Author Guidelines

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

These guidelines explain how to prepare your manuscript so that, from the first submission, it already meets the format required for the publication process of EIRENE ESTUDIOS DE PAZ Y CONFLICTOS. Following them avoids the need to reformat your article during the production stage and speeds up publication.

EIRENE ESTUDIOS DE PAZ Y CONFLICTOS is a scientific, peer-reviewed journal published biannually. It follows the citation standards established in the most recent edition of the APA Publication Manual, as applicable, and is committed to meeting all scientific quality criteria. It has been published electronically since 2018 and disseminates scientific research by national and international researchers in different disciplines related to peace research.

For this reason, the Editorial Team of EIRENE ESTUDIOS DE PAZ Y CONFLICTOS is committed to strengthening scientific and editorial quality and therefore requires every article submitted for publication to be original.

Manuscripts are initially received and evaluated by the journal’s Editorial Committee. The Committee may reject the manuscript, suggest changes to the authors, or accept it for external review. Once approved by the Committee, the manuscript is assigned to two anonymous reviewers who are experts in the subject matter. They may issue one of the following decisions: rejected; accepted without changes; accepted for publication with minor or formal changes; or accepted subject to substantial changes requiring a new round of review.

Eirene publishes empirical research as well as theoretical essays, documentary analyses, and legal-doctrinal papers. Therefore, these guidelines provide two equally valid structural models (see Section 1.4): choose the one that corresponds to the nature of your work.

The following general considerations should be taken into account when submitting manuscripts to the journal:

General Requirements

Eirene Estudios de Paz y Conflictos publishes articles in Spanish and English related to the study of peace, conflict, human rights, peace education, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. All submissions must be original, unpublished, and not simultaneously under consideration by another publication.

All submissions must meet the following requirements:

1. Address the journal’s field of specialization: studies focused on conflict and its nature; peace and its evolution; the promotion of peace education; the study of human rights; alternative conflict-resolution mechanisms; and other interrelated areas and disciplines.
2. Submit entirely original work, meaning that it has not been previously published, either in whole or in part, on any other platform.
3. Demonstrate high scientific quality, sound foundations, and methodological coherence.

Length and Types of Manuscripts

1.1 Articles

• Length: 5,500 to 15,000 words, including tables, figures, references, and notes.
• Required sections: Title, Abstract and Keywords (in Spanish and English), Introduction, Methodology (or its conceptual equivalent), analysis/development, Conclusions, and Cited Works. See Section 1.4 for the two accepted structural models.
• Maximum number of authors: 4, duly identified in the metadata of the submission platform.

1.2 Reviews

• Maximum length: 2,000 words. Reviews are published by express invitation of the Editor.

1.3 General Format

• Font: Calibri 12 pt; 1.5 line spacing; justified; 2.5 cm margins on all four sides; Letter-size paper.
• Footnotes: consecutive numbering, kept to the minimum necessary; electronic sources should not be cited in footnotes.

1.4 Article Structural Models

Not every article reports empirical research involving field data collection. Eirene accepts two ways of organizing the body of the work, depending on its nature:

Model A — Empirical Research (IMRaD)

For quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods studies involving fieldwork, surveys, interviews, observation, statistical analysis, or other original data collection. It follows the classic structure: Introduction, Theoretical Framework, Methodology, Results, Conclusions, Proposals, and References.

Model B — Thematic Structure (essays, documentary analyses, legal-doctrinal papers, or reviews)

For theoretical, documentary, legal, or literature-review papers that build an argument through critical analysis of sources without collecting primary data. Instead of a “Results” section, the body is organized around analytical themes or categories with their own descriptive titles (for example: “Peace as an Analytical Category,” “The Objective Dimension of Good Faith in Negotiation”).

• Choose the model that corresponds to the actual nature of your work.
• In both models, always include: an Introduction that presents the problem and objective of the work; a section explaining the type of study and how sources or data were selected (called “Methodology,” “Approach,” or “Methodological Note”); Conclusions; and a list of References at the end.
• What does not change between the two models is the formatting of headings: always use Word’s heading styles, as explained in Section 2.

2. Formatting Headings and Subheadings

The journal’s system generates the article’s table of contents from Word heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3). If headings are simulated using bold type, capitalization, or a different font size instead of these styles, the system will not recognize them and the document will be returned for correction.

