About the Journal

Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências (RBPEC) is a free, online publication of the Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências (ABRAPEC), hosted on the UFMG Journals Portal, aimed at members, researchers, teachers, graduate students, and the general community. The journal’s objective is to disseminate, ethically, rigorously, and democratically, the results and reflections arising from research in the field of Science Education. It seeks to contribute to the advancement and consolidation of the field, the training of researchers, and the production of knowledge in Science Education, which supports the development of responsible educational actions committed to improving science education as well as promoting well-being and social justice.

10.28976 | e-: 1984-2686 | :1806-5104 | A1

Open Access

Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências follows the Open Access model, allowing unrestricted virtual access (including financial) to all scientific texts published by the journal.

The journal adopts an open license (

Open Access

The journal adopts an open license (Creative Commons Attribution, CC-BY 4.0), which allows immediate free access to the work and authorizes any user to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, track them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other legal purpose, provided that proper citations are made.

Journal History

Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências (RBPEC) was launched in 2001 during the III Encontro Nacional de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências (III ENPEC), the largest national event in Latin America in the field of Science Education, promoted by Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências (ABRAPEC).

RBPEC is a publication of the Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências (ABRAPEC) and circulated in print format until January 2009, when the digital edition was launched on the UFMG Journals Portal.

Designed to be an instrument for promoting the circulation of academic production in the field and fostering informed debate on the challenges of Science and Technology Education, the journal has, since 2017, associated the authors’ names with their respective ORCiD (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) identifiers and the articles with the unique Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

The various generations of editors who have guided RBPEC’s editorial plan have sought, and continue to seek, to broaden the scope of discussion on the subject beyond the Brazilian community, fostering dialogue with Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia through the international network of the Brazilian Association for Research in Science Education, in alignment with the biennial thematic lines of the Encontro Nacional de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências (ENPEC). It is worth highlighting that the journal is indexed in international databases in the fields of education and science teaching, which promotes the integration of its publications into the international scene.

Since 2021, the Editorial Team has been composed of a female collective representing different regions of Brazil. The journal, without physical headquarters, operates online through the OJS platform. Also in 2021, RBPEC was evaluated in the Qualis A1 stratum. From 2025 onwards, the journal aims to ensure diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, and regional representation, highlighting its commitment to representing and valuing the plurality of Brazilian society.

Mission, Vision, and Values

Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências is a publication of ABRAPEC, free of charge and online, adopting a Continuous Publication model. Its mission is to promote and disseminate results and reflections derived from investigations conducted with ethical and scientific rigor in the field of Science Education. The RBPEC’s target audience consists of researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students in Science Education interested in research conducted in this area. The journal seeks to contribute to the advancement and consolidation of the field, the training of researchers, and the production of knowledge in Science Education in Brazil and other countries, supporting the development of responsible educational actions committed to the improvement of scientific education, and to social justice and well-being.

RBPEC’s vision is to maintain dialogue with ABRAPEC members, readers, and authors, aiming at national and international consolidation, distinguishing itself as a democratic and high-quality scientific journal. It strives to continuously improve the transparency of the editorial process, contributing to the strengthening and advancement of knowledge in the field of Science Education.

RBPEC’s values are aligned with Open Science practices, guided by ethics, transparency, equity, inclusion, respect, social justice, impartiality, sustainability, quality, integrity, trust, commitment, participation and collaboration with the scientific community, and open access to scientific knowledge.

Compliance with Open Science

Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências understands Open Science as a way to structure, design, manage, communicate, disseminate, and evaluate research in the field, aiming to increase the transparency of processes and the availability of the components that support its communication.

It is important to emphasize that the adoption and improvement of scientific communication practices in accordance with Open Science principles is a continuous and gradual process, requiring constant dialogue with our community of authors, readers, and managers. These processes will promote significant changes in the journal’s editorial work, helping to accelerate the publication and availability of articles in preprint repositories, thereby facilitating article evaluation, research replicability, and data reuse.

The journal’s editorial policy seeks to optimize its evaluation and continuous publication processes with transparency and ethics, and some steps toward Open Science are already being implemented.

At the time of submission, the corresponding author must complete and attach the Open Science Compliance Statement, providing information on: (a) authorship responsibility; (b) whether the manuscript is a preprint or not, and if so, its location; (c) proper referencing of data, program codes, and other materials underlying the manuscript text; and (d) openness options in the peer review process.

Articles submitted for publication must be original, whether in print or electronic format, except for those made available in preprint repositories. Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to another journal for evaluation is not permitted.

Preprints are manuscripts ready for submission to a journal, which are deposited by the author on an open-access web server prior to, or simultaneously with, submission to the journal, either by the author or the journal. The author's choice to use a preprint implies that, at the time of article submission to the journal, the complete information of the preprint server, as well as its name and URL, must be included. This pre-publication, in addition to accelerating the communication of research results, allows the author to receive feedback from readers and make any relevant modifications.

