Scientific Editorial Committee

Ensuring academic rigor, intercultural respect, and social responsibility across all Open Heritage Press publications.

Mission of the Committee

To uphold the academic quality, methodological rigor, and cultural relevance of Open Heritage Press publications. As a program of the Maya Heritage Center, the Press promotes open access to knowledge and the preservation of cultural and environmental heritage.

Director

Dr. José Israel Herrera

Founder & Director, Open Heritage Press · Editor‑in‑Chief, Journal of Maya Heritage

Members

Dr. Ryan Rowberry

Professor & Janice C. Griffith Chair in Law, Georgia State University College of Law (USA)

Dr. Lilia Lucía Lizama Aranda

Cultural Geographer & Anthropologist · Founder, Maya Heritage Center (USA)

Dr. Bassam Ali

Professor–Researcher, Faculty of Engineering, Autonomous University of Yucatán (Mexico)

Dr. Israel Martínez Franco

Professor, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (USA)

Dr. Amina El Mekaoui

Researcher, Mexico Program (SECIHTI) · UADY, Center for Regional Research “Dr. Hideyo Noguchi” (Mexico)

M.Sc. Brenda Adriana Marín Ocampo

Professor, Technological University of Cancún · Department of Tourism (Alternative Product Development)

Dr. Fernando Enseñat Soberanis

Professor–Researcher, Tourism Program, Faculty of Anthropological Sciences, UADY (Mexico)

Dr. Iván Batún

Principal Investigator, Research & Community Education Program · Professor, Universidad de Oriente (Mexico)

Main Functions of the Scientific Editorial Committee

Academic Evaluation and Validation: Review editorial proposals and manuscripts, participate in peer‑review processes, and provide recommendations based on methodological rigor and thematic relevance.
Advisory Role on Editorial Policy: Guide the development of collections, thematic areas, and editorial policies that promote open knowledge and epistemic diversity.
Promotion of Ethical Standards: Uphold academic integrity, responsible authorship, respect for cultural and linguistic rights, and the application of open licenses aligned with the mission of the Press.
Strengthening Academic Networks: Foster connections among researchers, institutions, and academic communities worldwide to encourage the submission of high‑quality manuscripts.
Strategic Support for Special Projects: Collaborate on the design and review of calls for papers, thematic publications, special issues, and multilingual editions promoted by the Press.

Editorial Ethics

1) License of Use

All publications are protected under the Creative Commons Attribution‑ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY‑SA 4.0) license. You may copy, redistribute, transform, or adapt our works — including for commercial purposes — provided that appropriate credit is given, changes are indicated, and derivative works are shared under the same license.

2) Anti‑Plagiarism Policy & Use of AI

Open Heritage Press enforces a zero‑tolerance policy on plagiarism. All manuscripts are screened to detect total or partial plagiarism, self‑plagiarism, and undeclared use of generative AI. If tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, or Copilot were used, authors must disclose this in a footnote or in the acknowledgments, specifying the type of assistance received. Undeclared or inappropriate use of AI will lead to immediate rejection.

3) Editorial Ethics Statement (COPE)

Open Heritage Press adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines. We commit to fair, anonymous, and objective peer review; editorial impartiality without discrimination; protection of intellectual authorship; and responsible research practices, especially when involving communities, cultural heritage, or Indigenous knowledge. Learn more at publicationethics.org.

Questions or concerns? Contact us at editorial@mayaheritage.org.