About the Journal

1. Focus and Scope

The Journal of Legal Studies in Labor and Social Security (REJLSS) is a scientific publication published by the Publications and Scientific Dissemination Service of the University of Malaga (UMA Editorial). Since its founding in 2020, it has established itself as a leading platform for the dissemination of original and unpublished works focused on the field of Labor and Social Security Law. The journal is characterized by its free, open, and open access, its international focus—especially in Europe and Latin America—and its commitment to rigor, quality, and critical reflection on the current challenges of this legal discipline. Its objective is to contribute to doctrinal debate and the search for legal solutions to the complex transformation processes in the socio-labor world.

This is a biannual interuniversity journal published electronically. It publishes two regular issues per year (covering the periods May-October and November-April), as well as special issues. It is aimed at university professors, researchers, students, labor law professionals (lawyers, social science graduates, and advisors), and, in general, anyone interested in labor law studies. Its purpose is to promote research, knowledge transfer, and academic and professional development in the field of labor law and social security.

2. History

The REJLSS was founded in 2020 at the initiative of University of Malaga professor Miguel Ángel Gómez Salado, who has served as the publication's director since its inception. Its creation is part of the development of various research initiatives linked to competitive projects at the state and regional levels, including:

The State R&D&I Project "Challenges, reforms, and financing of the pension system: sustainability versus sufficiency?" (RTI2018-094696-B-I00).

The Regional R&D&I Project "The elderly in the context of employment and social protection: a challenge for economic growth and development" (P18-RT-2585).

Since its inception, the journal has enjoyed the support and involvement of Francisco Vila Tierno, the director's academic mentor and a leading figure in the field of labor and social security law. He has since assumed the presidency of the publication, decisively contributing to its consolidation as a rigorous, committed, and internationally renowned scientific forum.

3. Section Policies

As a general rule, the REJLSS is structured around four main sections, which group together the following content:

a. Presentation of the Issue or Editorial

This section, which is non-reviewable and freely structured, will be prepared exclusively by the individuals holding editorial positions in the journal: President, Director, Coordinator, and Secretary. In the case of special or monographic issues, the preparation may also be the responsibility of the coordinator responsible for the issue in question.

b. Doctrinal Studies

These constitute the backbone of the journal. They comprise original and unpublished research that must include, at a minimum, the following structure: title of the work (in Spanish and English), abstract (in Spanish and English), keywords (in Spanish and English), body of the text, and cited bibliography. All doctrinal studies will be subject to a rigorous double-blind peer review process.

c. Jurisprudential Studies

These articles will cover relevant, novel, or particularly interesting judicial decisions in the field of Labor Law and Social Security. Their structure will be open and flexible, depending on the subject matter analyzed. Like the doctrinal studies, these articles will be evaluated through double-blind peer review.

d. Legal Classics

This section is dedicated to the recovery and analysis of fundamental classic texts in the legal and social sciences field. The authors will explore the historical value and current relevance of these works. Papers submitted for this section will also be subject to double-blind peer review.

In addition, some regular issues may include supplementary sections such as:

Regulatory Reviews

Current Affairs Tribune, which will include short articles focusing on recent matters of particular interest. Papers in this section are not subject to peer review.

The REJLSS preferentially focuses on the Spanish labor law system, so articles must have a substantive connection to the regulatory, jurisprudential, or doctrinal context of Spain.

Papers that exclusively analyze the regulations or practices of other countries must incorporate a comparative law perspective, which connects the subject of study with the Spanish system throughout the entire article.

Otherwise, the article may be considered outside the thematic scope of the journal and rejected in the first phase or in the review phase.

