About the Journal

 

Focus and scope

Traditionally, scientific journals have been one of the most important means of scientific dissemination. RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research embraces this tradition of scientific communication and aims to serve as a bridge between different researchers and students, facilitating the transmission and dissemination of specialized knowledge. With this, RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research encourages the publication of practical works, as well as theoretical reflections related to the lexical component of the Spanish language.

RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research is a digital publication belonging to the catalog of digital scientific journals of the University of Jaén and developed by the R&D&I Group “Seminar on Hispanic Lexicography” (SLH - HUM 922), dependent on the Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation of the General Secretariat of Universities, Research and Technology of the Regional Government of Andalusia and based in Jaén.

This journal is published semi-annually, in January and July. The published texts are subjected to a peer review system (double blind). This process ensures the visibility of the authors and their research within the main indexes of scientific journals, which will guarantee wide dissemination and impact within linguistic research.

The management of the evaluation, editing, and management process of the journal is carried out using the software Open Journal Systems (OJS), developed within the framework of the Public Knowledge Project (PKP). This system is free and open access and does not require any payment for submitting, processing, publishing, or reading articles, which favors access, transfer, and global exchange of specialized knowledge.

The languages of the journal are Spanish and English, and texts must be presented in the organizational and informational style typical of the humanities and social sciences, established by the publication guidelines dictated by the American Psychological Association (APA) in its latest edition.

 

Peer review process (double blind)

  1. Researchers wishing to submit their proposals for evaluation must adapt their texts to the journal's guidelines.
  2. All manuscripts submitted for publication will undergo a peer review process (double blind). The group of evaluators will be composed of accredited specialists in one or more of the fields covered by the journal. They will be proposed by the Editorial Committee based on the subject matter of the text and their specialty.
  3. Before the peer review (double blind), the Editorial Committee will carry out an initial assessment of the text to determine its suitability to the journal's editorial principles.
  4. Once the suitability of the text has been determined by the Editorial Committee, it will be sent to two evaluators who will assess whether the manuscript should be accepted, modified, or rejected, based exclusively on criteria of originality, clarity, and relevance.
  5. If the article is accepted with changes, the author will be sent a detailed list of the modifications proposed by the evaluators, so that its publication will be conditional on the changes indicated by the experts. The monitoring and control of these modifications will be the responsibility of the Editorial Committee.
  6. In the event of insurmountable discrepancies, the Editorial Committee may propose a new evaluator, who will not be informed of this circumstance.
  7. Once the work is approved, the Editorial Committee will notify the author, and may request technical corrections from the author, who must address these requests in order to continue with the editing process.
  8. The journal will update the list of reviewers who have participated in the last five years, data that will be subject to their discretion and prior authorization.

 

Editorial process

Research policy

RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research includes studies and research related to the lexical level of the Spanish language, prioritizing proposals related to the following branches of linguistics, which specifically configure the three sections of the journal dedicated to research studies in:

- Lexicography section

  • General and methodological theory on the dictionary
  • Theoretical/descriptive studies on the Spanish dictionary (monolingual)
  • Theoretical/descriptive studies on the Spanish dictionary (bilingual)
  • History of Spanish dictionaries
  • Bibliographical reviews (with/without scientific proposal)
  • Review of a state of the art (with/without scientific proposal)
  • Use of the dictionary for didactic purposes (Spanish L1)
  • Teaching innovation: use of the dictionary

- Lexicology section

  • Theoretical/descriptive studies on the lexicon (Hispanic context)
  • Comparative studies on the lexicon (Spanish-other contact languages)
  • Studies addressing bilingualism
  • Synchronic studies
  • Diachronic studies
  • Orality context
  • Writing context (literary/press/archival documentation)
  • Specialty context
  • Spanish variety context
  • Lexical availability
  • Bibliographical reviews (with/without scientific proposal)
  • Review of a state of the art (with/without scientific proposal)
  • Historiography
  • Lexicon didactics (Spanish L1)
  • Phraseology
  • Morpho-semantic analyses of the lexicon
  • Studies of the lexicon in dictionaries and linguistic corpora
  • Teaching innovation: lexicon studies

- Vocabulary teaching section

*In general, all topics arranged for the Lexicology and Lexicography sections are applied to E/L2 research and specifically focused on the study and research of the Spanish lexicon.

The orientation of the proposals can be theoretical or practical and adopt both diachronic and synchronic approaches. The publication languages can be both Spanish and English.

