Code of ethics

The Saastal journal is published by Editorial Unión Científica and therefore adheres to the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics, COPE, guidelines, with a firm commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics at every stage of the editorial process. This includes ensuring transparency in the peer review process, respecting the originality of content, and preventing unethical practices such as plagiarism, conflicts of interest, and duplicate publications. The publisher collaborates closely with authors, reviewers, and editors to ensure that each publication adheres to international ethical standards and contributes with integrity to advancing scientific, academic, and technological knowledge.

  1. Purpose

The ethical guidelines aim to guarantee transparency, fairness, and academic, scientific, and technical rigor in the production and dissemination of knowledge. This fosters responsible practices and prevents behaviors that may compromise the quality or integrity of publications.

  1. Ethical commitments

2.1 Authors

  • Originality and truthfulness: Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are original and that the data presented are authentic and not manipulated.

  • Acknowledgment of sources: Proper citation of ideas, data, or works of third parties used in the manuscript is mandatory.

  • Co-author authorization: All co-authors must have made significant contributions to the work and approve the final version before submission.

  • Declaration of conflicts of interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflict of interest that could influence the results of the work.

2.2 Reviewers

  • Impartiality and confidentiality: Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, maintain the confidentiality of the content, and refrain from sharing or using it for personal gain.

  • Declaration of conflict of interest: If a reviewer identifies a conflict of interest with the author or the manuscript's topic, they must notify the editor and recuse themselves from the review.

2.3 Editors

  • Transparency in editorial decisions: Decisions must be based solely on the scientific merit of the work, free from bias or external influences.

  • Management of conflicts of interest: Editors must refrain from managing manuscripts in which a conflict of interest exists.

  • Responsibility for ethical violations: Editors are committed to investigating and resolving any ethical violations related to publications.

  1. Ethical violations

Violations of these guidelines include, but are not limited to:

  • Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or duplicate publication.
  • Falsification or manipulation of data.
  • Omission or undue inclusion of authors in the manuscript.

  • False declarations about conflicts of interest or funding.

  1. Reporting ethical violations

    Anyone may file a report regarding potential ethical violations related to Editorial Unión Científica's publications. Complaints should be sent to the editorial committee via email, describing the situation in detail and providing evidence to support the accusation.

  2. Procedures for Managing Ethical Violations

Saastal journal follows the procedures outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics, COPE.

5.1 Reception of complaint: The editorial committee will review the complaint to assess its validity and decide whether a formal investigation is required.

5.2 Investigation: An impartial team will be formed to analyze the evidence and gather additional information if necessary. The parties involved will be given the opportunity to present their version of events.

5.3 Resolution:
If the violation is confirmed, actions may include:

  • Retraction of the published manuscript.
  • Notification to the affiliated institutions of the authors.

  • Sanctions for those responsible, such as the prohibition of future publications.

5.4 Communication of Results:
The results of the investigation will be communicated to the involved parties, and if necessary, will be made public on the editorial's official website.

Saastal journal reaffirms its commitment to integrity and best editorial practices, promoting ethics in scientific research and fostering a transparent and trustworthy academic ecosystem.

6. Commitment to ethical research assessment (DORA)

Saastal, a journal published by Editorial Unión Científica, an institution that is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), adopts a responsible, ethical, and transparent approach to the evaluation of scientific research. The journal recognizes the need to improve traditional research assessment practices and is committed to applying editorial criteria aligned with international standards for responsible research evaluation.

Content-based scientific evaluation

Editorial evaluation and the peer review process at Saastal are conducted exclusively on the basis of the intrinsic scientific merits of submitted manuscripts. Priority is given to methodological rigor, originality, the robustness and coherence of the results, as well as the academic and social relevance of the findings.

In accordance with DORA principles, Saastal does not use the Journal Impact Factor or any other journal-level metrics as criteria for the acceptance, rejection, or prioritization of manuscripts. 

Responsible use of research metrics

The journal promotes the responsible and contextualized use of article-level metrics, such as citations, downloads, or mentions in academic and scholarly networks, solely as complementary indicators of reach and dissemination, and never as substitutes for qualitative scientific assessment. 

Transparency in authorship and attribution of academic credit

To ensure the proper attribution of academic credit, transparency in authorship, and traceability of scientific output, Saastal requires all authors to provide an ORCID identifier. This practice supports accountability and the integrity of the scholarly record. 

Peer review evaluation criteria

External reviewers are instructed to focus their evaluations on clear and objective scientific criteria, including methodological design, analytical coherence, the validity of conclusions, and the effective contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the Life, Applied, and Environmental Sciences. Any consideration based on metrics, institutional affiliations, or perceived prestige is explicitly discouraged.