Research Areas

Academics, professionals and students from around the world can submit their original research papers and technical reports. We currently accept submissions preferably in English, or Spanish, in the following research areas:

• Security and Privacy: Theoretical and practical fundamentals of computer security and privacy to guarantee the protection of information and any related computer systems. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following: Information security and privacy; privacy-preserving methods and applications, cryptography, security services, personal data collection and protection, database and storage security, software and application security, network security, penetration testing, threat analysis and risk assessment, digital forensics & incident response (DFIR), human and social aspects of security and privacy. 
• Information Systems: Design, implementation and deployment of information systems, including processes, actors and organizational resources involved in the production, storage, processing and communication of data and information. Desirable topics in this area are the following: Data management, information storage and retrieval, information systems applications, business process management/modelling, enterprise information systems, information integration and interoperatibility, IT and IS Governance and Management, IS Auditing and Compliance, High-Performance Computing (HPC).
• Intelligent Systems and Other Technology Trends: New breakthroughs related to the interactions and practical impacts of intelligent systems and other technology trends including: Artificial Intelligenge (AI) and Machile Learning (ML), big data, data science and analytics, blockchain applications, information systems for collaboration and social computing, virtual reality / augmented reality, mixed reality, Internet of Things (IoT), human-computer interaction and cybernetics.
• Software engineering and Applications: Software engineering and its related body of knowledge for software creation, software management, software organization and software properties, including innovations, new paradigms and development methodologies for their successful application in the deployment of computer systems. Some topics in this area are the following: Software engineering, requirements engineering, software validation and certification, continuous software engineering (e.g., DevOps, agile, etc.), interoperability and service-oriented architecture, intelligent problem solving, process management software, business intelligence, decision support systems.
• Science, Information Technology and Society (SiTS): Inter-disciplinary and Multi-disciplinary research related to the role of computer science, information technology and computer systems for understanding the social and human dimensions of their influence, impact and future involvement in shaping the modern society. Topics in this area are not limited to the following: eGoverment and eDemocracy, governmental technology policies, computing and informatics education, digital literacy and virtual education, management of computing and information systems, Web3, decentralized Internet and the Metaverse, ethics and technology, intellectual property and personal data protection, computer crime and computer misuse, internet threats and social implications (cyberbullying, harrassment, hacktivism, etc.)
• Computer Science and Information Technologies for inclusive education and disability: Inter-disciplinary and Multi-disciplinary research to promote the use of Information Technologies for aiding people with disabilities by incorporating applications and innovations that favor their inclusion, equal access to education, and information accessibility. Some of the topics of interest are: Advance learning technologies, artificial intelligence and education, assertive and assistive education, digital divide, e-learning, educational games, educational Software, educational technologies, game-based learning, inclusive education, interactive learning, MOOCS, mobile learning, multimedia in e-learning, systems and technologies in education, technological tools and media for education, technology-based education, Web-based learning. 

Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to the Latin-American Journal of Computing (LAJC) undergo a rigorous peer review process to ensure scientific quality, originality, relevance, and academic contribution.

      1. Initial Editorial Screening

Upon submission, the Editor-in-Chief or a Section Editor conducts a preliminary evaluation based on the following criteria:

• Thematic alignment with the journal’s scope.
• Compliance with formatting requirements: article structure, length, anonymity of the manuscript.
• Originality check using plagiarism detection software (Turnitin). The similarity index must not exceed 15%, in accordance with LAJC’s editorial policy (Anti-Plagiarism Policy).

Manuscripts that do not meet formal requirements are returned to the authors for correction. If the manuscript shows conceptual deficiencies or is outside the scope of the journal, it will be rejected at this stage (desk reject).

      2. Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to two or three external reviewers who are experts in the article’s subject area. LAJC follows a double-blind peer review process, in which authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other. In exceptional cases, a fourth reviewer may be invited to resolve conflicting opinions.