To guarantee the contribution to the field of knowledge, at least 75% of the accepted articles must present original and current research, the guarantee of which must be highlighted in the article itself by explicitly indicating the research source from which the study is derived (doctoral thesis, research project, R&D project, teaching innovation project, etc.). Likewise, to guarantee the internationality of the journal, it will be taken into account in the selection that at least 10% of the authors belong to foreign institutions.

Section policy

RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research is structured in two fixed publication sections: (1) scientific articles and (2) specialized monographs.

Scientific articles have a semi-annual periodicity: they are published in collective volumes arranged in a sequential publication of two issues (January and July). The evaluation process of the originals begins in order of arrival and subsequent admission by the Editorial Committee.

As for specialized monographs, they are independent works, edited by specialists in the field and with double-blind peer review, with an annual periodicity (December). They include outstanding articles by specialists on some of the most relevant current topics in lexical studies. Proposals for undergraduate and postgraduate works, or works by a single author, are not accepted. The proposal of a monograph for publication as a monograph of RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research requires the proposal of a coordinator from among the collaborating authors of the monograph, who will be responsible for submitting the originals and in charge of collaborating and coordinating the editing work together with the Editorial Committee. The publication of the monograph will be approved by the Editorial Board, and in any case, all originals will be individually subjected to the journal's peer review system (double blind).

Open access policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content, based on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

About copyright. Policy proposed for journals offering open access

Authors who have publications with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright over the scientific content of their articles and grant the journal the right of first publication of their work, which will be simultaneously subject to the Creative Commons Attribution License that allows third parties to share the work as long as the author and its publication in this journal are indicated.
  2. Authors may enter into other non-exclusive licensing agreements for the distribution of the published version of the work (e.g., depositing it in an institutional repository or publishing it in a monograph) as long as the initial publication in this journal is indicated.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to disseminate their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, which can lead to interesting exchanges and increase citations of the published work. (See The effect of open access).

Funding policy

  • The funding sources that resulted in the published work will be indicated in the articles. The funding agency(ies) and the code(s) of the project(s) within which the research leading to the publication was carried out must be indicated.
  • The journal is published by the University of Jaén, which is responsible for its funding through the University Press.
  • Under no circumstances will the Press or the journal charge for the processing or evaluation of articles, or for publishing in it.

 

Access, structures and functionalities of the web

The website has a structure that allows quick and intuitive access to volumes and articles. By clicking on "Archives," you can access all published volumes, and within each of these, by clicking on the desired article, an initial presentation page of that text opens. Among other elements (text data, abstract, references), it contains a graph that shows the number of downloads produced monthly. Furthermore, the author interface is conveniently designed and adapted to the needs of users, allowing authors to submit their manuscripts quickly and intuitively, interact with editors, and know the editorial flow and the phase in which their manuscript is located.

The website has a search engine (website header, right side, "Búsqueda") that facilitates access to content by volume, authorship, keywords, year of publication, etc.

The website is adaptable to mobile devices.

Ethical commitment

The editing of the journal RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research is committed to the transfer of science to society and honesty in research practice. Therefore, this journal takes as a reference the Code of Conduct and Best Practices defined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for journal editors. This ethical commitment is explicitly stated and addresses the different groups involved in the publication of the journal, namely:

[1] Of the Editorial Board

  • All are internal members appointed by the sponsoring entity of the journal, that is, the University of Jaén, and they are responsible for ensuring compliance with the principles of editorial ethics.

Of the Editor

  • This is the person who assumes the guidance and overall responsibility for the scientific quality of the journal and, consequently, for the Editorial Board and the Editorial Team.
  • They have the capacity to evaluate the development of content and make strategic decisions in each edition.
  • They institutionally represent the journal.
  • They have the overall editorial vision and set the guidelines for the editorial line.
  • They ensure the quality of the content and editorial excellence.
  • They direct the activities of the editorial, advisory, and scientific boards.
  • They approve the final version of each issue, making the final decision on the publication of articles and the issue in which they will be published according to the content.
  • They develop the review schedule and the delivery of articles.

Of the Editorial Director

  • This is the person who directly deals with the editorial process.
  • They have the ability to decide, together with the Editorial Board, the editorial line.
  • They deal and negotiate with the media.
  • They are responsible for locating, managing, and maintaining the indexing databases and appropriate distribution lists for the journal.
  • They plan and supervise the promotion of the journal.
  • They receive the originals and distribute them among the members of the Editorial Committee.

