Characteristics of contributions

The materials sent to Letras must be unpublished. The article must not be simultaneously submitted to another arbitration or publication process. If there are versions in Spanish or other languages, they must be delivered to verify their unpublished nature. Consult Editorial process and peer evaluation.

Letras accepts the following types of contributions:

  1. Scientific research article
  2. Essay type article
  3. Review article
  4. Critical reviews
  5. Chronicles

Thematic areas

  1. Language
  2. Literature
  3. Teaching of language and literature
  4. Speech analysis
  5. Literary criticism
  6. Other studies in various areas of linguistic and literary knowledge

THE MANUSCRIPT

  1. Two documents (in Word format) must be sent with your work: the first must contain information about: a) title; b) full name of the author; c) institution of affiliation (the country must be indicated) d) curricular summary (in institutions, teaching area, research area, title and source of previous publications (if any); d) ORCID number. The second will contain only the work without any identification data or clues to reach it; Neither dedications nor acknowledgments should appear; These aspects may be incorporated into the final version, after the arbitration process.
  2. In articles signed by more than two authors, it is necessary to include a statement specifying the nature of each author's individual contributions. For this purpose, we recommend the CRediT taxonomy (https://credit.niso.org/). This information should be added after the authors' introduction and before the title. In this regard, in this link, we add relevant information for our collaborators.
  3. It must comply with the following specifications: “Times New Roman” or “Arial” font, size 12, double spaced, numbered pages, in letter size format, 3 cm margin on all sides.
  4. The work must have a title and summary in Spanish. This summary must be one page long, that is, between 200 and 250 words and specify: purpose, theory, methodology, results and conclusions. For translation purposes, we suggest the use of short, direct and simple sentences. At the end, four keywords or descriptors should be located. The four descriptors must appear in the text and in the same order in which they are mentioned.
  5. The length of the articles must be between 15 and 30 pages (plus three for the bibliography).
  6. Regarding the structure of the text, the purpose of the article must be specified in an introductory part; In the section corresponding to development, it must be clearly distinguished which parts represent own contributions and which correspond to other researchers; and the conclusions can only be derived from the arguments handled in the body of the work.
  7. For quotations exceeding forty words, block formatting should be used: start the insertion on a separate line, indenting 1.27 cm (half an inch) from the left margin, maintaining the same alignment as a new paragraph. If the quotation contains more than one paragraph, the first line of each subsequent paragraph should be indented an additional 1.27 cm. At the end of the block, the bibliographic reference (author, year, and page or paragraph) is placed in parentheses after the final punctuation mark. References should be prepared in accordance with APA guidelines (7th edition).
  8. The list of references is placed at the end of the text, with the following subtitle, in bold and on the left margin: References. Each record is transcribed to one space, with hanging indentation. Between one record and another, space and a half is allocated. The APA Standards system (7th edition) must be followed.
  9. The notes go at the foot of the page and not at the end of the chapter, in numbered sequence.
  10. There should be no errors of any kind (neither spelling nor typing); It is the responsibility of the authors to ensure this aspect.
  11. Drawings, graphs, photos and diagrams must be located within the text, in their corresponding place. The APA Standards system (7th edition) must be followed.
  12. Those who wish to collaborate with reviews must consider that they constitute expositions and critical comments on recently published scientific or literary texts, with the purpose of guiding interested readers. Its length should not exceed six (6) pages.
  13. The reviews require all the information about the book and a particular order: name and surname of the author of the book, the title of the work in italics, city, publisher, date and number of pages: Jonas Jonasson. The grandfather who came back to save the world. Barcelona: Ediciones Salamandra, 2019, 443 pages.
  14. In the review it is necessary to stop at the author of the book: introduce the author to the cultural space, his academic or intellectual production... among other information that presents him to the reader (this is recommended for the first two paragraphs of the text).
  15. When presenting the overall structure of the book it is necessary to describe it completely. This will provide necessary information for the reader to get a precise idea of the book to read.
  16. Referees of non-publishable articles will be considered within the arbitration committee of an edition of LETRAS.
  17. Those wishing to contribute notes should bear in mind that these constitute theoretical essays, methodological commentaries, or critical reflections on current debates in the journal’s subject areas. Unlike book reviews, their purpose is not to describe a new publication, but rather to present a reasoned position on a scientific or literary issue. They should not exceed ten (10) pages in length.
  18. Notes must follow a specific format at the beginning: the original title in uppercase and centered, followed by the author’s complete information (first and last name, institutional affiliation, country, email address, and ORCID code).
  19. In the body of the note, the problem or debate to be addressed must be clearly defined to situate the reader within the intellectual context (this is recommended for the first two paragraphs of the text).
  20. When presenting the argument, the author must engage critically with existing schools of thought in the field, concluding with an overall assessment and conclusions that open up new avenues for reflection.
  21. At the end of the manuscript, it is mandatory to include a complete list of references that support the theoretical discussion, strictly following the format of the APA Style Guide (7th ed.).

