Recommendations for the submission of articles

Empirical research articles 

Abstract and keywords 

After the title of a maximum of 15 words in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, include the abstract in Spanish, English, and Portuguese with a maximum length of 250 words. This should be written in a single paragraph and it is recommended to avoid abbreviations or acronyms. 

The abstract of empirical research should contain: (a) the research topic in one sentence, if possible; (b) the objective(s), including the main hypotheses, if any; (c) the sample design and participants, specifying the type and size of the sample and relevant characteristics, such as place (city and country), sex and age; (d) the important aspects of the method (design, instruments or techniques, data collection, and analysis procedure); (e) the main results (no more than four) and (f) the main conclusions; highlight opportunities for possible future work related to the findings and their possible implications or applications. If the study is a secondary data analysis, indicate this. 

Empirical research articles also consider those that report primarily on the development of measurement instruments or the effectiveness of research methodologies. In the first case, the abstract should also include some of the essential metrics, such as robustness, efficiency, validity, and reliability. In the second case, you should add: (a) the general class of method(s) being discussed; (b) the essential aspects of the proposed method; and (c) the range of application of the proposed method. 

In the next line of the abstract write three to five keywords in Spanish, English, and Portuguese separated by commas. The keywords are written in lowercase and in normal 12-point font.   

Introduction 

The introduction describes the research problem and the premises on which it was based, setting it in context. The theoretical and empirical background for the research question(s) is developed. A review of related research is provided and the hypotheses that guided the research, especially in quantitative or mixed studies, are disclosed. A convincing rationale for the need for the study is elaborated and if other aspects of the study have been published previously, it is clearly explained how the aspects reported in this article are different from previous ones. 

Be sure to clarify the objectives of the study and, in the case of quantitative or mixed research, define the main variables. In the case of qualitative research, define and theoretically elaborate the main categories or concepts of the research. After reading the introduction, readers should be able to clearly understand the study (problem, background, question, and objectives), and the conceptual or theoretical framework in which it is immersed.  

Start the introduction on a new page after the abstract in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Be sure to organize the introduction well, for which it is convenient to use headings for different subsections. Headings help readers follow the flow of your logical arguments. However, headings should be at least two. If there is only one heading, removing it and continuing the introduction without subsections is preferable.  

Method 

Start a new section with Method, using this term as a subheading, and in bold type.  

The Method section shows how the research was conducted and should provide readers with enough detail to understand and accurately replicate the study. The Method has several subsections, each of which may have a bold subtitle. They are left-justified, leaving a 12-point space before and after. The order of these subsections, for quantitative or mixed studies, is as follows: 

Design: indicate clearly and in detail the type of design used. In non-experimental research, indicate the type of design and type of data used. In experimental investigations, give details of the experimental manipulations planned for each study condition, including comparison conditions. In the random assignment of subjects to groups, describe the randomization unit and the procedure used to generate the randomization sequence. For non-random assignment of subjects to groups, describe the method used to assign the units to the study conditions, including details of any restrictions, and the procedures used to minimize selection bias. 

Participants: indicate whether the sample used was probabilistic or non-probabilistic and the type of sample (examples of the former: simple random, stratified, clustered, multistage; examples of the latter: accidental, purposive, convenience and, within these, extreme cases, intense, quota, snowball, among others). In probability samples, indicate the size of the a priori and real sampling error and the effects of the sampling design. Indicate clearly how the participants (or subjects) were chosen, where they were from, and if there were inclusion or exclusion criteria, describing them explicitly. Indicate how the sample size was determined, what it was, and how many subjects were integrated into the real sample obtained. Also, indicate the number of people who refused to participate. Longitudinal studies should report experimental death or attrition rates. Also provide sociodemographic data on participants, such as age, sex, and socioeconomic status, and any other important variables that may be associated with or affect the results. In animal studies, indicate gender and species. 

