Etihcal Guidelines

The ethical standards of Schola Viva are applicable to all those involved in the publication process, namely: authors, peer reviewers, editors, and the editorial team. The purpose focuses on guaranteeing the quality and credibility of the scientific knowledge that is published and disseminated within the scientific community. In this sense, the criteria of originality and anti-plagiarism apply. This means that manuscripts must be original, unpublished works that have not been submitted to another journal.

Regarding plagiarism, it is rejected in all its forms (textual, of ideas, of data, "self-plagiarism" without proper citation) and constitutes a serious ethical violation. All manuscripts will be analyzed using anti-plagiarism software. On the other hand, citations from other works must be correctly referenced.

Credibility is also supported by ensuring that submitted articles demonstrate an accurate description and objectivity in the discussion of the presented findings, based on the contribution of truthful data.

Regarding authorship and the contributions of each author involved in the work, all and only those individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study should be included as authors. The contribution of each author and the specific part or parts in which they were substantively involved must be declared. Schola Viva recommends that, prior to submitting the manuscript, consent should be obtained from all co-authors to avoid conflicts of interest, as well as a declaration of funding sources, institutions, and affiliations involved in the work.

Blind peer review is considered good practice, as it contributes to raising the journal's quality standards. The blind peer process means that reviewers are selected under confidentiality criteria; that is, reviewers cannot share or discuss the manuscript or its results without the explicit prior authorization of the editor.

Peer review should be objective, based on scientific arguments, and constructive, grounded in respect and professional growth, so that the review serves as a criterion for the author's constant improvement. Therefore, the reviewer-author relationship should be strengthened on the basis of intercultural communication. Furthermore, if a reviewer has any conflict of interest, they must decline to review the manuscript or if they do not feel competent to do so. Reviewers are obligated, if they accept the evaluation of a work, to adhere to the established deadlines and to inform the editor in case of suspected plagiarism.

The journal's editorial team is responsible for the quality and ethics of the published content. It is the editors' responsibility to accept or reject a manuscript based solely on its relevance to the journal, a decision that must be supported by the reports of the peer reviewers. It is also the editorial team's responsibility to maintain total discretion regarding the identity of reviewers and authors during the double-blind manuscript review process. It is an essential condition for the editorial team to maintain impartiality and confidentiality when evaluating manuscripts, without being influenced by racial, xenophobic, religious affiliation, ethnic, ideological, sexual orientation, or gender prejudices.

It is also the responsibility of the Editorial Board to maintain clarity and transparency regarding the review process, as well as publication fees and open access.

Engaging in unethical conduct such as data falsification and plagiarism in a manuscript leads to the Editorial Board, after investigating the case, being able to publish a notice of retraction for the article and decline future submissions from the involved authors.

For research involving human subjects, authors must attach a statement that the study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and that written informed consent was obtained from the participants. The use of generative AI will also be disclosed, and citations from it are prohibited. Furthermore, technical adjustments to images must be declared, without leading to deliberate manipulation that alters their meaning.