Reviewers assess the methodological soundness, scientific relevance, clarity, and originality of the manuscript and provide one of the following recommendations:

• Accept without changes
• Accept with minor revisions
• Major revisions required
• Reject

      3. Editorial Decision

The final decision to accept or reject a manuscript rests solely with the Editor-in-Chief or the Section Editor, who considers the reviewers' reports and, if needed, may initiate additional review rounds.

It is important to note that editors are not bound by the reviewers’ recommendations, although these are taken into serious consideration during the decision-making process.

     4. Timeframe

The expected timeframe for completing the peer review process is up to 12 weeks, depending on reviewer availability and the number of revision rounds required. LAJC is committed to maintaining a transparent, efficient, and fair review process for both authors and reviewers.

Editorial Team

The editorial team is made up of academics from recognized and accredited universities worldwide. The list of its members can be found at the following link.

Publication Frequency

LAJC publishes two issues per volumen on a semiannual basis, corresponding to: 

• Issue 1: published in early January
• Issue 2: published in early July

Manuscript submissions are accepted year-round. Authors can submit or update their manuscripts at any time during the editorial process.

For every manuscript submitted to LAJC, a notification of acceptance or rejection will be issued within an average time of 12 weeks, not exceeding the maximum notification due date. Please note that publication and notification dates are referential and subject to change to ensure better editorial management. These dates do not represent a guarantee of publication.

Check the Call for Papers section to find the exact submission, notification, and publication dates currently in effect. 

Accepted Version Publication at LAJC

At the Latin-American Journal of Computing (LAJC), we understand the importance of timely dissemination of research. That is why we offer the unique opportunity to publish your Accepted Version immediately after your article successfully passes the rigorous peer-review process.

This Accepted Version allows your work to gain early visibility in the academic community, ensuring that your research is shared and cited without delay. Once the editorial process is fully completed, including copyediting and formatting, the Final Version of your article will be published in the corresponding issue of the journal.

By choosing LAJC, you not only benefit from accelerated publication but also showcase your research to a broader audience while maintaining the high quality and standards of our journal. 

Diamond Open-Access Policy

The Latin-American Journal of Computing (LAJC) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. We are a diamond open-access journal which means that all content is freely available without any charge fees to either authors or readers. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

Guidelines for Reviewers

LAJC's Scientific Committee are specialists in their corresponding research area. They act as reviewers in order to guarantee a high quality publication by providing feedback and valuable comments to authors throughout the whole evaluation process. If accepted, their feedback must be considered by authors for ammending the article before submitting its final version.

Reviewers must follow the Revision Guidelines to assess every article based on its Originality, Significance, Relevance, Presentation and Content (see Considerations for Evaluation Criteria).

Revisions must be done using this review form which has been automated and implemented inside our OJS Platform (see Evaluation Method). 

Interoperability Protocol Policy

This journal uses the interoperability protocol between repositories, called OAI-PMH version 2.0 (Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting), for the transfer of digital resources. This protocol allows the transmission of metadata in published articles, for collection by libraries, digital repositories, and online harvesters at the following link: https://lajc.epn.edu.ec/index.php/LAJC/oai.

Statement of Ethics and Best Publication Practices

The Latin American Journal of Computing (LAJC) aims to bring together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to present original research papers, technical reviews and state-of-the-art reviews for publication.

The LAJC undertakes to defend the rules of ethical behavior in every stage of the publishing process. Our efforts are oriented to guarantee that all the persons involved in the publishing process (authors, editorial board members and reviewers) must comply with ethical standards at every stage of the process.

The LAJC is a member of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). As such, this journal follows the DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. In addition, the LAJC adopts and promotes the standards set by Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) by their Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Both organizations, the DOAJ and the COPE, have collaborated to identify principles of transparency and best practice for scholarly publications.

      1. Authors’ Responsibilities

• Authors must guarantee the authorship of the documents presented. Authorship corresponds to those who have made a significant contribution to the work. If the work has significant contributions from more than one author, these contributors should appear as co-authors.
• Authors must provide contact information in order to facilitate communication with other researchers in relation to their published work. This contact information will appear with the published work.
• Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.
• Proper citation of sources is required. Plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data fragmentation are prohibited.
• If significant errors are found after publication, authors must inform the editor for a correction or retraction.