Instruments (or measures): describe separately each instrument or measure used in the study. For each measure, be sure to provide: (a) the name and citation of the measure or instrument used; (b) the purpose of the instrument (what it measures); (c) whether it is validated in the country where the study was done; (d) the number of items or questions in the instrument and its subscales, if any; (e) one or two sample items or items; if the instrument consists of subscales, one sample item from each; (f) the response scale; (g) the theoretical range of the total score and of the subscales and what represents a higher score; (h) how it is applied to the participants; (i) information on its reliability (internal consistency or another aspect of reliability), providing information on previous studies and on the study being reported; (j) information on its validity and how it was evaluated, either in previous studies and/or in the study being reported. In the case of sociodemographic or other types of questionnaires, indicate the number of questions, the variables on which they were based, and how they were scored or analyzed. In the case of interviews, indicate the variables and main questions.  

Procedure: provide a detailed description of the procedure followed to obtain the information. The detail is important so that the reader can determine the suitability of the method used to answer the scientific questions and so that any other researcher can replicate the study. This should include: (a) the date on which the information was collected (month and year); (b) where it was collected; (c) who applied the instruments or measures (expertise and training); (d) if there was more than one instrument, the order in which they were applied; (e) the average duration of the application; (f) if there were any problems in the application. Here it is essential to point out the ethical aspects considered in the application of the instruments or measures, especially if the adult participants were informed of the objectives of the study if the confidentiality of their responses was assured, if the voluntariness of their participation was made explicit and if they signed any informed consent. In the case of underage participants, whether the parents or caregivers signed an informed consent form and whether the children agreed to participate if they were old enough to do so. It should also be noted whether there was any financial or other type of payment to the participants and whether any feedback on the results was given. In the case of control groups that did not benefit from any program or intervention, it should be reported if they were reimbursed in any way. If any university ethics committee gave its approval for the study, it is also pertinent to point this out. 

Data Analysis: describe how the data or information obtained was analyzed. In quantitative research, establish, first of all, the variables used in the analysis and their role in it. Point out and justify each of the statistical techniques used, explaining which ones were used to answer which question or hypothesis of the study. Mention the descriptive and inferential statistics calculated and the level of significance used. Indicate how the assumptions of the statistical inferences made were tested. Special mention should be made of missing data and their effect on the results, explaining the method used to address them, if any. Include an indication of the confidence intervals calculated, a description of the statistical hypothesis tests applied, including post hoc comparisons performed, and an indication of any simple or multivariate regression or modeling procedures employed, together with an assessment of their fit to the data. Present the analytical model that the research evaluates describing in detail the different parameters evaluated in the models. Mention the statistical software used to analyze the data. 

In qualitative research, the Method section points out and justifies the research approach or paradigm, the study participants, the techniques, the procedures used for data collection (phases or step-by-step followed), and the ethical considerations of the study. Report on the analytical process to arrive at the findings: coding processes, citations, data extracts, etc. State whether the coding categories emerged from the analyses or were developed a priori. Identify the units of analysis and how they were formed, if applicable. Specify the process for arriving at an analytic scheme, if applicable. Indicate the controls that were added to the analysis. Describe how investigator perspectives were handled. Name the software, if used. The detail in the description of the components mentioned and in the justification of the decisions taken at the methodological level is fundamental in qualitative studies, in order to understand them in depth and to be able to subsequently assess the relevance and scope of their conclusions.  

Results 

Start a new section with the Results, putting this term as a subtitle, and in bold type. Quantitative research includes primary and secondary descriptive results. If you performed inferential tests, provide all results in this regard. You need to provide results not only for what was statistically significant but also for what was not statistically significant. Use tables and figures to display the results. 

In qualitative research, present the research findings (themes, categories, narratives) and the meaning or understanding derived from the analysis of the data. Report results in a manner that is compatible with the study design. Present summary illustrations (diagrams, tables, models), if they are helpful in organizing and conveying the findings. Photographs may also be used. 

Discussion and conclusions 

Begin a new section with the Discussion and conclusions, putting these terms as a subheading, and in bold type. In this section, do not repeat aspects that you have already reported in the previous sections, such as objectives, participants, analyses conducted, or undiscussed results.  

The Discussion and Conclusions contain the interpretations and implications of the study. If there is more than one study in the report, separate Method and Results sections for each study, followed by a General Discussion linking the entire investigation. 