4. Peer Review Policy (process and list of reviewers from previous years)

a. Process

a.1. Reception of submissions. Once a submission that meets all the journal's formal requirements has been received, it will be acknowledged (which does not imply its acceptance). In this first phase, the Editorial Board will conduct a general review of the submission's quality and thematic suitability and will be authorized to reject outright (without proceeding to peer review) submissions whose quality is obviously low, that make no contribution to the journal's thematic scope, or that do not adhere to the established publication standards.

a.2. Submission of original submissions to the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board will forward any submission that passes this initial screening to the Editorial Board. The Board will then send the submission to two external reviewers (outside the publishing body and the Editorial and Advisory Boards), along with the submission evaluation form.

a.3. Peer Review Process. The work will be reviewed confidentially and anonymously by two external reviewers, specialists in the relevant subject or line of research. Both reviewers, within a maximum period of six months, will issue a report (based on the form provided) that will be considered. If the two reviews disagree, or if the reviewer deems it appropriate for any other reason, the work may be sent to a third reviewer. The list of reviewers comprising the External Reviewers Committee is below:

a.4. Decision-Making. Based on the reviewers' reports, one of the following decisions may be made, which will subsequently be communicated to the main author of the work:

1. Acceptance for publication: The work is accepted and may be published as is (or after minor changes).
2. Acceptance for publication with mandatory modifications. In this case, publication of the work will be conditional on the author making all required modifications. The deadline for making changes will be one month, and in this case, a brief report must be attached detailing the changes made and how they meet the required requirements. Possible proposed changes may include adapting the work to another section of the journal.
3. Rejection of publication. The work has not been accepted for publication because it does not meet the minimum quality standards expected, does not contribute to the journal's thematic scope, or does not adhere to the publication guidelines. However, the author will have the option of rewriting their work for subsequent submission to the journal (in which case the evaluation process will begin again).

a.5. Notification to the author. After the evaluation and decision-making process is completed, the lead author will be notified of the work's acceptance, acceptance with modifications, or rejection for publication. If they so wish, authors may receive the reviewers' evaluation reports anonymously so that they can make the corresponding modifications (if necessary).

a.6. Sending the electronic version. Authors will be sent an electronic version of the published issue in which their work appears.

b. List of reviewers who have contributed to previous issues

The following specialists have contributed as reviewers to previous issues of the journal: download file.

 

5. Publication Policy and Frequency

a. Internationality

At least 10% of the authors (Doctrinal and Jurisprudential Studies) and the members of the Advisory Board will be from foreign scientific or academic institutions.

b. No inbreeding of authors

- At most, 10% of the Studies ("Doctrinal Studies" and "Jurisprudential Studies" sections) may be authored by authors from the University of Málaga.
- At least 90% of the Studies ("Doctrinal Studies" and "Jurisprudential Studies" sections) must be authored by authors from outside the journal's publishing entity (University of Málaga).

c. Frequency

The journal is published semiannually, with two regular issues per year covering the periods May-October and November-April. However, alongside the two regular issues, special issues may be published, focusing on a topic of particular interest and relevance. Special issues are not required to be published annually, unlike regular issues.

6. Open, Free, and Free Access Policy

The Journal of Legal Studies in Labor and Social Security distributes all its content in open and immediate access, based on the principle that offering the public free and open access to research results contributes to a greater global exchange of knowledge.

This journal does not charge authors any fees for the publication of their work or for any other reason.

7. Anti-Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Legal Studies in Labor and Social Security maintains an anti-plagiarism policy that ensures that all published works are original and unpublished. It uses Ithenticate's professional Crossref Similarity Check services to scan all submissions.

The service is used for all documents that pass the editorial classification process and are eligible for blind peer review.

This journal reserves the right to reject articles with an inadequate similarity percentage.

We also have specific plagiarism detection tools such as Unicheck (an open-access platform that monitors originality and controls plagiarism).

8. AI Use Policy
Writing any part of an article using a generative AI/LLM tool, including generating the abstract or literature review, will not be permitted.
Generating or reporting results using a generative AI/LLM tool is not permitted, and reporting statistics in the text using a generative AI/LLM tool is also not permitted.
Editing an article using a generative AI/LLM tool to improve its language and readability would be permissible, as this reflects standard tools already employed to improve spelling and grammar, and utilizes existing material created by the author rather than generating entirely new content, while the author remains responsible for the original work.
Submission and publication of images created by AI tools or large-scale generative models is not permitted.

