About the Journal

1. History of the Journal

2. Scope and Focus

3. Section Policy

4. Peer Review Process

5. Publication Frequency, Editorial Information, and Print Run

6. Open Access Policy

7. Self-Archiving Permission and Digital Preservation

8. Copyright © Y CC BY-NC-ND

9. Anti-Plagiarism Policy

10. Journal Code of Ethics

11. Statement of Best Practices

12. Disclaimer

13. Gender Policies

14. Statistics

15. List of Reviewers

16. Evaluation Report

 

1. History of the Journal

 

 

2. Scope and Focus

Currently, Estudios Trinitarios is a semi-annual, open-access scientific journal with peer review, published by Editorial Secretariado Trinitario of the Province of the Holy Spirit (Spain) of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives. The journal publishes articles, notes, and bibliographical reviews in Trinitarian theology and related fields, addressing various aspects of Christian life always in relation to the Trinitarian Mystery. It promotes an interdisciplinary approach (biblical studies, dogmatic theology, moral theology, practical theology, philosophy, anthropology, history, art, education, etc.) and pays particular attention to current theological topics.

This publication aims to be included in the most prestigious national and international indexing systems. Therefore, Estudios Trinitarios welcomes contributions both nationally and internationally that demonstrate well-founded theological and philosophical reflection, research competence, critical and creative capacity, and a synergistic integration across different areas of knowledge. The language of submission is Spanish, although contributions in other languages—French, English, Italian, and Portuguese—are also accepted.

 

3. Section Policy

Authors wishing to publish in Estudios Trinitarios must submit original contributions, keeping in mind that three types of manuscripts are prioritized:

Scientific Research Articles

The Articles section accepts original studies that scientifically address issues in Trinitarian theology and the various areas of knowledge (biblical studies, dogmatic theology, moral theology, practical theology, philosophy, anthropology, history, art, education, etc.), always in relation to the Trinitarian Mystery.

The scientific and academic quality of all articles will be evaluated by two anonymous reviewers (peer review, double-blind).

Articles must be accompanied by an abstract of 100 to 150 words (maximum 1.000 characters) in Spanish and its English translation, 5 to 6 keywords in Spanish and English, and a final bibliography listing all sources cited in the article. The length of articles must not exceed 15.000 words (100.000 characters, all inclusive), and the text must comply with the bibliographical and stylistic requirements indicated in the author guidelines.

Notes

The Notes section accepts brief original essays that scientifically address current issues in Trinitarian theology. Notes must have a length between 3.000 and 5.000 words, and the text must comply with the bibliographical and stylistic requirements indicated in the author guidelines.

The scientific and academic quality of all notes will be evaluated by two anonymous reviewers (peer review, double-blind).

Reviews

The Reviews section accepts academic and original bibliographical reviews on relevant publications in theology, Trinitarian history and spirituality, biblical theology, dogmatic theology, moral theology, practical theology, church history, history of theology, history of religions, interreligious dialogue, spirituality, philosophy, human and social sciences, art, history, and culture.

Reviews must have a length between 1.000 and 1.500 words, and the text must comply with the stylistic requirements indicated in the author guidelines.

 

4. Peer Review Process

To ensure transparency and provide authors with information, the following procedure is followed for the evaluation of articles and notes submitted to Estudios Trinitarios.

Submission

Articles and notes on theological, biblical, historical, and philosophical topics—always in relation to the Trinitarian Mystery—are accepted at any time of the year.

Authors must submit their article or note directly through the Estudios Trinitarios platform, complying with the submission requirements indicated there and using the formatting template provided by the journal: author guidelines.

Authors commit to submitting unpublished and original manuscripts.

Upon Receipt:

  1. Acknowledgment of receipt is sent to the author(s).
  2. The submission is checked for compliance with journal requirements: citation style, abstract in the original language and in English, keywords in the original language and English, etc. If the manuscript does not meet these standards, it is returned to the author for adaptation.

First Step: Editorial Board Review (≈15 days)

A member of the Editorial Board performs an initial review to decide whether the formal evaluation process should begin. The author is informed of the result, with reasons provided if the decision is negative. In such cases, the manuscript does not proceed to peer review and is rejected.

Second Step: Peer Review (≈4 weeks)

External peer review is conducted using a double-blind procedure. Reviewers do not know the identity of the authors of the manuscripts they evaluate.