Always use Word’s Styles pane (Home > Styles > Heading 1 / Heading 2 / Heading 3) for each heading level, regardless of the name you give each section. The style scheme for each of the two models in Section 1.4 is illustrated below:

Model A — Empirical Research (IMRaD)

Level	Required Section	Word Style	Why It Matters
—	Title (Spanish) and Title (English)	Normal text, no Heading	The final title is taken from the submission form, not from the body of the document.
—	Abstract / Keywords and Resumen / Palabras clave	Normal paragraph (Calibri 10 pt)	They must exactly match the “Resumen” and “Palabras clave” fields in the submission form.
H1	Introduction	Heading 1	The first heading must use Word’s native Heading 1 style.
H1	Theoretical Framework	Heading 1	Divide into subsections only when this improves clarity.
H2	Subsections of the theoretical framework	Heading 2	E.g., background, state of the art, conceptual framework.
H1	Methodology	Heading 1
H1	Results	Heading 1	Discussion may be included if required by the study design.
H2	Results subsections	Heading 2 / Heading 3	Number as 3.1, 3.2… according to the journal; use Heading 3 only for a genuine third level.
H1	Conclusions	Heading 1
H1	Proposals	Heading 1	Include if warranted by the analysis.
H1	References / Cited Works	Heading 1	This section must not be marked as part of the article’s table of contents; its content is managed separately from the citation list entered in the submission form.

 

Model B — Thematic Structure

Level	Section (author chooses the name)	Word Style	Why It Matters
—	Title and Abstract / Resumen and Keywords / Palabras clave	Normal text / paragraph, no Heading	As in Model A: these are taken from the submission form.
H1	Introduction	Heading 1	Presents the problem, question, or objective, and anticipates the organization of the text.
H1	Methodology / Approach / Methodological Note	Heading 1	Explains the type of study (documentary, theoretical, legal-doctrinal, or review) and the source-selection criteria.
H1	First thematic axis or analytical category (own title)	Heading 1	Replaces the “Results” section; use as many axes as the argument requires.
H2	Subdivisions of the thematic axis, if any	Heading 2 / Heading 3	Use a third level only when there are genuinely three levels of hierarchy.
H1	Subsequent thematic axes (own titles)	Heading 1	Repeat the preceding pattern for each axis or category.
H1	Conclusions	Heading 1	Closes the argument; it is not a repetition of the preceding axes.
H1	References / Cited Works	Heading 1	Must not be marked as part of the article’s table of contents, as in Model A.

 

Blind Review and Metadata

3. Figures, Tables, and Graphic Elements

All figures, tables, maps, and charts must be included in the body of the document, numbered consecutively and independently for figures and tables, with the original source indicated.

3.1 Images and Figures

• Insert them as actual image files in PNG or JPG format, never as TIFF, WordArt, screenshots inside a floating text box, or native Word drawing objects.
• If your figure was created as a native Word, PowerPoint, or Excel chart, export it first as a PNG/JPG image and then insert it as an image.
• Place the caption in its own paragraph immediately before or after the image, never on the same line as body text. Use the prefix and number, for example: “Figure 1. Geographic distribution of…”.

3.2 Tables

• Create tables using Word’s Insert > Table tool. Tables inserted as images or pasted as non-editable Excel objects are not accepted.
• Do not use vertical lines; indicate the number and title at the top of the table, for example: “Table 1. Initiatives identified by country”.
• If a table contains footnotes or sources, place them in a separate paragraph immediately below the table.

Practical tip: the clearer the separation between the caption, graphic element, and body text, the faster your article can be reviewed and published.

4. Citations and References

Eirene uses the most up-to-date APA standards for both in-text citations and the final list of Cited Works, arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author.

4.1 Consistency Between the Text and the Final List

• Every author cited in the body of the article must appear in the reference list, and vice versa: never include a reference that has not been cited in the text.
• Maintain a single citation style consistently (APA author–date); do not mix numbered brackets or other styles.

4.2 Reference List in the Submission Form

In addition to appearing in the “Cited Works” section of the document, upload the complete reference list, one reference per line, in the “Citations” field of the submission form. This field is used to automatically generate the final reference list of the published article, so it must exactly match what appears in the .docx.

Before uploading the file, verify that:

5. Information to Be Completed in the Submission Form

In addition to the .docx document, complete the following information on the platform as fully as possible at the time of submission:

• Article title in Spanish and English.
• Abstract (maximum 250 words) and keywords (3 to 5 terms) in both languages.
• Full name, institutional affiliation, country, and ORCID identifier of each author.
• Order of authorship and, where applicable, corresponding author.
• Contribution statement for each author according to the CRediT Taxonomy (see Section 6).
• Project funding source, if the research was funded.
• Complete reference list in the “Citations” field, one reference per line (see Section 4.2).

