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Author Guidelines

Esfera Pública is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by El Colegio de Jalisco, which publishes articles contributing to reflection and analysis on government, governance, and public policy. It also accepts works that enrich theoretical or methodological debate on contemporary issues in political science and public administration.

All submissions must be high-level academic research, original and unpublished. They must not be under evaluation or have editorial commitments with any other journal or publishing body. Manuscripts are subject to two double-blind peer reviews carried out by the journal’s panel of referees, composed of scholars and researchers from national and international institutions. In cases of discrepant results, a third review will be requested. Peer-review decisions are final.

Submission Guidelines

The submitted manuscript must be original and unpublished, and not under consideration by any other journal or editorial body, either previously or simultaneously, in Spanish or in any other language.

The file must be submitted in Microsoft Word format (*.doc, *.docx).

To ensure anonymity in the double-blind peer-review process, authors must provide a version of the manuscript with no reference to funding acknowledgments, personal recognition, or any header/footer that could reveal their identity. Likewise, if authors cite their own works, these references must be written in the third person; for example: “Ramírez and López (2019) have argued” instead of “We have previously argued (Ramírez and López, 2019).” Full authorship information will be included in a second version after the manuscript has been reviewed.

Additionally, authors must submit a separate file with biographical and curricular information including: 1) full name of authors; 2) current institutional affiliation; 3) highest academic degree; 4) institutional and personal addresses; 5) ORCID iD; 6) email address to be published. If the article results from funded research, the corresponding project must be specified. Acknowledgments must not exceed 30 words.

The title of the work must be provided in both Spanish and English, not exceeding 25 words, and must clearly reflect the content, including the temporal and spatial scope of the analysis when relevant.

The first page must include an abstract in the original language of the manuscript and an abstract in English, both ranging from 150 to 200 words. The abstract must briefly outline the topic, premises, hypothesis, research method, and main conclusions.

At least six keywords, in both English and Spanish, must be included immediately after the abstracts. They should be arranged alphabetically and separated by commas for indexing purposes.

Photographs, illustrations, graphs, or tables must be numbered and titled, with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi, in TIFF or PNG format. In the case of JPG, they must be submitted at the highest possible quality. Authors are responsible for securing permissions to reproduce copyrighted images.

Scientific articles must be between 6,000 and 10,000 words in length, including quotations, notes, tables, graphs, and illustrations, but excluding abstracts, keywords, and bibliography.

The main text must be written clearly and precisely, distinguishing the authors’ arguments from those cited. Footnotes should be limited to what is strictly necessary, intended mainly for documentation and clarification. Their function is not to add secondary exposition, which should be incorporated into the main text. Notes are reserved exclusively for unpublished archival material or indispensable observations.

Citations and References

Double quotation marks are reserved for direct quotations or definitions. They must not be used as a stylistic device for single words or vague expressions.

In Spanish citations, original spelling, punctuation, and style will be respected.

Prose quotations of up to 40 words and verse quotations of up to two lines are considered short quotes: they must be placed in double quotation marks and integrated into the text. If a verse citation includes a line break, it should be marked with a vertical bar ( | ). Longer quotations must be presented as block quotes, set apart from the main text.

For quotations within short quotes, single quotation marks should be used inside double quotation marks.

In short quotes at the end of a sentence, the final period is placed outside the quotation marks, unless the quotation itself constitutes a full sentence. Question marks and exclamation marks remain inside and outside as appropriate.

Block quotations must appear separate from the text, without quotation marks, single-spaced, and indented from the left margin. In prose, the first line should only be indented if the original corresponds to a new paragraph. In verse, line and indentation structure must be preserved. Quotations within block quotes must be marked with double quotation marks (and single quotation marks if there is another within). The use of bracketed interpolations in the first line of a block quote is discouraged; if necessary, it must be resolved in the main text.

The reference list must be organized separately and alphabetically, always in compliance with the most recent edition of the APA style guide.

