About the Journal
Editorial Status
Observatorio (OBS*) is a peer-reviewed, open access and free of charge academic journal committed to the highest standards of scholarly publishing. It welcomes contributions from both established and emerging researchers worldwide.
As an interdisciplinary journal, Observatorio (OBS*) encourages submissions across a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches in Communication Studies, while also fostering dialogue with related areas in the Social Sciences and Humanities.
The journal is particularly interested in original research from both academic and professional contexts, privileging communication, media and journalism as central objects of study.
The journal accepts manuscripts in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French.
Observatorio (OBS*) adheres to the principles and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Publication Frequency
Observatorio (OBS*) publishes four regular issues per year (March, June, September, December), and may also release special issues outside this schedule.
The Journal follows an early-access model. Articles approved for publication are first made available online as Early Access. The Editorial Team then reserves the right to include them in the most appropriate issue.
Review Process
The journal follows a double-blind peer review process.
All submissions first receive an initial editorial assessment to ensure they align with the journal’s scope and meet the Author Guidelines. Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria are returned to the authors and can be desk rejected. Those that meet the requirements move on to a double-blind peer review process.
The decision to publish the article or not is based on the evaluations of two independent external reviewers, followed by a final verdict from the Editorial Team. If revisions are required, the manuscript is returned to the authors for modification and then reevaluated before the final editorial decision.
Detailed information on the peer review process is available here.
Reviewers receive a certificate of acknowledgement, and their names are included annually in the public list of contributors.
Authors and co-authors submitting manuscripts are also encouraged to become a reviewer for Observatorio (OBS*).
Publication Ethics:
Observatorio (OBS*) is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. Only original and unpublished work will be considered for peer review. Manuscripts must demonstrate novelty, originality, and scholarly contribution to the field of Communication Studies.
Anti-Plagiarism Policy - To ensure the originality of the manuscripts, all submissions are checked with a plagiarism detection tool before peer review begins. The similarity assessment criteria will always be subject to the decision of the Editorial Team, and each case will be considered individually.
AI Usage Policy - Authors must take full responsibility for the content of their manuscript, including conceptualization, interpretation, accuracy and overall scientific integrity. Authors must provide a detailed statement of AI usage under a subsection at the end of the manuscript named “Declaration of AI Usage”.
Conflict of Interest Policy - All authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could inappropriately influence (or be perceived to influence) the research process and its outcomes.
More details about the above Publication Ethics Policies are available here.
Open Access Policy
Observatorio (OBS*) is an open access journal that provides immediate and unrestricted access to all published content. All articles are freely available to read, download and share, in accordance with the principle that open dissemination of knowledge supports a wider global exchange of ideas.
The journal does not charge any submission, processing, or publication fees. Authors are not required to pay at any stage of the editorial process.
Open access is ensured under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, sharing, and adaptation, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the journal.
Authors are encouraged to make their study data publicly available in a trusted repository to promote transparency, reproducibility, and future research.
Special Issues Policy
Observatorio (OBS*) welcomes proposals for special issues that advance innovative debates and contribute to the development of Communication Studies and related fields. Special issues are an integral part of the journal’s mission to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and to highlight emerging areas of research.
The journal maintains its commitment to open access and does not charge authors any submission, processing, or publication fees. However, in the case of special issues, the journal may establish agreements with guest editors, sponsoring institutions, or research projects to cover additional editorial or production costs. These agreements are intended exclusively to support the organisation and management of the special issue and do not compromise the open access and free of charge principle for authors.
All manuscripts submitted to a special issue are subject to the same rigorous double-blind peer review and editorial procedures as regular submissions, ensuring compliance with the highest academic and ethical standards.