6. Contribution of Each Author (CRediT Taxonomy)

To transparently recognize the specific contribution of each signatory, Eirene requires each contributor’s role to be declared, together with the authorship metadata, in accordance with the Contributor Role Taxonomy (CRediT), an international standard comprising 14 roles adopted by scientific journals worldwide and maintained by NISO (https://credit.niso.org/).

This statement does not replace the journal’s authorship criteria (substantial contribution to the conception, execution, or interpretation of the work; drafting or critical review; and final approval of the version to be published); rather, it complements them by detailing each person’s contribution.

6.1 How to Declare Contributions

1. When completing the authorship information in the submission form, or in a table attached to the cover letter, indicate the applicable CRediT roles next to each author’s name.
2. The same person may have several roles, and the same role may apply to several people; it is not necessary for each role to be assigned to a single author.
3. Use the format: Full Name — Role 1, Role 2, Role 3…, and repeat for each signatory.
4. Always include each author’s ORCID identifier alongside their contribution statement.

6.2 The 14 Roles of the CRediT Taxonomy

CRediT Role	Contribution Description
Conceptualization	Formulation or development of the ideas, goals, and general objectives of the research.
Data Curation	Management, annotation (creation of metadata), and cleaning of research data (including code, when necessary for interpretation), for both initial use and subsequent reuse.
Formal Analysis	Application of statistical, mathematical, computational, or other formal techniques to analyze or synthesize the study data.
Funding Acquisition	Securing financial support for the project leading to this publication.
Investigation	Conducting the research process, specifically carrying out fieldwork, experiments, or the collection of data and evidence.
Methodology	Development or design of the study methodology; creation of models.
Project Administration	Responsibility for management and coordination of the planning and execution of the research activity.
Resources	Provision of study materials, informants, samples, instruments, computing resources, or other analytical tools used in the research.
Software	Programming and software development; design of computer programs or tools; implementation of code and algorithms; testing of existing components.
Supervision	Responsibility for supervision and leadership in planning and carrying out the research activity, including mentoring other team members.
Validation	Verification, as part of the activity or independently, of the replicability or reproducibility of results and other research outputs.
Visualization	Preparation, creation, and/or presentation of the published work, specifically the visualization or graphical presentation of data.
Writing — Original Draft	Preparation, creation, and/or presentation of the published work, specifically the writing of the initial draft, including substantive translation.
Writing — Review & Editing	Critical review, commentary, or revision of the work by members of the original research team at any stage before or after publication.

 

6.3 Download CRediT Statement

CRediT Statement

7. Supplementary Information

To facilitate and expedite the editorial, editing, and typesetting process for accepted manuscripts, all authors must provide the supplementary information requested by the journal. An individual information block must be completed for each author, including full name, ORCID identifier, institutional affiliation, city and country, biographical summary, and email address. The information must be complete, up to date, and consistent with the information provided in the manuscript. To provide these data, authors must download and complete the Supplementary Information form, available at the following link: [Download Supplementary Information form].[Descargar formato de Información complementaria]

8. Originality Statement

To guarantee the originality, authorship, and responsibility for the content of submitted works, all authors must submit a duly completed and signed Originality Statement. Through this document, the authors declare that the work is original, has not been previously published, is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal or publication venue, and that they assume responsibility for its content. The statement must be submitted together with the manuscript, in accordance with the format established by the journal. Authors must download, complete, and sign the Originality Statement form available at the following link: [Download Originality Statement form].[Descargar formato de Declaración de Originalidad]

9. Declaration of AI Use

Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence

To ensure transparency and integrity in the publication process, authors must expressly declare whether they used generative artificial intelligence tools during the preparation of the manuscript. If such tools were used, authors must specify which tools were employed and for what purpose, in accordance with the criteria established by the journal. The use of artificial intelligence does not exempt authors from responsibility for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and final content of the work, nor does it imply attribution of authorship to such tools. To make this declaration, authors must download and complete the Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence form available at the following link: [Download Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence form].Descargar formato de Declaración sobre el uso de inteligencia artificial].

Example of use description:

Artificial Intelligence Tool: ChatGPT v.4o and Microsoft Copilot (institutional instance of Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León); Conceptualization: ChatGPT was used to review the research questions; Data Collection Methods: ChatGPT was used to create the first draft of the survey instrument; Data Analysis: Microsoft Copilot was used to verify the identified themes coded from the survey’s open-ended responses; Privacy and Security: no identifiable data were shared with ChatGPT during the design of this study; only the institutional instance of Microsoft Copilot at Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León was used to analyze any anonymized research data in compliance with the University’s privacy and security policies; Writing: Review and Editing: ChatGPT was used during the literature review to provide sentence-level revisions and metaphor options; Project Administration: ChatGPT was used to establish a task list and timelines for the study.