Quantitative studies provide a statement of support or non-support for each of the hypotheses formulated, whether primary or secondary. Identify and discuss similarities and differences from previous theories and between the reported results and the previous work of other researchers. Discuss the implications of the analyses in terms of substantive findings and the magnitude of error that could not be controlled for. Highlight the strengths of the study, explaining the main contributions to the promotion of knowledge in the educational field. Also point out the limitations of the study, taking into account, among others: (a) sources of possible biases and threats to internal and statistical validity, (b) type of instruments or measures used, (c) imprecision of measurement protocols, (d) adequacy of sample size and validity of the sample, and (e) analyses performed. Discuss the generalizability or transferability (external validity) of the findings, considering the target population (sample validity) and other contextual aspects (environment, culture, measurement, time, ecological validity). Review the ethical dilemmas or challenges encountered and provide suggestions for the future. Discuss implications for future research, programs, practices, or policies. Contribute to the advancement of knowledge, suggesting possible future research that considers improving the weaker aspects of the study or deepening some of the findings. Contribute to the advancement of knowledge, suggesting possible future research that considers improving the weaker aspects of the study or deepening some of the findings. 

In qualitative studies, do not repeat aspects that have already been reported in previous sections, such as participants or undiscussed results; comment on the interpretations and implications of the study; identify and discuss the similarities and differences of the findings obtained with previous theories and with the previous work of other researchers; highlight the strengths of the study, explaining the main contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the educational field; review the ethical dilemmas or challenges encountered and provide suggestions for the future; analyze the implications of the results obtained for future research, programs, practices or policies; contribute to the advancement of knowledge, suggesting possible future research that considers improving the weaker aspects of the study or deepening some of the findings. 

Literature reviews and meta-analysis  

Abstract 

The abstract of a systematic literature review or meta-analysis should contain: (a) the research problem; (b) criteria for the selection of the literature or studies; (c) type of participants included in the studies; (d) main results; (e) main conclusions (including limitations); and (f) implications for theory, policy or practice. 

Introduction 

The introduction should clearly define and identify the problem to be investigated, highlight the available evidence in the area and make explicit the knowledge gap to be addressed by the review. It is recommended to include clear research objectives to identify the focus and contribution of the review, which should guide all sections of the article. 

Method 

The method should include the following information: (a) describe all the sources of information used in the search for articles and state the period or dates of the articles included. The sources of information used should include at least two peer-reviewed scientific databases, such as WOS, Scopus, PsychINFO, and ERIC; (b) present all words and word combinations used to search for articles; (c) specify the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the selection of articles, justifying the reasons for these criteria; (d) detail the initial and final number of articles reviewed and included in the review, specifying the reasons for exclusion at each stage of the process; (e) indicate whether there is a literature review protocol (such as an Excel spreadsheet) or whether software such as Nvivo or others were used. 

Results 

The results should be organized according to a logic consistent with the stated problem and should contain the following information: (a) a description of the main characteristics of the articles included in the review, such as sample size, population, independent and dependent variables, method, instruments used, main findings; (b) critical evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the studies reviewed; (c) description of the similarities, contradictions, and relationships between the articles reviewed. 

Discussion and conclusions 

The Discussion and conclusions should include the following information: (a) an identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the research reviewed and its relevance for the advancement of research and for professionals in the field; (b) an interpretation and critical discussion of the results in the context of other studies and their implications for future research; (c) description of the contribution and novelty of the article, showing how the review has contributed to the advancement of knowledge, filling a previous gap in the literature. 

Formal Aspects 

The length of empirical research and literature review articles should be a minimum of 6,000 and a maximum of 8,000 words, except for the list of references. Its structure includes title, abstract, and keywords in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, introduction, method, results, discussion and conclusions, and references in APA seventh edition. The text should be written in Times New Roman 12 point font and, if you wish to include tables or figures, the position of each one should be indicated in the text and they should be sent in separate files following the suggested format presented here. Articles should be sent through the OJS platform of the journal. 

Citations and References
Authors must follow the rules of the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual to cite and reference all sources used in their manuscripts. It is essential to ensure consistency between what is cited in the text and what is listed in the references: every source cited in the manuscript must appear in the reference list, and every source in the list must have been cited in the manuscript.

