About the Journal

Sapiens in Higher Education (ISSN 3073-1429) is an international scientific journal founded in 2024 and dedicated to the production, assessment and dissemination of knowledge about higher education. It publishes original research, systematic reviews and scholarly essays examining substantive questions in university teaching, learning, educational innovation, educational technologies, institutional management, higher education policy and curriculum development. Submissions undergo editorial assessment and double-anonymized peer review.

The journal serves the international academic community, with particular attention to Latin America and the Caribbean while welcoming contributions from other regions. Its readership includes higher education researchers, university lecturers, postgraduate students, quality assurance professionals, academic leaders, student support specialists and public policy researchers. Its findings may also be relevant to undergraduate students and other stakeholders involved in improving higher education institutions.

The contribution expected from a manuscript goes beyond describing experiences or identifying institutional difficulties. Articles must position a research problem within existing knowledge, establish its relevance to higher education and contribute findings, arguments, evidence syntheses or conceptual advances that help explain a phenomenon, test an explanation, assess an intervention or support informed decisions. Research conducted in one university or country is welcome when the authors make clear what can be learned beyond the case itself, without claiming generalizability unsupported by the design.

As part of the modernization of its editorial infrastructure, the journal's official website is https://highereducation.journalsapiens.org/index.php/she. This address supersedes the former platforms https://revistasapiensec.com/index.php/Sapiens_in_Higher_Education/index and https://sapiensjournal.ec/index.php/sihe/index. Historical issues and stable article identifiers must remain accessible during the transition, without retrospective alteration of bibliographic data or actual publication dates.

Publishing institution, co-publisher and scientific independence

Publishing institution: Instituto Sapiens de Investigaciones Científicas Multidisciplinar (ISICM)

Under the governance model of Sapiens in Higher Education, the Instituto Sapiens de Investigaciones Científicas Multidisciplinar (ISICM) bears institutional responsibility for the journal's scientific direction. It is responsible for establishing and maintaining the mission, objectives and disciplinary scope; approving and reviewing editorial policies; defining the framework within which the editorial team operates; safeguarding research integrity, transparency, academic diversity and publishing sustainability; and arranging institutional oversight and processes for addressing significant concerns.

ISICM must ensure that the editor-in-chief and section editors can act with scholarly independence, including when submissions originate from its own members, collaborators, sponsors or editorial board members. Institutional oversight concerns governance, compliance and resources; it does not replace expert assessments or determine acceptance or rejection of individual manuscripts.

Co-publisher: Sapiens Edition S.A.S.

Sapiens Edition S.A.S. carries out co-publishing and technical-administrative support required for publishing continuity: OJS platform administration, document handling, metadata production and maintenance, digital publishing workflows, copyediting, typesetting, technical support for persistent identifiers, archival services, information security, interoperability and dissemination of published content.

The co-publisher does not appoint peer reviewers for commercial reasons, alter scientific reviews, make manuscript acceptance decisions or grant preferential treatment to authors, institutions or funders. Scientific decisions rest with the editor-in-chief or delegated academic editor and must be supported by peer-review reports, the journal's policies and a verifiable record of the editorial process.

Separating institutional scientific responsibility, editorial decision-making and technical production safeguards the journal's independence and clarifies accountability at every stage. The membership, roles and institutional affiliations of the editorial team must be kept current and publicly accessible.

Objective

The objective of Sapiens in Higher Education is to publish, evaluate and disseminate original scientific research, systematic reviews and rigorous theoretical contributions that advance knowledge of higher education systems, institutions and processes.

The journal promotes research that helps understand, explain and evaluate phenomena relating to university teaching and learning, pedagogical innovation, educational technologies, curriculum development, student pathways, institutional governance, postgraduate education and the relationships between higher education institutions and society.

Priority is given to contributions that clearly define scientific problems, critically engage with international scholarship, employ appropriate methods and present findings, arguments or evidence syntheses that advance knowledge and provide a sound basis for educational decision-making.

Mission

To advance scientific research on higher education through the independent evaluation and open-access publication of original, rigorous and relevant knowledge for the international academic community.