10. Pre-Submission Checklist

Review the following points before uploading your manuscript to the platform:

1. The .docx does not contain the authors’ names or information that could identify them in the body of the text, cover page, or file properties (blind review).
2. The headings and subheadings—regardless of the names assigned to them, following Model A (IMRaD) or Model B (thematic structure) in Section 1.4—use Word’s native Heading 1 / Heading 2 / Heading 3 styles, rather than bold type or font size used to simulate a heading.
3. If the work does not report empirical research, it nevertheless includes a section identifying the approach or type of study (documentary, theoretical, legal-doctrinal, or review) and the source-selection criteria.
4. Figures are embedded as actual images in PNG or JPG format (not TIFF, WordArt, or screenshots inside a floating text box).
5. Tables are native Word tables (Insert > Table), not table images or pasted objects.
6. Each figure and table has its caption in its own paragraph, with the corresponding prefix and number (“Figure 1.”, “Table 1.”), without beginning on the same line as body text.
7. The citation style in the body of the text is consistent throughout the document (Eirene uses the most up-to-date version of APA).
8. The “Cited Works” list in the document and the “Citations” field in the submission form (one reference per line) contain exactly the same references, with no discrepancies.
9. All submission-form data are complete: title in both languages, abstract, keywords, authorship, affiliations, ORCID identifier for each author, and funding, where applicable.
10. The authorship contribution statement (CRediT) has been completed for each signatory, according to Section 6 of these guidelines.
11. The Supplementary Information form has been completed for all authors, including, for each author, full name, ORCID identifier, institutional affiliation, city and country, biographical summary, and email address. The information provided is complete, up to date, and consistent with the information recorded on the submission platform.
12. The number of authors does not exceed the maximum of four established by the journal, and all authors are correctly identified.
13. The Originality Statement has been completed and duly signed by all authors, declaring that the manuscript is original, has not been previously published, and is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal or publication venue, in accordance with the format established by the journal.
14. The Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been completed. It expressly indicates whether generative AI tools were used during the preparation of the manuscript and, if so, specifies their use in accordance with the format established by the journal. The authors remain responsible for the entire content of the manuscript.

8. Copyright and Contact

Once the work has been approved for publication, authors will be asked to submit a duly signed Use License form. The journal permits dissemination of the published article through social media, repositories, and academic profiles, provided that Eirene is always cited as the original source, under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

 

ARTICLE SUBMISSION STRUCTURE

Title: It should clearly reflect the objective of the research and should be concise, specific, and informative.

Abstract: Maximum 250 words. All information must come from the article itself. Avoid direct quotations, abbreviations, and bibliographic references.

Keywords: 3 to 5 descriptive terms representing the main content of the article. They should facilitate retrieval in databases. Consult the appropriate thesaurus according to the subject matter. Compound terms may be used. This classification can be consulted at: http://vocabularies.unesco.org/browser/thesaurus/es/http://vocabularies.unesco.org/browser/thesaurus/es/

Abstract: This is the same abstract in English, in 10-point Calibri. Leave one blank line between the abstract paragraph and the Keywords line.

Keywords: These are the same 3 to 5 keywords in English.

Introduction: There must be consistency among the title, objective, and results stated in the article. Present the problem, research question, general and specific objectives, definition of variables, limitations, scope, justification of the topic, and background, with APA citations using the most up-to-date version.

Development of the Manuscript: The language and grammar must be used correctly. This section must correspond closely to the other sections of the manuscript. Its internal organization must be coherent and balanced. The authors’ contribution must be clear. Copyright must be respected. This section must indicate the methodology, results, and limitations.

Tables, Charts, and Graphs: Tables must be numbered consecutively, as must figures, which must have numbering independent of the tables. Each table or figure must be accompanied by a caption that clearly describes the material. Titles must reflect the content of the information. Tables, figures, and photographs must be original to the author(s). If they are adaptations or reproductions from another article, the corresponding editor’s permission must accompany them. Charts, graphs, tables, images, and other elements must be included in the body of the text in an editable format or attached in the original software in which they were created.

Conclusions: Conclusions should not constitute a repetition of the results. They should be a reflective reformulation of the results at a high level of abstraction. They are different from a final reflection. Citations should be avoided.

Cited Works: The alphabetical list of identifying information for the sources cited in the article must appear at the end and must follow the latest American Psychological Association (APA) standards. It must include all information necessary for readers to locate the cited documents in the text.

The information must be accurate, exactly as it appears in the original document. The list should include recent bibliographic sources and publications in scientific journals. The reference list must use 1.5 line spacing, a hanging indent for each entry, and alphabetical order by the surnames of the authors of the sources.