            In-text citation
Citations in the body of the manuscript should always include the author’s last name(s) and the year of publication. Citations may be written in three ways:

• Author and year in parentheses. The last name is separated from the year by a comma.
• Example: According to a recent study (Ramírez, 2020)…
• Author in the sentence and year in parentheses.
• Example: As Ramírez (2020) points out…
• Author and year within the sentence.
• Example: In 2020, Ramírez analyzed that…

            Manuscript by two authors
The last names are joined with “&”:

• (Martínez & López, 2019).
• Martínez & López (2019) argue that…

             Manuscript by three or more authors
The first author’s last name is followed by et al. in italics:

• (Pérez et al., 2021)
• Pérez et al. (2021) found that…

            Multiple manuscripts by the same author
When an author has several publications in different years, the years are listed, separated by commas, with the final one connected with “&.”

• (García, 2017, 2019, & 2021)
• In his works from 2017, 2019, & 2021, García documents how…

            Manuscripts by the same author in the same year
When an author has multiple manuscripts in the same year, use letters to distinguish them:

• (Sánchez, 2022a, 2022b)
• Sánchez (2022a, 2022b) describes that…

            Multiple citations
When citing several sources, list them alphabetically and separate them with semicolons.

• (Álvarez, 2018; Hernández, 2016; Pérez et al., 2021)

             Reference list
References must be arranged alphabetically by the first author’s last name. If citing journal articles, the DOI must be included when available.

Examples by source type

            Journal article:

• López, M. (2021). Critical pedagogy in Latin American classrooms. International Journal of Education Research, 110(3), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101902

            Book:

• Freire, P. (2018). Pedagogía de la esperanza. Siglo XXI Editores.

            Book chapter:

• Torres, C. A. (2019). Global citizenship education. In M. Suárez-Orozco (Ed.), Humanitarian education: Global challenges (pp. 101–120). Harvard Education Press.

            Conference paper:

• Jiménez, L. (2020, October). Experiencias de formación docente en comunidades indígenas de Colombia. Paper presented at the Congreso Iberoamericano de Educación Intercultural, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México.

            Institutional Authorship
For manuscripts in education and humanities, it is common to cite institutional reports, public policies, or official documents. In such cases, the institution must be cited as the author:

• (Ministry of National Education, 2020)
• Ministerio de Educación Nacional. (2020). Lineamientos curriculares de educación inicial. MEN.

Approaches[1]

This type of theoretical research article is a space for the discussion of ideas and theoretical proposals from a reflective and propositional point of view, supported by a systematic analysis of sources. The articles in this section may have a more speculative character than what is usually allowed in an empirical research article or a literature review. Likewise, they may focus on relevant aspects of education, pedagogy, and, human development, both in their research, academic and disciplinary fields, as well as on reflections arising from the trajectory of outstanding educators or on other important topics. The opinions expressed should be balanced, substantiated, and evidence-based. Its objective is to stimulate discussion on the development of the educational and pedagogical field, particularly in those aspects relevant to the Latin American context.

It should be noted that the articles in this section go through the peer review process in the same way as any article submitted to Voces y Silencios: Revista Latinoamericana de Educación.

About the textual structure. The texts must go beyond the descriptive level and postulate themselves as reflective texts of an analytical, argumentative, propositional, or critical nature. The following are the specific guidelines for submitting manuscripts in this section:

Approaches: these are texts of an argumentative nature that allow the development of points of view, on the call for papers with a free theme or special issue of the journal, in which a space for reflection and written dialogue is generated with the purpose of arguing a position or describing an idea. This type of manuscript has the following general structure:

• Title: that synthesizes the ideas described in the text. It should have a maximum of 15 words and should be presented in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
• Abstract: It presents the topic or problem of reflection, the objective, the thesis, and a synthesis of the main article approaches. The abstract, with a maximum of 250 words, must be presented in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
• Keywords: between 3 and 5 words coherent with the title, abstract and general content of the article. They should be presented in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
• Introduction: It presents a brief contextualization of the text subject. It states the purpose of the paper (e.g., to demonstrate, support, affirm...) and, clearly and directly presents its thesis (the thesis is a statement that expresses a position and answers the question that guides the text). Additionally, an outline of the structure of the text is presented (e.g., the text will be made up of three parts: first, ...; second, ...).
• Development: these paragraphs develop the ideas that allow us to reach the purpose and argue the thesis proposed in the introduction, through a systematic analysis of sources that demonstrates depth in theoretical research. They may be argumentative paragraphs, enunciating ideas, or raising concerns related to the phenomenon to be discussed. They can be divided into sections with subtitles that reflect the content of the text and that are different from "development".
• Conclusion: this section recapitulates the ideas developed throughout the text and reaffirms the thesis put forward. In addition to synthesizing the central ideas of the text, it is important to propose a reflection based on the central ideas that open lines of research or deepening in the future.
• References: the list of references should include all the sources cited in the text, taking into account the APA seventh edition standards.

The length of the articles should be a minimum of 6,000 and a maximum of 8,000 words, except for the list of references. The text should be written in Times New Roman 12-point font and, if it contains tables or figures, in addition to including them in the text, they must be sent in the original format separately. Articles should be submitted through the journal's OJS platform.

Occasionally, reviews are published in the section of approaches, in which the authors present a critical text about a work[2] that allows discussion of its central axes. The reviews should generate a space for criticism, argumentation, reflection, and written dialogue in which the authors argue their ideas based on their analysis of the chosen work(s). This type of manuscript has the following general structure:

• Title: this space specifies the work and authors to be reviewed in APA seventh edition format.
• Abstract: It presents the theme of the work being reviewed, the objective of the review, the author's thesis, and a synthesis of the main text points. The abstract, with a maximum of 150 words, must be presented in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
• Keywords: between 3 and 5 words in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
• Introduction: It presents a brief contextualization of the work to be reviewed. It can be based on the following questions: When was it published? Who wrote/produced it? Is the author an expert on the subject? Was it the result of research? What type of research? What is the context in which it was developed? What is the subject it addresses? What is the author's position on the subject? What is the structure of the work? It is also important to state the purpose of the writing (e.g., to criticize, contrast, expand) and, to clearly and directly present the thesis (the thesis is a statement that expresses a position and answers the question that guides the text).
• Development: these paragraphs develop the ideas that allow you to achieve the purpose and argue the proposed thesis, based on evidence taken from the critical analysis of the reviewed work and complementary sources.
• Conclusion: the central ideas of the text are synthesized, the proposed thesis is reaffirmed, and a reflection on the central approaches is proposed to open lines of analysis and/or deepening in the future. The following questions can be taken into account: Would you recommend the work to the general public? Why? What type of public would you recommend this work to? What other similar works would you recommend to anyone interested in the work reviewed? What other conclusions could be drawn after your critical evaluation? What possible lines of analysis and/or deepening are opened after your critical review of the text reviewed?
• References: the list of references should include all the sources cited in the text, taking into account the APA seventh edition standards.

The length of the reviews should be a minimum of 2,000 and a maximum of 4,000 words, except for the list of references. The text should be written in Times New Roman 12 point font and, if you wish to include tables or figures, the position of each one should be indicated in the text and they should be sent in separate files following the suggested format presented here. Articles should be submitted through the journal's OJS platform.

Citations and References
Authors must follow the rules of the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual to cite and reference all sources used in their manuscripts. It is essential to ensure consistency between what is cited in the text and what is listed in the references: every source cited in the manuscript must appear in the reference list, and every source in the list must have been cited in the manuscript.

            In-text citation
Citations in the body of the manuscript should always include the author’s last name(s) and the year of publication. Citations may be written in three ways:

• Author and year in parentheses. The last name is separated from the year by a comma.
• Example: According to a recent study (Ramírez, 2020)…
• Author in the sentence and year in parentheses.
• Example: As Ramírez (2020) points out…
• Author and year within the sentence.
• Example: In 2020, Ramírez analyzed that…

            Manuscript by two authors
The last names are joined with “&”:

• (Martínez & López, 2019).
• Martínez & López (2019) argue that…

             Manuscript by three or more authors
The first author’s last name is followed by et al. in italics:

• (Pérez et al., 2021)
• Pérez et al. (2021) found that…

            Multiple manuscripts by the same author
When an author has several publications in different years, the years are listed, separated by commas, with the final one connected with “&.”

