Author guidelines

Mètode focuses on popularization with essays, original scientific research, the analysis of current research, and the communication of science.

The journal articles are divided in two main groups, depending on whether or not they undergo a peer review process:

a)Current affairs and opinion articles: op-eds, reports, interviews and book reviews.

b)Research papers (peer-reviewed): Thematic monographs and independent documents (Future monographs can be checked here).

Specific guidelines for popularization articles

Popularization articles are reports on scientific topics, interviews with prominent scientific figures, opinion articles and book reviews.

These articles do not undergo an external review process, but compliance with the journal’s editorial policy is taken into account, taking into account aspects such as scientific rigor, interest for the reader and style.

Popularization articles are often commissioned by the editor, but authors can make their proposals writing to the journal’s editorial office or to the coordinator of the Books section in the case of book reviews.

Op-ed columns and other opinion articles: Up to 4,400 characters including spaces (with title and signature included), 4,000 if it needs a photograph). Texts reflecting on current scientific or university topics.

Articles and reports: Between 14,000 and 18,000 characters (including spaces). These texts must be written mainly in a popularization style.

Interviews:Between 14,000 and 18,000 characters (including spaces). Interviews will be published, if possible, following a question-answer style. They need a brief paragraph to introduce the interviewed expert and a headline consisting on a short quotation from their answers.

Book reviews: 3,200 characters (including spaces, half a page) and between 5,500 and 6,000 characters (including spaces (full page). Reviews are critiques of scientific or popularization publications, in fields related to the journal interests that might be interesting for Mètode‘s readers. Solely descriptive reviews of the content of the book must be avoided. Reviews must follow these guidelines:

  • An expressive title related to the reviewed book.
  • The bibliographical reference of the book: Title and subtitle, author or editor, other involved individuals, publisher, place of publication and year, and page number.
  • Core descriptive and critical commentary of the book.

Sections: Always commissioned.

Text elements

The article must have the following:

  • Title
  • Subtitle
  • Text. It is always better to structure the text in sections (unnumbered section titles), as usual in printed press, but excessively hierarchical and numbered subsections should be avoided; these might be clear and convenient for a manual, but not for a popularization article, where being enjoyable is important.
  • Images with their captions and credits.
  • Formulae and graphs, if the authors deem it necessary.
  • Signature, with a brief biographical reference including the authors affiliation (main activity, position, department, university, etc.): e.g. Julio Pérez Díaz. Professor of the Departament de Biologia of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain).
  • If the authors consider it necessary, they can accompany the text with a basic list of references including always those referenced within the text (see references guidelines). The most accessible edition of a work should be referenced.
Quotations
  • Quotations within the text must be introduced using guillemets («»). When a gradients needs to be used, it will follow this convention: « ” ‘ ‘ ” ».
  • Long quotations (over three lines) must be copied without quotation marks or italics in an independent paragraph, with a wider margin and a smaller type.
  • If part of the quotation is omitted, it must be marked with brackets: […]. Any addition by the authors must also be written between brackets.
  • Verbatim quotations must be accompanied by the brief bibliographical reference (Author, year), remarkably decreasing the number of needed footnotes.
  • Literary quotes should preferably be done in the original language, accompanied, when necessary, with the English translation in a footnote.
Footnotes

Footnotes should be avoided when possible. Any kind of clarification should preferably be included within the text, as with bibliographical references.

Indications of footnotes must be in numerals or between parentheses, and will always appear after punctuation.

References guidelines

Mètode uses the APA style guide (latest edition) for referencing.

Specific guidelines for peer review articles (Monographs and documents)

Articles to be included within monographs and independent documentary texts form Mètode‘s scientific corpus. These texts undergo a double blind review process (more about the blind peer review process and how to prepare your text for the submission).

Monograph texts and independent documents must be submitted through Mètode‘s OJS platform (more about the process to register and send files through this platform).

These articles undergo a double blind peer review process. The content of the articles must be original and not have been simultaneously submitted to any other publication. Mètode takes action to avoid plagiarism and any other possible malpractice. The journal has a strong commitment with transparency. The author or authors must specify whether or not their research received any kind of economic aid and, if necessary, write a declaration of conflict of interest. Please, check Mètode‘s Ethical Code before submitting your document.

Research articles are texts presenting new results of a research project or texts reviewing or analysing results of a certain scientific field or aspects of a certain discipline:

  • Monograph articles: From 16,000 to 20,000 characters (including spaces). They can be included in a monograph or thematic dossier (for which call-for-papers are done periodically),
  • Documentary articles: From 16,000 to 25,000 characters (including sapces). They are free-topic works to published independently.

Articles to be included within Monographs have to comply with the following guidelines:

  1. Articles must have a title and a subtitle.
  2. Articles must have a 100-120 word abstract.
  3. Five keywords must be included.
  4. Text. It is always better to structure the text in titled sections (unnumbered).
  5. Pictures must have their corresponding caption and credit.
  6. Tables and figures may be included if the authors consider it necessary.
  7. Articles may include footnotes when they are indispensable.
  8. Articles must include references at the end of the manuscript (no more than 15).They must follow the following citation guidelines.
  9. The maximum number of authors per article is three. If other researchers participated in the preparation of the article, their names may be included in the agreements.
  10. The signature and affiliation of the authors will be indicated in an independent file in order to ensure the blind review. This file must include the full name and affiliation of the authors (name, position, department and institution), as well as a brief biographical note (2 or 3 sentences) for each author.
References

Mètode uses the APA style guide (sixth edition) for referencing. We recommend checking Mètode‘s Referencing Guide.

Graphic material

We recommend authors to illustrate their text with pictures (graphs, diagrams, illustratios or photographs). These must be presented separately, properly numbered, indicating the location within the text with footnotes, legends, titles and explanations. The picture must be at least 300 dpi resolution, and should be at least as large as the one to be published. Preferably, images should be in TIFF (uncompressed) or EPS.

If the author does not attach images, suggestions as to whom could illustrate the article are welcome.

© Mètode 2016