Of the Secretary

  • This is the person who ensures the continuous flow of the editorial process.
  • They keep the minutes of the Editorial Committee meetings and, together with the editor, prepare the agenda for the meetings.
  • They issue the requested certificates, attesting to the veracity of the accredited facts.
  • They ensure compliance with the policy developed by the Editorial Committee.
  • They prepare the annual statistical reports on the editorial process.

[2] Of the Editorial Committee

It is composed of a group of academic and scientific specialists in the discipline covered by the journal. Its members can be internal (sponsoring entity of the journal: University of Jaén) and external (members of another institution).

The Editorial Committee of RILEX is made up of the director, who chairs it; the secretary, who will also act as deputy director, in order to replace the director in the necessary circumstances. The functions attributed to the members of the editorial committee are:

  • Receive the originals and distribute them among external reviewers.
  • Assist the editorial director in all their functions and, especially, in the monitoring of the works (receipt, evaluation, and acceptance).
  • Verify the application of the rules for the presentation of originals, design, creation, and orientation of the different sections of the journal.
  • Ensure compliance with the established rules and ethical precepts of the journal. They are responsible for the correction of the originals, and for the review and correction of the abstracts and the methodological and stylistic aspects of the article.
  • Control the quality of the reviewers' reports.
  • Monitor compliance with the journal's publication workflow.

The Editorial Committee of RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research has institutional openness in its composition, so much so that 50% of its members belong to institutions other than the publishing body, in this case the University of Jaén.

Likewise, the Editorial Committee also has a technical team, whose main functions are: to control the tasks of correction, composition, layout, and electronic editing.

[3] Of the Advisory Board

It is composed of a group of university professors and researchers of recognized prestige and members of educational institutions. Their functions are:

  • Supervise the editorial content and development of the journal on specific topics.
  • Promote the journal within their field.
  • Promote the journal within their field.
  • Obtain collaborations from potential authors.
  • Support the Editorial Committee and guide it conceptually and scientifically.
  • They can also act as reviewers for the journal.

The Advisory Board of RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research has institutional openness in its composition, given that all its members belong to institutions different from the publishing body (University of Jaén); likewise, the Advisory Board has international openness, since more than 10% of its members belong to a foreign institution.

[4] Of the External Reviewers Committee

The External Reviewers Committee is a committee dependent on the Editorial Committee, and its members can be certified as such. The selection of external reviewers is made based on the following actions:

  • Search in bibliographic databases.
  • Review of the list of bibliographic references cited in the article.
  • Suggestion by the reviewer themselves.

In its composition, the majority of the members who act in the scientific arbitration are external to the institution that manages the journal, in this case the University of Jaén.

The connection of the members to the Editorial Committee and their identification in RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research as such are subject to their discretion and prior authorization. Thus, this information is updated annually on the RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research website to keep a historical record of this function.

[5] Of the authors

  • The authors agree to submit their texts to peer review.
  • The works will be unpublished and original.
  • The texts will formally distinguish original texts from those already published, citing the original sources for this purpose.
  • Likewise, figures, tables, data, images, etc. will have the necessary permissions for their publication.
  • In the case of multiple authorship, all authors must have collaborated in the writing and revision of the text and agree with the publication. The Journal declines any responsibility for possible conflicts arising from authorship caused by non-compliance with its rules.
  • The authors undertake that, if they detect any error in the article, before or after its publication, they will immediately alert the Journal's Management and provide, if necessary, the correction of the detected errors. If it has occurred after publication, the journal will also publish corrections, clarifications, rectifications, and apologies when necessary.
  • Articles may be withdrawn at any time during the evaluation process by authors who disagree with the decisions, or for other reasons.

[6] Of the reviewers

  • They will not know the identity of the authors.
  • They will have no conflict of interest with the subject of the article.
  • They will treat the article confidentially.
  • The review will be objective and constructive. The requirement of neutrality will be an absolute priority.
  • They undertake to indicate interesting or novel bibliography.
  • They undertake to guide the author about unpublished works and developing lines of research that may affect the text.

 

Application of artificial intelligence (AI) in manuscripts submitted to the Journal on Lexical Research (RILEX)

The Journal on Lexical Research (RILEX) has implemented a policy on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in scientific publications in order to maintain the highest standards of scientific integrity and develop good practices for the use of AI.

[1] Objective

This policy establishes guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in scientific articles submitted to the Journal on Lexical Research (RILEX). Its purpose is to promote transparency, scientific quality, and proper acknowledgment of all tools used in the research process and communication of results.

