ISSN 2145-9444
online version

INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS

• Scope and policy
• Form and preparation of manuscripts
• Sending of manuscripts

1. Zona Próxima is a scholarly journal in the field of education, set up as organ of the Institute of Studies of Education of the Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia. Our aim is the dissemination of trends, experiences, research findings and theoretical reflection in divers aspects of the field of education.

2.

1. Zona Próxima receives only original articles which have not previously been published. The articles sent to Zona Próxima should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
2. In order to submit articles, authors should previously register going to the following link http://rcientificas.uninorte.edu.co/index.php/zona/user/register and following the guidelines. The journal does not receive manuscripts submitted by any other means.

3. Articles may be of the following types:

- research report
- reflection article
- short report wilth preliminary research report
- theoretical essay
- review of literature/state of the art, book review

In each case, it should be clearly stated which type of article is being- submitted.

4. Articles may be written in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese.

5. The Editorial Board of Zona Próxima will review each manuscript and make decisions regarding whether the article is appropriate for publication. Later, the article will be reviewed by anonymous referees who will review the article thoroughly. For that purpose, each referee will be granted access to the Open Journal System. The evaluation will be done according to the following criteria:

- The article provides meaningful contributions to the discipline of education.
- The article has a good level of originality.
- There is coherence between the objectives, theoretical framework, and research methodology.
- Conclusions are supported by evidence.
- The introduction and conclusions are clear and appropriate.
- The article is written following academic and linguistic standards.
- The bibliography is organized according to APA norms.
- The manuscript conforms to the norms of publication of Zona Próxima.
- The referees are entitled to make comments or suggestions regarding the article.

The result of the evaluation will be sent to the editor via Open Journal System. The editor in turn, will notify the author of the results of the evaluation. No contact will be established between referees and authors.

6. The first page should contain:

- Title of the article (English/Spanish), which should be short, specific and informative.
- Name of the author(s).
- Academic qualifications and/or institutional affiliation.
- Address and e-mail of the first author.
- Sources of grants or other funding.
- Abbreviated title (no more than 40 characters, including spaces), which will appear at the foot of the first page of the published article.

7. The second page should contain an abstract of between 100 and 150 words, in the language of the text, in English/Spanish, and a list of key words in both languages. Abstract has to present the objetives, theoretical frame, methodology and conclusion of the research.

8. Bibliographical references should be listed in alphabetical order. In the case of two or more publications by the same author in the same year, lower case letters should be added to the date of publication, e.g. Amar (1999a), Amar (1999b). References to journal articles should contain, in order: name and initials of author(s); date of publication; title of article (in inverted commas); name of the journal (in italics); volume (in italics) and page numbers.

9. Tables should be numbered consecutively and presented, each one on a separate page, in an attachment file; figures should be presented in the same way, with numbering independent of the tables. Each table, figure and photo should be accompanied by a caption with a clear description of its content. Tables, figures and photos should be original. In the case of modifications or reproductions from other sources, they must be accompanied by written permission for reproduction from the copyright holder.

10. Words or phrases in languages other than that of the text should appear in italics and be accompanied by a translation between parenthesis.

11. Paragraphs should not be indented; a space should be left between paragraphs and between the different sections of the article.

12. Citations should appear in brackets with a comma between author(s) and year of publication, and between different years of publication of the same author(s); semicolon between different authors. In the case of works by more than three authors, only the first should be mentioned, followed by et al.

13. The opinions expressed in the articles published in this journal are the sole responsibility of the author(s).

1. Zona Próxima receives only original articles which have not previously been published. The articles sent to Zona Próxima should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
2. In order to submit articles, authors should previously register going to the following link http://rcientificas.uninorte.edu.co/index.php/zona/user/register and following the guidelines. The journal does not receive manuscripts submitted by any other means.