methods; Results and Discussion; Conclusions, adapted when scientifically justified

*The main-text word count excludes the title page, abstract, keywords, references, tables, figure captions, and supplementary material. Limits are editorial guidelines. A scientifically justified exception may be considered only with prior editorial approval.

The maximum number shown for tables and figures is a combined total. For example, an Original Research Article may contain up to six items in total, such as four tables and two figures. Supplementary files are not automatically counted toward this total, but they must contain material that genuinely supports the manuscript and may be evaluated during peer review.

2. Submission Files and Double-Blind Review

The principal manuscript file used for peer review must be anonymized. It must not contain author names, affiliations, email addresses, acknowledgments that reveal identity, institutional identifiers that are unnecessary to understand the study, or document properties that identify the authors.
Author names, affiliations, country, email, ORCID, corresponding-author information, and other required metadata must be entered accurately in OJS. A separate title page may be uploaded when requested by the editorial office.
The manuscript must be submitted in DOCX format using the official template. Tables must remain editable. Equations should be editable whenever possible. Figures should be of sufficient resolution for scientific evaluation and publication.
Authors are responsible for removing tracked changes, comments, hidden text, and other unintended information before submission.

3. Author Information

Use the full name of each author in the intended publication order.
Provide the primary institutional affiliation for each author, including department, faculty, institute, laboratory, or other relevant unit, followed by institution, city, and country.
Provide an ORCID identifier for each author whenever available.
Identify one corresponding author and provide a valid email address.
Confirm that all listed authors meet the journal authorship criteria and have approved the submitted version.
After submission, additions, removals, or changes in author order require a written explanation and agreement from all affected authors. Changes after acceptance are exceptional and require editorial review.

4. Title, Abstract, and Keywords

Provide a concise and informative title. The abstract must be self-contained and should state the objective, methods or review approach, principal results, and conclusions. Citations should not normally appear in the abstract. Provide 3 to 6 keywords separated by semicolons. The final accepted version must contain title, abstract, and keywords in both Spanish and English.

5. Structure by Article Type

Original Research Article. Normally includes Introduction, Materials and Methods or Methodology, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions. Results and Discussion may be combined when the discipline or study design makes this scientifically appropriate.

Review Article. Provides a critical, integrative, narrative, scoping, state-of-the-art, or other clearly identified review. Authors must explain the purpose of the review and describe how sources were identified and selected with sufficient transparency for readers to understand the evidence base. A narrative review must not be presented as a systematic review unless it satisfies systematic-review methods.

Systematic Review. Must state a focused review question, eligibility criteria, information sources, reproducible search strategy, study-selection process, data-extraction approach, synthesis method, and risk-of-bias or quality-assessment method when applicable. Authors should follow PRISMA 2020 or another appropriate reporting guideline. The Methods section must state whether a protocol was registered and provide the registration identifier when available; if no registration was made, this should be stated transparently.

Brief Communication. Reports a concise but scientifically complete finding, method, validation, dataset, technical development, pilot study, or other focused contribution appropriate to the journal. The structure may be compressed, but the manuscript must provide enough methodological and evidentiary detail to permit scientific evaluation.

6. Tables and Figures

Number tables and figures consecutively in the order in which they are first cited in the text.
Place table titles above tables and figure captions below figures.
Every table and figure must be cited in the text and must be understandable with its title/caption and necessary notes.
Do not duplicate the same information in the text, a table, and a figure unless repetition is scientifically necessary.
Use the International System of Units (SI) where applicable and define all abbreviations, symbols, scales, and statistical indicators.
Authors must obtain permission for third-party copyrighted material when the intended reuse is not already permitted by the applicable license or law, and the source/license must be identified in the caption or note.

7. Equations, Software, Data, and Research Materials

Equations should be editable and numbered consecutively when referenced in the text. Software, algorithms, datasets, code, instruments, questionnaires, protocols, and other materials necessary to understand or reproduce the work should be described with sufficient detail. Persistent identifiers, repository links, versions, and access conditions should be provided when available.

8. Ethical Approval, Consent, and Permissions

For studies involving students, minors, teachers, or other human participants, report ethics review or exemption status, consent procedures, and protections for privacy and confidentiality as applicable.

Where ethics approval is required, state the name of the approving body and the approval or protocol identifier when available. Where a study is exempt from formal review, state the basis for the exemption when relevant. Informed consent, assent for minors, consent for publication of identifiable information, animal-welfare requirements, institutional authorizations, and research permits must be reported when applicable.

9. Required End-Matter Statements

Author Contributions: identify individual contributions, preferably using the CRediT Contributor Roles Taxonomy.
Funding: identify all funding sources and grant numbers, or explicitly state that no specific funding was received.
Competing Interests: disclose financial and non-financial competing interests, or state that none exist.
Ethics Approval: provide approval/exemption details when applicable, or state that ethics review was not applicable.
Informed Consent: state how consent was obtained when applicable, or state that it was not applicable.
Data and Code Availability: indicate where supporting data, code, instruments, or materials can be accessed. If access is restricted for ethical, legal, confidentiality, security, or third-party reasons, explain the restriction and the conditions for legitimate access when possible.
Generative AI Declaration: disclose substantive generative AI or AI-assisted use as required by the journal AI policy. If no disclosure is required, authors may state that no generative AI was used in manuscript preparation beyond routine spelling/grammar assistance.
Acknowledgments: optional. Recognize contributions that do not meet authorship criteria and obtain permission from named individuals where appropriate.

10. References: Vancouver Style

The journal uses Vancouver style. References are numbered consecutively according to the first appearance of each source in the text and are listed in that same numerical order at the end of the manuscript. In-text citations should use Arabic numbers in parentheses, for example (1), (2,3), or (4-6). A source that is cited again retains its original number.

Include DOI identifiers as active links whenever available.
Verify every reference against the original source. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of names, titles, journal data, year, volume, issue, pages/article number, and DOI or URL.
Citations must be relevant to the scientific claim being supported. Excessive self-citation, citation exchange, coercive citation, citation rings, and references added solely to manipulate metrics are prohibited.
Reference-management software may be used. Authors should check the final output manually because automated metadata can contain errors.

11. Originality, Preprints, and Prior Dissemination

A manuscript must not be simultaneously submitted to another journal. Posting a preprint does not by itself prevent consideration, but authors must disclose the preprint and provide its DOI or URL at submission. Conference abstracts, theses, repositories, and other prior dissemination must be disclosed when relevant. Previously published material must be cited and must not be presented as new. Substantial secondary publication requires prior editorial authorization and transparent citation of the primary publication.

12. Language and Editorial Preparation

Authors are responsible for clear, precise, and professional scholarly writing. The journal may perform copyediting, metadata normalization, XML-JATS production, and format adjustments after acceptance. Editorial changes do not transfer scientific responsibility from the authors. Authors must review proofs carefully and respond within the period indicated by the editorial office.