  • If both reviewers recommend acceptance, the manuscript is published.
  • If both reviewers recommend rejection, the manuscript is not published.
  • If both reviewers suggest revisions, the author is provided with a concise and anonymous summary of the suggestions. The manuscript is then resubmitted to the same reviewers after revision.
  • In cases of significant disagreement, a third reviewer is consulted to provide a decisive judgment.

The Director, in consultation with the Editorial Board in cases of discrepancy, makes the final decision regarding publication and informs the author of the evaluation outcome. Even in the case of acceptance, suggestions for improvement may be communicated.

Upon receipt of the final version, the author is informed of the journal issue in which the article will appear.

Each published article includes the dates of receipt and approval.

To assist reviewers, an evaluation form is provided.

Reviewers

Depending on the topic of the article or note, the Editorial Board and the Director select qualified national and international external reviewers. A list of reviewers who have participated in the evaluation process during a calendar year is published on the journal’s website.

Reviewer Manual

 

5. Publication Frequency, Editorial Information, and Print Run

Estudios Trinitarios is a semi-annual journal, publishing two issues per year: the first in June and the second in December.

Year of foundation: 1967

Printing house: Nueva Graficesa S.L.L

Legal deposit: S. 81-1963

ISSN: 0210-0363

e-ISSN: 3101-4496

Print run: 200 copies

 

6. Open Access Policy

Estudios Trinitarios provides its content in immediate, full-text open access, based on the principle that allowing free access to research results enhances global dissemination, promotion, contribution, and knowledge exchange.

openacces

Estudios Trinitarios is an open-access journal, which means that all content is freely available, without any charges to the author, user, or institution. Submission of articles and notes incurs no fees, nor are there charges for editing or publishing in open access. Users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles and notes in the journal without prior permission from the editor or author, in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

For more information, please consult the Copyright and Licensing section.

Use of Interoperability Protocols

By complying with the OAI-PMH standard (Open Archives Initiative – Protocol for Metadata Harvesting), Estudios Trinitarios facilitates the dissemination of its content online, providing a simple interface that allows other portals and information services to access its metadata in Dublin Core format.

Specifications:

OAI-PMH Protocol Version 2.0

Dublin Core Metadata

URL: https://revistas.secretariadotrinitario.org/estudiostrinitarios/oai

 

7. Self-Archiving Permission and Digital Preservation

Estudios Trinitarios authorizes authors to publish their work online (personal websites or institutional repositories) only after publication. This policy aligns with the journal’s Open Access objectives, aiming to enhance the visibility of published articles and notes through reading and citation, thereby ensuring broader and faster dissemination of the work.

Estudios Trinitarios implements several measures to guarantee the permanent accessibility of digital objects hosted on its servers:

  • Regular backups.
  • Monitoring of the technological environment to anticipate possible format or software migrations.
  • Use of digital preservation metadata.
  • Assignment of DOIs.

Published files are available in widely accessible formats (PDF, HTML).

The journal is part of the LOCKSS Private Network of the Public Knowledge Project (PKP-PLN), which establishes a decentralized, distributed archiving system among collaborating libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for content preservation and restoration if necessary.

The LOCKSS Editorial Manifesto on digital preservation is available at the following: link.

Estudios Trinitarios will periodically review its digital preservation policy.

Interoperability Protocol

Estudios Trinitarios provides a metadata harvesting service to other research dissemination platforms via the OAI-PMH protocol at the following URL: https://revistas.secretariadotrinitario.org/estudiostrinitarios/oai

 

8. Copyright © Y CC BY-NC-ND

Previously, the journal held copyright. Since 2025, the journal publishes under a Creative Commons licence.

Authors publishing in Estudios Trinitarios agree to the following conditions:

  • Authors retain copyright © and grant the journal the right of publication under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND).

               

  • Content may be copied, used, disseminated, transmitted, and publicly displayed provided that:
    • The authorship of the work is cited, along with the publication in Estudios Trinitarios, including volume, issue, year, and pages where the information was found.
    • No commercial benefit is obtained.
    • No derivative works for commercial purposes are created without journal authorization.

Authors are encouraged to disseminate their articles electronically (including Estudios Trinitarios, volume, issue, year, pagination, ISSN, DOI, etc.) to promote circulation, increase citation, and enhance reach within the academic community.

Information about the journal will be provided to Dulcinea and SHERPA/Romeo.