Sapiens in Higher Education seeks to connect university teaching, learning, research, institutional management and social responsibility while promoting dialogue among disciplinary perspectives, methodological approaches and diverse educational settings.

Its editorial work is grounded in research integrity, transparency, double-anonymized peer review, editorial independence, respect for academic diversity and equitable dissemination of knowledge, with particular attention to Latin America and the Caribbean and openness to contributions from all regions.

Vision

To become an internationally recognized scientific journal in higher education, distinguished by its clearly defined and coherent scope, the originality and relevance of its publications, methodological quality, independent editorial management and transparent evaluation procedures.

The journal aims to strengthen its role in international scholarly communication through a diverse community of authors, reviewers and editors; the sustained publication of relevant research; accessibility and preservation of its content; and the demonstrable application of good publishing practices.

Its institutional development will pursue standards of quality and competitiveness consistent with internationally respected scientific journals, without treating indexing or bibliometric indicators as substitutes for scholarly quality.

Central question of scholarly relevance

Every manuscript must make it possible to answer the following editorial question in a manner consistent with its research design:

What substantive higher education problem does the study address, what new knowledge or critical and verifiable synthesis does it contribute, and how does it help explain, evaluate or transform teaching and learning, student pathways, curricula, university research, institutional governance or relationships between higher education institutions and society?

Relevance is assessed by the alignment among the defined problem, scholarly literature, research question or objective, conceptual framework, selected methods, findings or developed arguments, and stated contribution. Empirical research must identify the sources of evidence and the limits of inference; evidence reviews must justify their search and synthesis procedures; and scholarly essays must advance an original thesis through academic reasoning, engagement with literature and explicit consideration of alternative positions.

The journal does not require every study to propose an immediate intervention or produce favorable findings. Null, critical or contradictory results are relevant when they address an important question and are presented rigorously and transparently.

Editorial relevance and scholarly contribution criteria

Initial screening will assess the manuscript’s substantive connection with one or more of the seven research areas, the definition of its problem, engagement with scholarly literature, research question or objective, analytical approach or design, sufficiency of evidence and stated contribution. Thematic fit is necessary but not sufficient for a manuscript to enter peer review.

A contribution may take the form of original empirical findings, tests of explanations, evidence-based evaluations of interventions or policies, critical synthesis of research, methodological development and validation, or conceptual advances. In each case, authors must state the implications, limitations and conditions for transfer or generalization, without making causal claims that exceed the research design.

Submissions will be declined with reasons when they lack a substantive higher education problem or identifiable scholarly contribution, or merely describe activities, promote an institution or present tools without an appropriate educational assessment. Negative, null and conflicting results are welcome when adequately substantiated.

Scientific scope and research areas

Sapiens in Higher Education focuses on universities and other tertiary education institutions, including face-to-face, blended and online provision. Its remit encompasses pedagogical, technological, curricular, institutional and social processes, provided that the central research problem and contribution concern higher education itself. Empirical, theoretical and applied scholarship is welcome, including international comparisons and interdisciplinary approaches supported by a clearly defined research question. The seven areas below identify distinct objects of inquiry while allowing manuscripts to engage with more than one area when substantively justified.

1. Educational innovation in higher education

This research area investigates the conception, design, implementation, evaluation and sustainability of pedagogical and organizational innovations that address demonstrable problems in university education. It encompasses active learning, problem-, project- and research-based learning, laboratory and field experiences, service-learning, interprofessional education, academic tutoring, formative assessment, faculty development and changes in teaching practice. Studies of adoption, scalability and sustainability across institutions and disciplines are also welcome.

Priority is given to work identifying the problem motivating an innovation, its theoretical foundations, the expected mechanism of change, implementation conditions and observed outcomes. Contributions must rely on indicators, observations, comparisons, qualitative evidence or other procedures appropriate to the research question; distinguish implementation from participant acceptance and educational effects; and address contextual factors, limitations and the potential for transfer. Using a novel method or reporting an institutional experience does not, by itself, constitute a scholarly contribution.

2. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and digital transformation of higher education

This area examines the adoption, integration, assessment and governance of digital technologies in higher education and their relationship with teaching, learning and academic management. Topics include virtual and hybrid learning environments, learning management systems, open educational resources, generative and predictive artificial intelligence, learning analytics, digital assessment, simulation, immersive technologies, accessibility, digital literacy and competence, data protection, academic cybersecurity and organizational changes arising from digitalization.

Eligible studies must address a specific educational problem and investigate the pedagogical appropriateness, validity, value, effects or risks of technologies through transparent research designs. Authors should distinguish academic performance, demonstrated learning, perceived satisfaction, engagement and administrative efficiency; explain how outcomes were measured; and address algorithmic bias, privacy, access gaps, learner agency, academic integrity and implementation conditions whenever relevant. Technical descriptions of applications, prototypes or tools without a demonstrable contribution to higher education research fall outside the scope.

3. Pedagogy, didactics and assessment of university learning

This area explores the foundations, models, processes and practices of teaching and learning at universities and other tertiary institutions. It includes discipline-specific pedagogy, course design, instructional mediation, educational interactions, feedback, authentic and competence-based assessment, self-regulated learning, critical thinking, academic literacy, practice-based education, first-year experiences and faculty pedagogical development. Contributions may address theoretical frameworks, teaching approaches, assessment instruments and relationships between learning conditions, student experiences and educational outcomes.

Submissions must justify their conceptual frameworks, specify the competencies or learning outcomes under study, report observation or measurement procedures, and support their interpretations. Where scales, rubrics or tests are used, appropriate evidence of their quality and suitability is expected; comparisons of strategies must acknowledge the limits of the design when assessing associations or causal effects. Original theoretical research clarifying, challenging or integrating approaches to university pedagogy is equally welcome when it offers well-supported scholarly implications.

4. Public policy, governance and management of higher education institutions

This area analyzes how public policies, governance arrangements, regulation and institutional decisions shape higher education systems. It encompasses autonomy and accountability, financing, strategic planning, academic leadership, human resource management, quality assurance, institutional evaluation, organization of academic work, university relationships with the state and societal stakeholders, organizational change and resource allocation across institutions, programs and populations. National and international comparative analyses, implementation studies and policy evaluations are within scope.

Research should identify relevant stakeholders, levels of analysis, policy or management instruments, periods studied and sources of evidence. It should explain relationships among decisions, institutional capabilities, processes and outcomes and distinguish the formal adoption of policies from their implementation and observed consequences. Regulatory analyses must rely on identifiable sources and conceptual frameworks; inventories of legislation, organizational charts, strategic plans or managerial perceptions without a substantial analytical contribution are insufficient.

5. Curriculum design, development and evaluation in higher education

This area examines the conception, organization, implementation, assessment and renewal of tertiary-level curricula and study pathways. It includes graduate profiles, learning outcomes, professional and transferable competencies, constructive alignment, professional placements, connections between theory and practice, curricular interdisciplinarity, program evaluation, accreditation, internal and external quality assurance, and the social, scientific and professional relevance of degree programs. Curriculum reforms and their effects on educational experiences and outcomes are relevant topics.

Articles must employ appropriate methods to investigate the alignment of educational aims, academic activities, assessments and achieved learning. The journal welcomes research developing or evaluating models, tools and indicators for curricular decisions, comparing graduate expectations with performance evidence, or examining the conditions and consequences of reforms. Studies of accreditation should analyze its operation, tensions and effects rather than reproduce official checklists or compliance reports. Employability should not be used as the sole measure of program quality.

6. Student pathways, equity, inclusion and well-being in higher education

This area investigates the conditions influencing access, transition, participation, retention, progression, completion and students’ lived experiences in higher education. Topics include socioeconomic, territorial, gender-related and disability-related inequalities; accessibility barriers; intercultural and linguistic diversity; first-generation students; mobility and the balance of academic, employment and family responsibilities; institutional support; mental health and well-being as they relate to study conditions; belonging, violence and discrimination; and factors associated with interruption, withdrawal or graduation.