Publication Ethics

When submitting a manuscript, the author must declare adherence to all ethical guidelines, both regarding the integrity of research activities during development and the production of scientific knowledge, including funding sources, research agencies, and documentation proving approval by the Ethics Committee, if applicable. Observance of good research ethics practices is the sole responsibility of the author(s).

Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências is guided by: the “Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing” recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics — COPE; the principles of the Directory of Open Access Journals — DOAJ; and the recommendations of the National Research Ethics Committee (CEP/CONEP) in its Resolution No. 510/2016.

Aims and Scope

RBPEC aims at publishing results and reflections derived from investigations in the field of Science and Technology Education. Peer-reviewed manuscripts are published as research articles, theoretical essays, and state-of-the-art reviews, all properly grounded in relevant theories for the analysis of educational, social, political, cultural, and other situations that promote scientific education, well-being, and social justice.

The focus of the publications aligns with the themes discussed at the biennial ENPEC meetings, such as theoretical studies and/or applied research related to the processes of teaching and learning scientific concepts; teacher education; history, philosophy, and sociology of science; scientific writing, reading, dissemination, and communication; interactions and discursive approaches in science education; studies on scientific argumentation and critical thinking; STS/STSA approaches; Scientific and Technological Literacy/Scientific Literacy; socio-scientific and/or controversial issues; environmental education; rural education; educational policies and curriculum in the field of science education; studies related to difference, multiculturalism, interculturality, decoloniality, inclusion, and gender in Science Education.

Preprint Policy

RBPEC accepts the publication of preprint articles in accordance with Open Science. A preprint is defined as a manuscript ready for submission to a journal and deposited on trusted preprint servers before or in parallel with submission to a journal.

The use of the preprint is optional for the author, and it is assumed that, when submitting the article to the journal, the name of the preprint server and the DOI of the preprint will be provided through the Declaration of Compliance with Open Science.

In the manuscript evaluation process, the preprint version will not be used for peer review, since the authorship will then be known.

Peer Review Policy

The evaluation of research manuscripts considers the following dimensions: academic rigor and merit, originality and contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field of Science Education, adherence to ethical principles, alignment with Open Science practices, compliance with the journal’s focus and scope, and the quality of the text.

Submitted manuscripts go through six evaluation phases: (1) Initial Screening: Conducted by the editors-in-chief, who examine the manuscript’s compliance with the journal’s guidelines, focus and scope, formal requirements, and publication potential; (2) Plagiarism Check: Conducted using the CopySpider system. If a high degree of similarity to previously published texts is detected, the manuscript may be rejected due to the requirement of originality, except in cases of preprint articles; (3) Preliminary Evaluation: Conducted by the associate editors to assess the manuscript’s contribution and quality for the journal, verifying accuracy in defining the object of study, theoretical and methodological consistency, and analytical rigor; (4) The manuscript is sent to reviewers by the associate editors; (5) Final Decision: The final evaluation decision is made and communicated to the authors; (6) Editing Process: Approved manuscripts undergo the editorial process for publication.

The final decision of the editors-in-chief regarding the articles will be based on the recommendation of the associate editor and reviewers, as well as the author’s implementation of the recommended adjustments, if applicable.

It is therefore the responsibility of the editors, after peer review, to recommend acceptance, rejection, or revision of manuscripts. In the case of revision, the manuscripts may be returned to the reviewers for a final evaluation.

The result of the evaluation will be communicated to the author(s) and may include: (1) acceptance; (2) requirement to make mandatory corrections, either major or minor revisions; (3) resubmission for evaluation; or (4) rejection.

During the evaluation process, for authors who opt for open peer review, RBPEC offers reviewers the option to communicate directly with the corresponding author, with or without disclosure of identities.

RBPEC publishes the name and ORCID of the editor responsible for the review process in the final version of the article.

Open Data

In line with the consolidation of Open Science practices, authors are requested to share all content (statistical data, questionnaires, interviews, recording transcriptions, program codes, and other materials) underlying the manuscript text, either prior to or at the time of publication. Exceptions are allowed in cases of legal or ethical constraints.

In accordance with the FAIR Principles, data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. The goal is to facilitate data preservation, optimize its reuse, and enhance the replicability of research.

For sharing, authors may use their institution’s repository or seek relevant and certified repositories, such as multidisciplinary repositories like Zenodo, SciELO Data, or Figshare.

Alternatively, the author may declare that data will be made available upon direct request to the author or that all data are contained and discussed within the article.

The repository where the data are stored, if applicable, should be cited in the text, preferably in the methodology section, and included in the reference list.