Letras magazine evaluation form

Provide details on each of the aspects mentioned above and verify the structure according to the type of contribution.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ARTICLE

Introduction: Present the context and relevance of the problem under study, citing previous research on the topic. Highlight the study’s contribution to knowledge, explain the rationale for the research (justification), and detail its goals (objectives).

Methodology: Accurately describe how the study was conducted, including the type and design of the research (in a way that allows for replication), the participants, population, or sample, the methods, techniques, and instruments used, the sequence of steps followed, and any other details relevant to the methodological process.

Results: Present the findings or new knowledge generated by the research. For better understanding, clarity, and precision, the information may be supplemented with visual elements such as tables, figures, graphs, diagrams, or photographs.

Discussion: This section analyzes the study’s results by comparing them with those of other similar studies, highlighting significant similarities and discrepancies. Here, the theoretical or conceptual foundations explaining the findings are identified; principles, relationships, or generalizations are derived; the theoretical implications and potential practical applications of the work are addressed; and limitations or unresolved issues are mentioned.

Conclusion: These are statements that follow directly from the results and the argumentation presented in the article. They should clearly and concisely outline the original contributions, summarize the achievement of the objectives, identify areas requiring future research, and present any suggestions or new hypotheses formulated by the author.

References: List all documentary sources cited throughout the text of the article.

ESSAY-STYLE ARTICLE

Minimum required structure:

  1. Title
  2. Introduction
  • Contextualization of the problem.
  • Theoretical review and state of the art.
  • Justification of objectives and methodology (data collection/processing).
  1. Development
  • Critical, comparative, and innovative analysis of the topic.
  1. Conclusion
  • Clear synthesis of findings.
  • Proposals for future reflection.
  1. References
  • A minimum of 25 up-to-date references cited in the text.

REVIEW ARTICLE

Required structure:

  • Introduction
    • Scope of the topic, recent trends, and objectives.
    • Justification and overall structure of the work.
  • Methodology
    • Study approach (systematic, narrative, etc.).
    • Detailed procedure for source selection (criteria, databases).
  • Results and Discussion (combined or separate section)
    • Significant findings supported by tables/figures.
    • Future perspectives and critical analysis.
  • Conclusions
    • Summary of key contributions.
    • Emerging lines of research.
  • References
    • A minimum of 25 high-quality sources (preferably from JCR-SSCI, Scopus, SciELO, Redalyc).

Technical recommendations:

  • Use indexed databases (WoS, Scopus, etc.) and academic metasearch engines (Google Scholar, Dialnet).
  • Include a study selection flowchart (e.g., PRISMA diagram).

REVIEWS

Structure and format:

  • Header
    • Complete citation of the work in APA format (7th ed.).
  • Body
    • Introduction: Presentation of the work and its relevance.
    • Main body: Structured critical analysis (topics, contributions, limitations).
    • Conclusion: Overall assessment and recommendations.
  • Final reference
    • In APA 7th ed. (optional if only the reviewed work is cited).

Notes

Structure and format:

  • Header
    • Original and evocative title for the Critical Note (different from the title of the book analyzed).
    • Complete reference for the source work or works discussed in APA format (7th ed.).
    • Author information (Name, institutional affiliation, email, and ORCID code).
  • Body
    • Introduction: Contextualization of the theoretical, historical, or epistemological debate within which the work is situated. Explanation of the thesis or position that the author of the review will defend.
    • Main Body: A dense and well-argued theoretical discussion. It is not limited to summarizing the book chapter by chapter, but rather deconstructs its key concepts, engages with other authors in the discipline, and situates the text within the current state of the art.
    • Conclusion: A final reflection on the conceptual scope of the debate presented, the avenues of research it opens up, and its actual impact on the field of knowledge.
  • References
    • In APA style (7th ed.). Required. Since this is a theoretical discussion, it must formally include a bibliography that supports the dialogue with other authors and schools of thought.