• (García, 2017, 2019, & 2021)
• In his works from 2017, 2019, & 2021, García documents how…

            Manuscripts by the same author in the same year
When an author has multiple manuscripts in the same year, use letters to distinguish them:

• (Sánchez, 2022a, 2022b)
• Sánchez (2022a, 2022b) describes that…

            Multiple citations
When citing several sources, list them alphabetically and separate them with semicolons.

• (Álvarez, 2018; Hernández, 2016; Pérez et al., 2021)

             Reference list
References must be arranged alphabetically by the first author’s last name. If citing journal articles, the DOI must be included when available.

Examples by source type

            Journal article:

• López, M. (2021). Critical pedagogy in Latin American classrooms. International Journal of Education Research, 110(3), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101902

            Book:

• Freire, P. (2018). Pedagogía de la esperanza. Siglo XXI Editores.

            Book chapter:

• Torres, C. A. (2019). Global citizenship education. In M. Suárez-Orozco (Ed.), Humanitarian education: Global challenges (pp. 101–120). Harvard Education Press.

            Conference paper:

• Jiménez, L. (2020, October). Experiencias de formación docente en comunidades indígenas de Colombia. Paper presented at the Congreso Iberoamericano de Educación Intercultural, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México.

            Institutional Authorship
For manuscripts in education and humanities, it is common to cite institutional reports, public policies, or official documents. In such cases, the institution must be cited as the author:

• (Ministry of National Education, 2020)
• Ministerio de Educación Nacional. (2020). Lineamientos curriculares de educación inicial. MEN.

[1] This description of criteria has developed taking as a reference the text "Writing Workshops" developed within the program "My Community is School" of the Mayor’s Office of Cali (Colombia) together with the Universidad del Valle.

[2] A work is understood as any production that is framed within the development of an academic or cultural context, which may be of a visual nature (film, theater, performance, photography, etc.); auditory (conferences, exhibitions, interviews, symposiums, musical interpretation, etc.); or written (novel, essay, poetry, specialized article, popularization article, book of research results, text with scholarly content, etc).

Testimonials[1]

These are texts written by people directly involved in educational activities, in which they describe in detail experiences, pedagogical and didactic resources, or innovations in educational practice that have been particularly significant, because they are striking experiences that generate new learning through reflection or because they generate unexpected reactions in participants, communities or observers. These texts may be written in the first person, since they are primarily a reflection on the practice or resource under analysis, carried out by the person (or persons) who narrate it in the text.

In addition to describing the practice, the purpose of the testimony is to critically appropriate the experience and the knowledge resulting from it, based on a theoretical understanding and a reflective exercise on the transformative potential of what is described. Thus, an article submitted to the testimonies and resources section is not simply a collection of materials or opinions but should present an analytical and critical position on the experience and/or resources. This type of article can be understood as a narrative reconstruction of experiences, in which the meaning of these experiences is revealed through their arrangement, description, and interpretation. Therefore, in addition to the title, summary, and keywords in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, it is suggested that the texts addressed to this section be organized from the following sections, giving answers to the questions within each one of them:

Description and general contextualization of the experience

This section should contextualize the reader with respect to the educational experience or practice to which the text gives testimony. It can begin by recalling the origin of the experience, the observation, etc.: Did it respond to a particular problem, with what objectives was it conceived and implemented, what is the place where it was carried out, was this experience linked to a project or public policy, was it carried out in a formal, non-formal, or informal educational context, was it a classroom or virtual experience, was it a face-to-face or virtual experience?  

This section should also include a description of the participants, understood in two ways: those who carried out the experience within the context referred to above and those to whom the experience was directed: Students, of what grade or age, was the experience carried out in a community? In general, this section provides details about the community that participated or is participating in the experience. It should also describe the specific activities or actions of which it is composed, its strategies, methodology, or procedure, the time in which it was carried out, and other details considered pertinent.  

Theoretical and conceptual references

This section provides a synthesis of theoretical and empirical references or antecedents that have served as a basis for the approach to the experience from pedagogical and methodological points of view. These references may come from the authors' own practice and should accompany the reflection on the meaning of the experience from its results, reconstruction, and analysis.  