Ethics and Misconduct Policy, Errata, and Retraction

Authors must declare at the time of submission that all ethical guidelines regarding the integrity of scientific activities conducted during the research have been respected, ensuring the research metadata is accurate, and providing information on funding sources, research agencies, and other relevant details. In the case of empirical studies, authors must declare that the research was approved by an ethics committee, attaching the approval document to the manuscript submission. Observance of good research ethics practices is the sole responsibility of the author.

All articles will be evaluated without considering social markers of difference, such as gender, sexual orientation, race, religious belief, nationality, or others, as well as the political positions of the authors.

Regarding authorship responsibility, authors must indicate their contributions according to the CRediT Taxonomy (The Contributor Roles Taxonomy) in the Open Science Compliance Statement.

If the author discovers any significant error after the article has been published, they must immediately inform the editors so that the appropriate errata can be published.

Regarding the identification of misconduct, which includes plagiarism, self-plagiarism, article republication, and data falsification, RBPEC uses the CopySpider tool. Similarly, in adherence to ethical principles in the production of scientific knowledge, RBPEC does not allow the use of Artificial Intelligence tools in manuscript preparation, but may accept the organization of references according to APA 7th edition standards. However, if misconduct is not detected during the review process and the article is published, the author may be subject to editorial sanctions, such as retraction of plagiarized or previously published articles.

RBPEC is guided by: the “Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing” recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE); the principles of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ); and the recommendations of the National Research Ethics Committee (CEP/CONEP) in its Resolution No. 510/2016.

Conflict of Interest Policy

It is mandatory for authors, in the Open Science Compliance Statement, to declare whether or not any conflicts of interest exist. Conflicts of interest may be personal, commercial, political, academic, or financial in nature.

All agents involved in the submission, distribution, and review process must declare, at any time, any conflict of interest between their role and the manuscript under their responsibility.

Reviewers must consider any type of conflict of interest before evaluating a manuscript. Examples include: employment relationships; participation in or previous involvement with the research project; maintaining or having maintained scientific collaboration with research groups; having mentoring relationships; or holding financial interest in the project involved in the manuscript.

The Editorial Team must avoid making decisions on manuscripts that conflict with their own interests, such as those submitted by colleagues from their department, collaborators on their research, or those involving financial interests in the research. Whenever a conflict of interest is identified, decision-making will be delegated to another team member.

Adoption of Similarity-Checking Software

Articles will undergo a similarity assessment using the CopySpider software during the desk review stage. In the event a significant degree of similarity with previously published text is detected, the corresponding author will be contacted to make adjustments to the text, and the article may be rejected due to the requirement of originality.

Sex and Gender Issues

The RBPEC editorial team, as well as authors publishing in the journal, must always follow the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines. The SAGER guidelines provide a set of recommendations for reporting information on sex and gender in study design, data analysis, results, and interpretation of findings. According to these guidelines, the terms sex (a biological attribute) and gender (shaped by social and cultural circumstances) should be used carefully to avoid confusion in their application.

Furthermore, Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências adheres to these policies in the composition of its editorial board.

Ethics Committee

RBPEC follows the recommendations of the National Research Ethics Committee (CEP/CONEP) in its Resolution No. 510/2016. For the manuscript review process, please note that the Ethics Committee protocol number should NOT appear in the version submitted for review in order to avoid identifying the author(s), but it must appear in the final version if the manuscript is accepted. For researchers abroad, please consult an equivalent document or contact the Editorial Team. In such cases, the editorial team will verify the characteristics of the Ethics Committees in the country where the research was conducted.

Digital Preservation

Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências uses the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archive system among participating libraries, allowing them to create permanent journal archives for preservation and restoration.

Copyright

Authors of articles published in RBPEC retain the copyright of their work, making it available under the Creative Commons Attribution BY 4.0 license, which allows the articles to be reused and distributed without restriction, provided that the original published work is properly cited.

Intellectual Property and Terms of Use

All content published by RBPEC is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution BY 4.0 license, except where otherwise indicated.

RBPEC encourages authors to self-archive their accepted manuscripts by posting them on personal blogs, institutional repositories, or academic or personal social media, provided that a full citation to the journal’s website version is included.

Sponsors, Supporters, and Funding Agencies

Sponsor: Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências (ABRAPEC)

Funding Agency (2023–2026): Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) – CNPq Call No. 30/2023 – Editorial Program [process no. 401580/2024-5]

Support from the UFMG Journals Portal

Fees

Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências does not charge any fees for manuscripts submitted for peer review, nor does it charge any fees related to the publication process (standardization, layout, and distribution). As an open-access journal, no fees are charged for access or download.

Indexing Sources

Metadata:

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

Metrics:

Search engines:

Portal de Periódicos da CAPES