Studies should define populations and contexts precisely, justify analytical categories and measures, and examine mechanisms, experiences and consequences of inequality or interventions. Longitudinal, comparative, qualitative, quantitative and participatory research on support policies, accessibility, well-being and student success is welcome. Conclusions should avoid attributing student outcomes to individual deficits without considering institutional and structural barriers, protect sensitive information and distinguish observed associations from unsupported causal claims. Clinical studies without a substantive higher education research question are not eligible.

7. University research, postgraduate education, internationalization and community engagement

This area examines the research mission of higher education institutions and the generation, circulation and application of knowledge. It encompasses research training, master’s and doctoral education, thesis supervision, research cultures and capacities, academic integrity, open science, research assessment, interdisciplinary collaboration, research networks, international academic mobility and cooperation, internationalization of curricula, knowledge transfer, university extension and collaborative projects with communities, organizations and productive sectors.

Contributions should demonstrate how these processes shape advanced education, institutional capacity, knowledge production, university–society relationships, or the outcomes of cooperation and transfer. Comparative analyses of postgraduate systems, studies of doctoral supervision and training, evaluations of research and internationalization programs, and research on societal impact with explicit methodological frameworks are welcome. Counts of publications, agreements, exchanges or outreach activities alone are insufficient: authors must interpret their conditions, quality, effects or contribution to higher education scholarship.

Cross-cutting themes and boundaries of the scope

Interculturality, sustainability, public ethics, territorial inequalities, education–work relationships and changes in professional practice may be addressed across the seven areas, provided that the manuscript makes an explicit contribution to higher education scholarship. Areas six and seven are distinct: the former examines students’ educational pathways and experiences, while the latter addresses the research mission, advanced training and external relationships of higher education institutions. Studies focused solely on early childhood, primary or secondary education are outside scope unless they investigate the transition to or articulation with tertiary education; the same applies to clinical, business, technological or social research without a substantive higher education question. Locally situated studies are welcome when placed in the relevant literature, grounded in appropriate evidence and careful about the limits of their inferences.

Types of contributions and expected rigor

The journal considers original quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research; comparative, longitudinal and evaluation studies; systematic and scoping reviews with reproducible procedures; and theoretical or critical scholarly essays that advance a clear thesis and a substantive intellectual contribution. Bibliometric or methodological research may be considered when it goes beyond descriptive counting and advances knowledge relevant to higher education. Eligibility for each article type remains subject to the journal's current author guidelines.

Initial editorial screening checks that submissions identify a research question and contribution, engage with relevant literature, justify their research design or argumentative approach, report the sources and procedures necessary to assess their claims, and acknowledge meaningful limitations. Research involving participants must address ethical review and informed consent when applicable. Reviews must appropriately report eligibility criteria, sources, searches, selection procedures and synthesis methods. Reporting guidance, such as PRISMA where relevant, does not replace the actual research methodology.

Unsupported opinion pieces, promotional writing, purely descriptive accounts of institutional activities, descriptions of software without educational assessment, work that repeats existing evidence without an identifiable contribution, and manuscripts lacking methodological traceability or violating research integrity policies are outside the journal's remit. A locally situated study is not excluded because of its location: editorial relevance rests on the quality of the knowledge produced and the clarity of its appropriate uses and limitations elsewhere.

Open access and no-fee policy

Sapiens in Higher Education follows a diamond open access model: readers access its content without payment and authors are not charged submission, peer-review, editorial processing or publication fees (APCs). Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit and do not depend on financial transactions; the absence of fees must be visible in the submission instructions.

Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, allowing sharing, reproduction and adaptation, including commercial use, provided that authorship is properly credited, the license is linked and changes are indicated. Specific copyright ownership and first-publication terms must be stated consistently in articles and the copyright policy, without imposing restrictions inconsistent with the published license.