For volume numbers of publications, use Arabic numerals rather than Roman numerals. All authors cited in the body of an article must be referenced at the end. Never reference an author who has not been cited in the text, and vice versa.

General Format for Manuscripts Under Review

Length: According to the type of publication being evaluated (see the section on manuscript types)
Font: Calibri 12 pt
Format: Justified
Line spacing: 1.5, with no space before or after each paragraph.
Margins: 2.5 cm on all four sides
Paper: Letter size
Headings: Numbered consecutively.
Footnotes: Numbered consecutively, restricted to the minimum necessary. Electronic sources should not be cited in these notes.
Tables, Charts, Figures, and Images: Number consecutively and cite the original source. The material corresponding to this section must be submitted in an editable format, not as an image. Word, Excel, and Paste Special tools may be used.
Tables must not contain vertical lines; the number and title must be indicated at the top.
Title: Calibri 14 pt in Spanish and English.
Abstract: Calibri 10 pt.
Abstract: Calibri 10 pt.
Keywords: Calibri 10 pt, italic.
Keywords: Calibri 10 pt, italic.
Body of the Document: Calibri 12 pt, 1.5 line spacing, justified, with no first-line indentation; number headings, subheadings, and third-level headings, as applicable.
Cited Works: Calibri 10 pt, with italics applied according to APA format.

Citations and Bibliography

In-text bibliographic citations must follow the most up-to-date APA standards, placing in parentheses the first surname with the first letter capitalized, followed by the initial of the given name, the publication year, and page number(s) in the case of direct quotations.

Example: (Cabello, P., 2012: 85).

When quotations contain fewer than 40 words, they must be incorporated within quotation marks. If the quotation appears in the middle of a sentence, immediately after the closing quotation marks, include the source in parentheses with the publication year and page number(s), and then continue the sentence.

When a quotation contains 40 or more words, it must be presented as a separate block and quotation marks omitted. The quotation begins on a new line and is indented approximately 2.54 cm. At the end of the quotation, the source is placed in parentheses, followed by the publication year and page number(s).

Example:

Destructiveness is by no means the only option available to human beings for confronting the problems and challenges of their existence. History also shows us that in all civilizations, cultures, and societies there have been people and groups who, rather than choosing destructiveness as a norm of conduct, have opted for constructive ways of being and acting, from friendship and a spirit of harmony to solidarity and mutual aid (Saña, 2010: 237).

 

Works by a Single Author

If the author’s name appears as part of the exposition, only the publication year is cited in parentheses:

Example: Gómez (2017) “determined that the basic principles of modern science refer to” (p. 385).

If the quotation closes the cited passage, the surname is inserted at the end in parentheses, followed by the initial of the given name, publication year, and page number(s).

Example: “The basic principles of modern science refer to specific forms of production” (Gómez, J., 2017, p. 385).

 

Works by Multiple Authors

When a work has two authors, both names must be cited every time they appear in the text.

• Example: (González, C., & Rivera, P., 2008, p. 168).

When a citation has three, four, or five authors, all authors must be cited the first time they appear in the text. In subsequent citations, only the first author’s surname followed by the abbreviation et al. (not italicized and with a period after “al”) and the year should be included.

Examples:

• González, Núñez, Hibrón, and Ochoa (2017) when the citation begins the paragraph.
• González et al. (2017) in subsequent citations at the beginning of a paragraph.
• (González, Núñez, Hibrón, & Ochoa, 2017) when the citation appears within or at the end of a paragraph.
• (González et al., 2017) in subsequent citations within or at the end of a paragraph.

 

Cited Works

At the end of the article, provide the list of cited works with complete references in the established APA format.

Arrange them alphabetically by surname.

If there are multiple works by the same author in the same year, distinguish the works by consecutive lowercase letters following the year (a, b, c, d…).

Example:

• (Gutiérrez, L., 2018a.)
• (Gutiérrez, L., 2018b.)

Electronic resources must be cited in a separate section indicating: Author, year, title, resource type, publication date, and access date.

 

Tables, Maps, Charts, Graphs, and Figures

All such elements must be numbered consecutively (1, 2, 3,…), identified with a brief title, and accompanied by the source consulted and year.

Images must be submitted in JPG or PNG format.

NOTE: EIRENE ESTUDIOS DE PAZ Y CONFLICTOS publishes original articles, research results, research reports, reviews, among other types of work. All submissions undergo prior and thorough anonymous peer review to assess compliance with the following conditions, among others: unpublished status, relevance, significance, currency, and specialized bibliographic support. All publication rights belong to the publisher.