      2. Editorial Responsibilities

• The Editor-in-Chief and Section Editors are responsible for final editorial decisions, based on peer review reports and academic merit.
• LAJC ensures a double-blind, fair, transparent, and confidential peer review process.
• The editorial team applies plagiarism detection tools (Turnitin) and enforces ethical conduct in all stages of the publication process.
• All manuscripts are handled equitably, regardless of the authors' background or affiliations.

      3. Reviewers’ Responsibilities

• Reviewers must act objectively, confidentially, and with professional integrity.
• Reviews must be clear, technical, and submitted within the specified timeframe.
• Reviewers must not use the manuscript content for personal or professional benefit.
• Any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed to the editor.

      4. Ethical Publishing Practices

• LAJC strongly condemns all forms of scientific misconduct: plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate submissions, and gift authorship.
• Editorial procedures strictly follow COPE guidelines.

      5. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

LAJC reserves the right to retract, correct, or issue expressions of concern regarding previously published articles if serious errors, ethical violations, or scientific misconduct are identified.

• A retraction will be published as a separate document, linked to the original article, and will clearly state the reason for the decision.
• Minor corrections will be addressed through errata notices.
• Expressions of concern may be issued if substantial doubts arise about the integrity of an article while an investigation is ongoing

All such actions will follow COPE recommendations and will be communicated transparently to readers.

      6. Complaints

Any author, reader or reviewer may send complaints by email to Latin-American Journal of Computing: lajc[at]epn.edu.ec

Anti-Plagiarism Policy

This Journal only accepts submissions of original contributions. As a commitment to protecting the integrity of published academic content, LAJC's peer review process includes an anti-plagiarism review process using the Turnitin tool, ensuring case detection of duplicate submissions and plagiarism.

Articles should not have been previously published nor be under consideration by another journal or conference. If a previous version of the article has been published, LAJC may consider the current submission ONLY IF IT CONTAINS SIGNIFICANT ORIGINAL AND ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS compared to the original published version. During submission, it is imperative for authors to submit (alongside with the article's current version) a cover letter addressed to the Editorial Committee with a brief description of the differences between the published and the version being submitted. Also, a statement must be included as a footnote in the article's current version, indicating that it is indeed an extension of a previous article. If accepted, once authors are asked to de-anonimize the article, please include the full citation of the published version in the footnote's statement.

NOTICE: If an article is deemed plagiarized, it will be automatically rejected. Authors will be notified by email about this decision with a copy of the plagiarism report for their consideration. Authors may appeal to this decision by sending a letter to the editor with the proper justifications and evidence.

Disclaimer

The Latin-American Journal of Computing (LAJC) respects the rights (including the intellectual property rights) of others and we ask our Authors to do the same. LAJC may in appropriate circumstances and in its sole discretion, report names and contact information of authors that infringe or otherwise violate such rights of others.

LAJC, under no circumstance, endorses the accuracy or reliability of any content, results, and/or views contained on, distributed through, or linked to any article submitted for evaluation prior to publication. The Authors hereby acknowledge that any content submitted to this Journal is under their own responsibility. LAJC reserves the right, in its sole discretion and without any obligation, to withdraw an article if there are copyright claims from a third party.

LAJC IN NO EVENT SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT CLAIMS RELATED TO ARTICLES THAT HAVE BEEN EITHER SUBMITTED FOR EVALUATION, OR PUBLISHED IN ANY ISSUE OF THIS JOURNAL. ALSO, LACJ DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE POINT OF VIEW AND STATEMENTS MADE BY THE AUTHORS IN THEIR WORK.

Publishing Organization

• Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador

Journal History

The Latin-American Journal of Computing is an initiative of the Faculty of Systems Engineering of the National Polytechnic School, which aims to contribute to the open and free dissemination of scientific and technological knowledge in the field of Informatics and Computer Science, according to The Open Archives Initiative (OAI).

LAJC is a member of The Ecuadorian Network of Editors and Scientific Journals (RERCIE).