Publication frequency and continuity of the scholarly record

From its launch in 2024 until December 2025, the journal declared a monthly publication schedule. From January 2026 onward, it follows a semiannual schedule, publishing two issues each year: January–June and July–December. The editorial periods officially open on January 1 and July 1, respectively, and support continuous publication of manuscripts that have completed peer review and production during the corresponding six-month period.

The opening date of an issue must not be confused with the date on which an individual article is published: each article must retain its actual publication date on the website and in its metadata. Changes to frequency, record corrections or exceptional interruptions must be communicated transparently while preserving bibliographic continuity, stable links and access to previously published issues.

Editorial process, peer review and indicative time frames

All submissions undergo preliminary screening for relevance to the scope, originality, formal requirements, authorship disclosures and research integrity. Manuscripts passing this stage are assigned to qualified external reviewers under a double-anonymized process, in which authors and reviewers do not know one another's identities. Reviewers must have appropriate subject expertise, disclose conflicts of interest and maintain confidentiality; their reports should provide reasoned assessments of strengths and limitations.

The editor-in-chief or delegated academic editor makes editorial decisions considering the reviews and the complete manuscript record. Authors may be invited to revise and should respond substantively to reviewer comments. Divergent assessments may be addressed through a reasoned editorial decision or additional independent review, depending on the case. Acceptance is never guaranteed in advance, and conflicts of interest affecting any participant must be managed through documented recusal or reassignment.

The journal's published indicative time frames are: initial editorial assessment, 7–15 days; double-anonymized peer review, 20–45 days; and copyediting, technical production and typesetting, 10–20 days. These are estimates rather than guarantees and may vary with reviewer availability, the quality of revision responses, ethical requirements or the number of review rounds. Significant delays should be communicated, and the process must remain traceable in the editorial platform.

Publication ethics, transparency and scientific responsibility

The journal rejects plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, undisclosed duplicate publication, manipulation of citations or peer review, inappropriate authorship and concealment of significant conflicts of interest. Authors are accountable for the accuracy of their work and must disclose their contributions, funding, interests relevant to interpretation, applicable ethics approval and informed consent, data availability, and material uses of artificial intelligence in research or manuscript preparation.

The use of artificial intelligence tools does not diminish human responsibility or permit invented data or references. Editors and reviewers must protect unpublished manuscripts and avoid entering confidential materials into third-party systems without appropriate safeguards and authorizations. Substantiated concerns will be addressed through documented processes for investigation, correction, expression of concern or retraction, as warranted by the circumstances.

Visibility, interoperability and scholarly dissemination

The journal's dissemination strategy aims to make articles discoverable, accurately identified and usable by researchers across countries, not to artificially increase citation metrics. It promotes reliable metadata, persistent identification of articles and authors where applicable, titles, abstracts and keywords in Spanish and English, consistent institutional affiliations and references, and interoperability between the digital archive and academic repositories, directories and discovery systems.

Inclusion in any database or index will be announced only after official confirmation. Scholarly promotion must respect editorial independence, academic freedom and responsible citation. Internationalization should be demonstrated through open calls, meaningful scholarly participation and contributions relevant beyond their immediate setting not simply by describing the journal as international.

Editorial management, sustainability and preservation

The journal's scientific management follows its disciplinary scope, independent editorial decision-making and established best practices. The publishing institution oversees the continuity of the scholarly project and implementation of its policies; the co-publisher coordinates technical infrastructure, files, metadata and publishing workflows without intervening in academic decisions. An accessible record of issues and articles, together with appropriate backup and digital preservation measures, must protect the content over time.

Free access for authors and readers requires operational planning, infrastructure and stable responsibilities. Therefore, substantial changes to the publishing model, fees, institutional responsibility or publication schedule must be publicly communicated before implementation and reflected consistently across the website, editorial documentation and relevant bibliographic records.

Official contact

Sapiens in Higher Education

ISSN: 3073-1429

Publishing institution: Instituto Sapiens de Investigaciones Científicas Multidisciplinar (ISICM)

Co-publisher: Sapiens Edition S.A.S.

Email: journalsjhe@gmail.com

Official website: https://highereducation.journalsapiens.org/index.php/she