9. Research Dissemination Policy

The Journal of Legal Labor and Social Security Studies is committed to disseminating its research through multiple channels in order to reach the maximum number of readers, which favors increasing the number of citations and, therefore, consolidating the journal in international rankings:

- Subscriber list.
- Own social media (Twitter and Facebook).
- Website and social media (Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube) of the University of Malaga Publications Service (UMA Editorial).
- Network of scientific associations and communities: Spanish Association of Health and Social Security (AESSS), Community for Labor and Occupational Research and Study (CIELO Laboral), etc.
- Specialized submissions.

Likewise, it encourages authors, contributors, and readers to carry out the following actions:

- Share their research on social media using the hashtag #REJLSS.
- Inform your university library.
- Update their ResearchGate and Academia.edu profiles.
- Update their ORCID.
- Share their research with colleagues, through social media, etc.
- Discuss their research on their websites or blogs (if they have them).
10. Archiving, Digital Preservation, and Interoperability Policy

a. Archiving and Digital Preservation

All our electronic content (website, manuscripts, etc.) is stored in multiple sources. The content is stored on a server that is online and accessible to readers. A copy of this content is kept as an additional backup, as the OJS software makes weekly copies using the LOCKSS and CLOCKS systems. The journal has a DOI, which also ensures long-term access through Crossref. The journal's information is also available in open access in various databases such as REBID and DIALNET, ensuring the preservation of content by more than one source of information.

b. Interoperability Protocol

Provides an OAI-PMH (Open Archives Initiative – Protocol for Metadata Harvesting) interface that enables interoperability between different platforms and repositories through metadata exchange. Protocol: OAI-PMH Version 2.0

11. Editorial Policy on Equality and Non-Discrimination

The Journal of Legal Studies on Labor and Social Security is committed to gender policies that lead to real equality between women and men, as well as to policies that seek to achieve equality for specific groups such as the elderly, migrants, people with disabilities, LGBTI people, ethnic minorities, women victims of gender violence, etc. This commitment is reflected in several key actions.

a. Editorial Participation

This journal will strive to ensure a balanced editorial composition of women and men, reflected both in the journal's various bodies and in the participation of those who review the papers.

b. Use of Inclusive Language

This journal recommends the use of inclusive language in scientific contributions that is consistent with the principle of equality. To this end, it follows the recommendations on equal language offered by the Style Guide for Editing of the Publications and Scientific Dissemination Service (2021) and the UMA's Guidelines for the Equal Use of Language and Images (2015).

c. Promotion of studies that address topics such as equality, visibility, and non-discrimination of certain groups in the world of work

Likewise, this journal promotes studies in labor law that address aspects such as equality, visibility, and non-discrimination of groups such as the elderly, migrants, people with disabilities, LGBTI people, ethnic minorities, women victims of gender violence, etc.

12. Policy of good practices and ethical commitment

The entire team of the Journal of Labor and Social Security Legal Studies is committed to the scientific community to guarantee the ethics and quality of the published works. The journal's publication follows the code of conduct and good practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for editors of scientific journals.

In compliance with this code of conduct and good practices, papers are peer-reviewed (two external reviewers) using criteria based solely on the scientific relevance, originality, clarity, and adequacy of the text submitted by the author. The confidentiality of the evaluation process and the anonymity of the reviewers and authors, the content evaluated, the reasoned report issued by the reviewers, and any other notifications issued by the reviewers are always guaranteed. Confidentiality will also be maintained in the event of any complaints, claims, or clarifications that an author may wish to make to the team or the reviewers.

