Information For Authors

Interested in submitting to this journal? We recommend that you review the About the Journal page for the journal's section policies, as well as the Author Guidelines. Authors need to register with the journal prior to submitting or, if already registered, can simply log in and begin the five-step process.

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.