Online material (electronic journals, news sites, repositories, personal webpages) must be cited with the same rigor as printed material, giving preference to DOI over URL. If cited with a DOI, no access date is required.

Citation and reference style must follow the most recent edition of the APA style guide. Exact page numbers of each citation must always be provided; omission constitutes poor academic practice. Examples of parenthetical citations: (González, 2021, pp. 15–19) / (Martínez & López, 2018, p. 74; Ramírez, 2015, pp. 120, 133).

Orthographic and Typographic Guidelines

All manuscripts must be written with correct grammar and spelling. Manuscripts with notable deficiencies will be rejected at the preliminary stage.

Format: letter size, Times New Roman 12 pt, 1.5 line spacing, justified alignment. Margins: top and bottom 2.5 cm; left and right 3 cm. Footnotes in 10 pt.

Figures, charts, and tables must be submitted in a separate file, with clear indication of their location in the text and with the source duly specified.

Typographic substitutions (e.g., symbols instead of letters) will not be accepted.

The editorial team reserves the right to make minor style adjustments to ensure consistency in publication.

Submission Preparation Checklist

Authors must confirm that their manuscript complies with the following guidelines before submitting it to Esfera Pública:

  • I acknowledge that authors are required to fully verify compliance with the editorial guidelines detailed in the Author Guidelines section. Otherwise, the manuscript will not be accepted for peer review.

  • The manuscript is original and unpublished and has not been submitted to any other journal or editorial body, either previously or simultaneously, in Spanish or in any other language.

  • The manuscript file is submitted in Microsoft Word format (*.doc or *.docx).

  • The text is formatted on letter-size paper, Times New Roman 12 pt, 1.5 line spacing, justified alignment. Margins: top and bottom 2.5 cm; left and right 3 cm. Footnotes are in Times New Roman 10 pt.

  • To guarantee anonymity in the double-blind peer-review process, the submitted version contains no identifying references (funding, acknowledgments, headers, footers, or self-citations in the first person).

  • The title of the article is presented in Spanish and English, does not exceed 25 words, and clearly reflects the content and scope of the article.

  • The first page includes an abstract in the original language of the text and an abstract in English, both ranging from 150–200 words, outlining the topic, premises, hypothesis, method, and main conclusions.

  • At least six (6) keywords are included in Spanish and English, arranged alphabetically, separated by commas, and placed immediately after the abstracts.

  • Images, tables, and figures are numbered and titled, submitted in a separate file with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi in TIFF or PNG format (or JPG at the highest available quality). Publication permissions have been obtained where applicable.

  • The manuscript has between 6,000 and 10,000 words, including quotations, notes, tables, graphs, and illustrations, and excluding abstracts, keywords, and bibliography.

  • The text, citations, and references comply with the style guidelines established in the journal’s Editorial Guidelines, following the latest edition of the APA style guide. Exact page references have been provided for all quotations.

  • A separate document is attached, after the manuscript file, containing the authors’ biographical information, including: full name; current institutional affiliation; highest academic degree; institutional and personal addresses; ORCID iD; email address for publication; and, where applicable, the research project from which the article derives.

  • I confirm that I have read and accepted the ethical responsibilities of authorship, guaranteeing originality, academic integrity, and absence of conflict of interest.

  • I declare, as the person responsible for the submission, that this document includes no authors other than those indicated, and that no additional names will be added during the editorial process.

Copyright Notice

By submitting a manuscript to Esfera Pública, authors agree to the following conditions:

  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication under an open-access license that allows use, distribution, and reproduction of the text, provided that authorship and the original publication in Esfera Pública are properly acknowledged.

  • Authors may establish additional agreements to distribute the published version of the article (for example, in institutional repositories, personal websites, or compilations), provided that the initial publication in this journal is clearly indicated.

  • Authors are encouraged to disseminate their work in repositories, academic websites, or scholarly networks before and during the editorial process, as this may increase the article’s impact and citation.