[2] Scope

This policy applies to all individuals who submit manuscripts to the Journal on Lexical Research (RILEX), regardless of the type of submission they make: article or monograph.

[3] Definitions
The application of AI in the research and communication of results has occurred through various systems and tools.

  • Generative AI: artificial intelligence systems capable of generating text, images, or other content based on patterns learned from large datasets.
  • AI Agents: advanced AI systems that can perform complex tasks, make autonomous decisions, and interact with their environment.
  • AI Tools: among others:
  1. Large language models (LLM) such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, models like Llama, Mistral, and platforms that use LLMs such as SciSpace, Consensus, and Elicit, among others.
  2. Image generators.
  3. AI agents specialized in scientific tasks or data analysis.
  4. AI systems for automation of experiments or processing of results.

[4] Usage guidelines

[4.1] Declaration of use and bibliographic citation system
Authors must explicitly declare the use of any AI tool in their manuscript, following the journal's standard reference and citation format. In this regard, bibliographic references will correspond to the citations that appear in the body of the text. For example:

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT GPT-4o [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

Anthropic. (2024). Claude 3.5 Sonnet [Large language model]. https://www.claude.ai/

[4.2] Rule on the authenticity of authorship

  • Definition of authorship. An author is considered to be any natural person who, through their knowledge, creativity, and intellectual effort, significantly contributes to the creation of a research work.
  • Exclusion of Artificial Intelligence. No artificial intelligence (AI) system, automated software, or any technology that generates content without substantial human intervention is recognized as an author. Authorship is exclusive to natural persons, who assume ethical and legal responsibility for their works.
  • Acknowledgment of collaborations. In cases where artificial intelligence tools are used as support in the creative or research process, their use must be declared transparently, but this does not grant authorship status to these tools.

[4.3] Responsibility and transparency

  • The use of artificial intelligence does not exempt authors from responsibility for the veracity, quality, and originality of the generated content. Omission in declaring the use of AI may be considered a lack of transparency and affect the validity of the document.
  • Authors must carefully review and edit any text generated by AI to ensure its accuracy and relevance, especially given the risk of hallucination by generative AI.

[5] Review process

  • The editorial team will evaluate the declared use of AI in the context of the theoretical, empirical, and methodological contribution of the manuscript. Editors reserve the right to request additional information about the use of AI.
  • The editorial team may use AI in the editorial process for the specific purpose of plagiarism detection, selecting reviewer profiles, and constructing email messages.
  • Likewise, reviewers will not depend on the use of AI to evaluate manuscripts. AI cannot replace the responsibility of individuals in this review role or in issuing recommendations. However, tools that facilitate plagiarism detection may be used.
  • Finally, under a principle of reciprocity, the editorial team may inform the authors about the use of AI in the process of completing or expanding the evaluation information or arbitration.

[6] Consequences of non-compliance

Failure to comply with this policy may result in:

  • Rejection of the manuscript

[7] Policy review

This policy will be updated periodically to ensure its relevance.

 

Privacy statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal will be used exclusively for the purposes stated therein and will not be provided to third parties or for their use for other purposes.

 

Disclaimer of liability

The opinions expressed in the articles published in RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research are the sole responsibility of their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the members of the Editorial Board and the Editorial Committee.

 

Inclusive language

RILEX. Journal on Lexical Research adheres to the objective assumed by the United Nations to "express oneself orally and in writing without discriminating against a particular sex, social gender, or gender identity and without perpetuating gender stereotypes" (https://www.un.org/es/gender-inclusive-language/index.shtml). This objective must be considered in parallel with "other discursive or pragmatic postulates, such as those of equivalence, adequacy, convenience, aesthetics and, especially, the principle of economy" (Posición de la RAE of January 16, 2020, § 8.1), and the appropriate use of linguistic norms. It is therefore advisable to take into account both the recommendations of the United Nations and those offered by the Royal Spanish Academy (https://www.rae.es/sites/default/files/Informe_lenguaje_inclusivo.pdf).

 

Statistics

(Updated April 2025)

Submissions received: 161 (22/year)

Submissions accepted: 97

Submissions rejected: 56 (5/year)

 Submissions rejected (before review): 35 (5/year)

 Submissions rejected (after review): 21 (3/year)

Submissions published: 115 (16/year)

Days to first editorial decision Description for Days to first editorial decision: 70

 Days to acceptance: 167

 Days to rejection: 71

Acceptance rate: 60%

Rejection rate: 35%

 Rejection rate before review: 22%

 Rejection rate after review: 13%