     

 

9. Anti-Plagiarism Policy

To ensure an effective anti-plagiarism policy, the journal uses SimilarityCheck by Crossref (iThenticate). Manuscripts are first screened with this tool before the peer review process begins.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The Director/Editor is responsible for ensuring that editing, authorship, and review processes leading to publication incorporate ethical, responsible, and transparent practices by all parties involved. This includes the use of AI during the editorial process.

Editing and authorship processes at Estudios Trinitarios will never be based on AI; its use is strictly limited to a support tool to make these processes more efficient. The Director/Editor will ensure that authors and Editorial Board members appropriately disclose any use of AI. Reviewers are not permitted to use AI to evaluate manuscripts.

Warning: Under no circumstances may manuscripts submitted for review be uploaded (in whole or in part) to any AI application, as their content could potentially become part of the AI training data. Doing so would compromise confidential information and infringe the authors’ intellectual property rights.

 

10. Journal Code of Ethics

The Director and Editorial Board of Estudios Trinitarios are committed to the scientific community to ensure the ethics and quality of articles and notes published.

Estudios Trinitarios accepts submissions to the Articles and Notes sections.

Submitting an article or note to Estudios Trinitarios implies that authors guarantee: The articles, notes, and associated materials are original and do not infringe copyright. They have not been previously published in print or digital format. The manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere while it is being reviewed by Estudios Trinitarios.

The journal Estudios Trinitarios certifies that all articles and notes are evaluated by anonymous external peer reviewers based exclusively on the relevance, originality, clarity, and significance of the submitted work.

The confidentiality of the review process is guaranteed at all times, including the anonymity of reviewers and authors, the content under review, the reasoned reports provided by reviewers, and any other communication issued by the Scientific Committee. Confidentiality is also maintained regarding any complaints, claims, or clarifications that an author may wish to submit to the editorial team or reviewers.

Estudios Trinitarios adheres to the Code of Conduct for Publications proposed by the Committee on Publication Ethics -COPE- (https://publicationethics.org/)

 

11. Declaration of Good Practices

Estudios Trinitarios is a biannual academic journal of Trinitarian theology. Accordingly, its very identity commits the journal to safeguarding the ethical standards of its publication practices and to preventing editorial malpractice. This Statement of Best Practices is governed by ethical principles inspired by the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics -COPE-, the recommendations of Elsevier, and the Guide to Best Practices for Journals of the Spanish National Research Council -CSIC-, which has served as a model. These guidelines constitute the code of conduct to be followed by the Director/Editor, the Editorial Team, authors, reviewers, and all other parties involved in the publication process.

Anyone who believes that any research published in Estudios Trinitarios has not been conducted in accordance with these guidelines should inform the Editorial Team by writing to: estudiostrinitarios@secretariadotrinitario.org.

  • Responsibilities of the Editorial Team

The Editorial Team of Estudios Trinitarios assumes ultimate responsibility for the texts published in the journal. Accordingly, it seeks to ensure, on an ongoing basis, their academic rigor and to safeguard the ethical integrity of the editorial process. The pursuit and dissemination of truth guide its decisions. Likewise, the Editorial Team endeavors to ensure that submitted manuscripts are published within reasonable timeframes. On the basis of these commitments, the following principles apply:

Impartiality: The management of manuscripts submitted for possible publication shall be carried out with strict impartiality. The Editorial Team shall respect the intellectual freedom of authors, who shall always have the right to respond to a negative evaluation. Manuscripts presenting negative research results shall not be excluded.

Confidentiality: Members of the Editorial Team shall maintain the confidentiality of all manuscripts received until they have been accepted for publication. Only from that moment onward may the author’s name and the manuscript title be disclosed. Likewise, members of the Editorial Team are prohibited from using data, ideas, or conclusions from submitted manuscripts for their own research purposes, unless they have received explicit authorization from the author.