13. Impact Metrics and Indexing

a. Métricas de impacto y clasificaciones

a.1. Dialnet Métricas:

• - IDR 2024 Derecho: Cuartil 1 (Q1), ocupando la posición 29/342. IDR 2024 Derecho del Trabajo: Cuartil 2 (Q2), ocupando la posición 8/34.
• - IDR 2023 Derecho: Cuartil 2 (Q2), ocupando la posición 97/355. IDR 2023 Derecho del Trabajo: Cuartil 2 (Q2), ocupando la posición 15/38.
• - IDR 2022 Derecho: Cuartil 1 (Q1), ocupando la posición 36/366. IDR 2022 Derecho del Trabajo: Cuartil 1 (Q1), ocupando la posición 5/42.
• - IDR 2021 Derecho: Cuartil 1 (Q1), ocupando la posición 14/355. IDR 2021 Derecho del Trabajo: Cuartil 1 (Q1), ocupando la posición 2/37.

a.2. CIRC 2025 (Clasificación Integrada de Revistas Científicas):

• - Clasificación Ciencias Sociales: C.

a.3. Catálogo Latindex 2.0:

• - 35/38 criterios cumplidos.

b. Indexación

La Revista de Estudios Jurídico Laborales y de Seguridad Social está incluida en los siguientes índices, bases de datos y catálogos bibliográficos:

• - CIRC (Clasificación Integrada de Revistas Científicas): C, Ciencias Sociales.
• - Dialnet.
• - Directorio Latindex (Sistema Regional de Información en Línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal).
• - Catálogo Latindex 2.0.
• - Open Alex.
• - MIAR (Matriz de Información para el Análisis de Revistas).
• - REBIUN (Red de Bibliotecas Universitarias).
• - REDIB (Red Iberoamericana de Innovación y Conocimiento Científico).
• - DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals).
• - DRJI (Directory of Research Journal Indexing).
• - ROAD (Directorio de Recursos Científicos y Universitarios en acceso abierto).
• - WorldCat.
• - Wizdom.
• - CSUC (Consorcio de Servicios Universitarios de Cataluña).
• - Google Académico (Google Scholar).
• - Crossref Metadata Search.
• - EZB (EZB Electronic Journals Library).
• -  WZB (WZB Berlin Social Science Center).
• - ZDB (Zeitschriften Datenbamk).
• - Dulcinea.
• - Journal TOCs.
• - Scilit.
• - Erih Plus.

      

Y está presente en Twitter y Facebook:

14. Sponsors
- UMA Editorial. University of Malaga.
- Research Institute on "Youth, Inclusive Labor Market, and Legal-Social and Economic Protection" (JUVUMA) of the University of Malaga. Director: Miguel Ángel Gómez Salado.
- PAIDI SEJ-347 Research Group on Employment Policies, Equality, and Social Inclusion, funded by the Regional Government of Andalusia. PI: Salvador Perán Quesada.
- Spanish Association of Health and Social Security (AESSS).
- National R&D&I Project "The Sustainability of the Pension System in Contexts of Reforms and Economic Instability" (ref. PID2022-140298NB-I00), directed by Francisco Vila Tierno and Miguel Gutiérrez Bengoechea, and funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
- National R&D&I Project "Challenges, Reforms, and Financing of the Pension System: Sustainability versus Sufficiency?" (ref. RTI2018-094696-B-I00), directed by Francisco Vila Tierno and Miguel Gutiérrez Bengoechea, and funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
- Regional R&D&I Project "The Elderly in the Context of Employment and Social Protection: A Challenge for Economic Growth and Development. An Analysis of the Andalusian Reality" (ref. P18-RT-2585), directed by Francisco Vila Tierno and Miguel Gutiérrez Bengoechea, and co-funded by the European Union (ERDF) and the Regional Government of Andalusia.
- Regional R&D&I Project "New Technologies and Their Impact on Labor and Social Security: The Socioeconomic Impact of the Digital Economy" (ref. UMA18-FEDERJA-028), directed by Juan Carlos Álvarez Cortés and Francisco Vila Tierno, and co-funded by the European Union (ERDF) and the Regional Government of Andalusia.

15. Article Processing Charges (APC)

Under no circumstances are authors required to pay article processing charges (APC) for this journal.

https://dialnet.unirioja.es/metricas/idr/revistas/26883

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