Achievements and challenges of implementation

It is a matter of recounting the achievements obtained and contrasting them with the objectives of the experience. Based on the evidence available, mention unforeseen aspects and difficulties that arose during the course of the experience and that are important in balancing the achievements and challenges of the experience. Both achievements and difficulties can be related in terms of the impact of the experience on both those who developed it and those to whom it was directed. Evidence, such as photos, narratives, drawings, etc., can be included to help the reader understand the scope of the implementation.

Reflection and discussion

To ensure that the testimony is not just an anecdotal exercise, this section should discuss the experience and its results by identifying its meanings and transforming potential, as well as the limitations and potential for improvement of the experience narrated. The objective is to discuss the implications of the results for pedagogical practices and innovation based on these, as well as the possibilities of the experience being put into practice by other actors and in other contexts. It is expected that at this point, the conceptual and practical references will be taken up again and that from these, a dialogue with the results will be established, which will give meaning to the experience. 

Formal aspects

The length of the articles in Testimonials should be a minimum of 4,000, and a maximum of 6,000 words, except for the list of references. Its structure includes a title, abstract, and keywords in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, as well as a list of references in APA’s seventh edition. The text should be written in Times New Roman 12 point font and, if you wish to include tables or figures, the position of each one should be indicated in the text and they should be sent in separate files following the suggested format presented here. Articles should be submitted through the journal's OJS platform.

Citations and References
Authors must follow the rules of the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual to cite and reference all sources used in their manuscripts. It is essential to ensure consistency between what is cited in the text and what is listed in the references: every source cited in the manuscript must appear in the reference list, and every source in the list must have been cited in the manuscript.

            In-text citation
Citations in the body of the manuscript should always include the author’s last name(s) and the year of publication. Citations may be written in three ways:

• Author and year in parentheses. The last name is separated from the year by a comma.
• Example: According to a recent study (Ramírez, 2020)…
• Author in the sentence and year in parentheses.
• Example: As Ramírez (2020) points out…
• Author and year within the sentence.
• Example: In 2020, Ramírez analyzed that…

            Manuscript by two authors
The last names are joined with “&”:

• (Martínez & López, 2019).
• Martínez & López (2019) argue that…

             Manuscript by three or more authors
The first author’s last name is followed by et al. in italics:

• (Pérez et al., 2021)
• Pérez et al. (2021) found that…

            Multiple manuscripts by the same author
When an author has several publications in different years, the years are listed, separated by commas, with the final one connected with “&.”

• (García, 2017, 2019, & 2021)
• In his works from 2017, 2019, & 2021, García documents how…

            Manuscripts by the same author in the same year
When an author has multiple manuscripts in the same year, use letters to distinguish them:

• (Sánchez, 2022a, 2022b)
• Sánchez (2022a, 2022b) describes that…

            Multiple citations
When citing several sources, list them alphabetically and separate them with semicolons.

• (Álvarez, 2018; Hernández, 2016; Pérez et al., 2021)

             Reference list
References must be arranged alphabetically by the first author’s last name. If citing journal articles, the DOI must be included when available.

Examples by source type

            Journal article:

• López, M. (2021). Critical pedagogy in Latin American classrooms. International Journal of Education Research, 110(3), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101902

            Book:

• Freire, P. (2018). Pedagogía de la esperanza. Siglo XXI Editores.

            Book chapter:

• Torres, C. A. (2019). Global citizenship education. In M. Suárez-Orozco (Ed.), Humanitarian education: Global challenges (pp. 101–120). Harvard Education Press.

            Conference paper:

• Jiménez, L. (2020, October). Experiencias de formación docente en comunidades indígenas de Colombia. Paper presented at the Congreso Iberoamericano de Educación Intercultural, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México.

            Institutional Authorship
For manuscripts in education and humanities, it is common to cite institutional reports, public policies, or official documents. In such cases, the institution must be cited as the author:

• (Ministry of National Education, 2020)
• Ministerio de Educación Nacional. (2020). Lineamientos curriculares de educación inicial. MEN.

[1] This description of criteria has taken as a reference the text "Writing Workshops" developed within the program "My Community is School" of the Mayor's Office of Cali together with the Universidad del Valle.