Editorial evaluation criteria: The Editorial Team guarantees that Estudios Trinitarios publishes research that has undergone peer review by at least two qualified experts and that this process is conducted in a confidential, fair, and impartial manner. Prior to peer review, any manuscript may be rejected without external consultation if it does not conform to the journal’s editorial orientation. The journal applies a double-blind peer review system, preserving the anonymity of both authors and reviewers. Efforts shall be made to avoid conflicts of interest between the parties, and reviewers shall be required to provide a professional, rigorous, and objective assessment. External specialists in the manuscript’s field of research shall always be involved in the evaluation process. Reviewers shall not be limited to accepting or rejecting the manuscript; they shall also offer suggestions —mandatory or optional— for improvement in the event of acceptance. If the reports of the two reviewers are contradictory, a third evaluation shall be requested. Authors shall receive a decision within a period of less than six months from receipt of the manuscript. Reviewers’ opinions shall be treated as confidential. The final decision on the acceptance or rejection of a manuscript rests with the Editorial Team and shall be based on the reviewers’ reports. In addition, measures shall be taken to verify that submitted manuscripts are original and have not been previously published. Manuscripts undergo three levels of control: an initial internal review, peer review, and a random plagiarism check via Crossref Similarity Check using iThenticate software. If a manuscript is found to contain plagiarized material, it shall be excluded from the process. Estudios Trinitarios publicly acknowledges the work of its reviewers and publishes an annual list of those who have collaborated.

Retraction of published articles: Estudios Trinitarios reserves the right to retract, in whole or in part, any manuscript already published if it is conclusively demonstrated that it contains significant unintentional errors or deliberately engages in improper scientific practices. Prior to retraction, the Editorial Team shall give the authors the opportunity to justify their work and to provide evidence supporting its reliability. If an article has been published simultaneously in another journal, the respective dates of receipt shall be used to determine which version should be retracted. Notice of the retraction shall be published on the journal’s website, and the discredited texts shall remain accessible so that readers and researchers who have consulted them may be informed of their invalidation.

  • Responsibilities of the Authors

Estudios Trinitarios recognizes and deeply appreciates the contribution of authors, whose manuscripts are essential for the advancement of scientific and academic knowledge. Their work is governed by the following principles:

Authorship: Those who submit manuscripts to Estudios Trinitarios assume primary responsibility for the content of their research and declare their adherence to the journal’s ethical principles. Only those who have made a significant contribution to the study should be listed as authors, while all individuals who have participated in its development should be included as co-authors. If other individuals have contributed to any aspect of the project, even if they did not directly participate in the writing, they must also be acknowledged. The corresponding author must confirm that all co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and have consented to its publication.

Publication standards: Estudios Trinitarios publishes original articles and notes that scientifically address issues in Trinitarian theology and related fields of knowledge (biblical studies, dogmatic theology, moral theology, practical theology, philosophy, anthropology, history, art, education, etc.), always in relation to the Trinitarian Mystery. Its readership includes specialists, students, and readers interested in these areas of knowledge. Submitted manuscripts must be unpublished and present original contributions to a theological or philosophical problem. Manuscripts must meet the academic standards of the theological, philosophical, and humanistic disciplines. Arguments must be supported by verifiable evidence and presented in an objective and rigorous manner. Research must contain sufficient information to enable a specialist to understand it and to test its conclusions. Manuscripts must comply with the journal’s editorial guidelines. Authors are required to participate in the peer review process.

Originality and commitment against plagiarism: No manuscript under simultaneous consideration by another journal may be submitted to Estudios Trinitarios. Likewise, manuscripts may not be submitted to another journal until an editorial decision has been received or the author has voluntarily withdrawn from the process. Authors must guarantee that the data presented are authentic and that their research has not been copied, duplicated, falsified, or manipulated. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and redundant or multiple publication constitute reprehensible conduct and are considered academic fraud. In exceptional cases, the journal may republish texts that have already appeared elsewhere, either because they address different audiences or because their content is of particular relevance. In such cases, this circumstance must be clearly stated and the original publication properly cited.

Identification of sources and funding:
Authors shall appropriately cite all works consulted in their research, in accordance with the editorial guidelines of Estudios Trinitarios. However, excessive referencing of knowledge universally accepted by the academic community shall not be encouraged. Information obtained through personal conversations or communications must not be made public without explicit permission. Manuscripts must also clearly indicate any funding received, expressly identifying the public or private entity that provided it.

Conflicts of interest: If authors maintain academic, financial, or personal relationships with any parties related to their research that could influence its results, they are required to disclose this information to the Editorial Team, which will determine whether it should be stated in the publication.

Reporting of significant errors: If authors discover any significant error or inaccuracy in a published article, they must inform the Editorial Team and cooperate in correcting, retracting, or withdrawing the manuscript. Likewise, when the Editorial Team or third parties identify errors or improper conduct, authors must cooperate in the process of correction, retraction, or withdrawal.

  • Responsibilities of the Reviewers

Estudios Trinitarios recognizes and deeply appreciates the contribution of external reviewers, whose work is essential to ensuring the journal’s academic rigor. Through their assessments, manuscripts may be refined and achieve a higher level of quality. Their work is governed by the following principles:

Preliminary assessment of availability, competence, and suitability: Before accepting a review assignment, reviewers must consider whether they possess sufficient expertise in the relevant field, whether they have adequate time to complete the review within the stipulated period (generally one month), and whether there are any potential conflicts of interest that could limit or compromise their impartiality.

Confidentiality: Reviewers are required to maintain confidentiality regarding all manuscripts submitted to them, from the beginning of the review process until possible publication. They may not share the content or use it for personal or third-party benefit. If a reviewer deems it appropriate to consult another specialist, prior authorization must be obtained from the Editorial Team.

Objectivity: Reviews must be based solely on the academic merits of the manuscript: its relevance, originality, argumentative soundness, and clarity of presentation. Reviewers shall strive to ensure that their reports are impartial, well-founded, and constructive, always safeguarding the author’s intellectual freedom and avoiding personal judgments or disparaging remarks.

Identification of sources: Reviewers must verify whether the author has included the most significant references relevant to the topic under consideration and are encouraged to indicate pertinent works that may not have been cited. Reviewers also bear the responsibility of alerting the Editorial Team if they detect or suspect the existence of plagiarism or self-plagiarism, in whole or in part.

 

12. Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in the works published by the journal are the sole responsibility of their authors.

Authors who wish to include images, figures, tables, or passages of text that have previously been published elsewhere must obtain permission from the copyright holder for both print and online formats and must include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their manuscripts. Any material received without such evidence shall be presumed to originate from the authors themselves.

 

13. Gender Policy

Statement of Best Practices on Gender Equality

Estudios Trinitarios recommends the use of effective scholarly language that takes gender perspective into account. Manuscripts are required to employ inclusive and non-sexist language that is precise and avoids redundancies (the continuous use of formulas such as “los/las” or “los teólogos y las teólogas” is not accepted). Authors are encouraged to follow the current norms of the Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Española).

The journal publishes the full names of all authors, contributors, and reviewers in order to identify gender.

Estudios Trinitarios also promotes the presence of women on its Editorial Board and Scientific Committee, as well as among its pool of reviewers, with the aim of achieving at least 40% representation.

 

14. Statistics

Estudios Trinitarios provides publicly available statistical data on usage, visits, and downloads, measured over annual periods from January to December. These statistics are available within each article.

Statistical information on authors, rejection rates, and reviewers can also be found here.

Data on the most frequently used keywords in our articles and notes are also provided. This information is available on the journal’s main page, in the right-hand menu.

 

15. List of Reviewers

List of Reviewers for volume 59:

José Carlos Sánchez López – University of Seville (Spain)

Ángel Viñas Vera – Loyola Andalucía University (Spain)

Jesús Fernández – University of Seville (Spain)

Lydia Salviucci – Pontifical Gregorian University (Italy)

Miguel Córdoba Salmerón – University of Granada (Spain)

Domingo García Guillén – Cor Christi Theological Institute, Alicante (Spain)

Susana Vilas Boas – University of Fribourg (Switzerland)

Enrique Somavilla Rodríguez - Royal University Center Escorial-María Cristina (Spain)

Mariela Martínez Higueras - Higher Center for Theological Studies “San Pablo” (Spain)

Raúl Buffo – Sophia University, Florence (Italy)

Alejandro Nicola – Catholic University of Córdoba (Argentina)

Jonathan Farrugia – University of Malta (Malta)

Marcelo Singh – Catholic University of Salta (Argentina)

Bruno D’Andrea – Loyola Andalucía University (Spain)

Samuel Sueiro – Pontifical University Comillas (Spain)

José Cebrián Cebrián – Catholic University of Valencia (Spain)

Marco Salvati – Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas-Angelicum, Rome (Italy)

Emilio López Navas – Higher Center for Theological Studies San Pablo, Málaga (Spain)

Stefano Santasilia – University of Calabria (Italy)

List of Reviewers for Volume 60:

 

16. Evaluation Report

Evaluation Form (PDF)