GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS

1. SCOPE AND EDITORIAL FOCUS

Sapiens Sciences, with ISSN: 3072-7936, is an international, open-access scientific journal dedicated to the publication of original research, reviews and applied studies that contribute to the understanding and transformation of human, technological, organisational and environmental systems.

The journal promotes the production of scientific knowledge with a focus on social well-being, technological innovation, sustainability, and evidence-based decision-making.

2. ORIGINALITY AND EXCLUSIVITY

All submitted manuscripts must be original and unpublished. Submissions must not be under simultaneous consideration or peer review in any other journal.

Preprint submissions are accepted, provided that this is explicitly declared at the time of submission.

The journal applies similarity-checking systems to ensure academic integrity.

3. TYPES OF MANUSCRIPTS

The journal accepts the following types of contributions:

a) Original Articles

Reports of quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method research with significant scientific contribution.
Recommended length: 3,000–7,000 words.

b) Reviews (Narrative or Scoping Reviews)

Critical analyses of the state of the art on a specific topic.
Recommended length: 3,000–6,500 words.

c) Systematic Reviews and/or Meta-Analyses

Structured syntheses of scientific evidence. PRISMA guidelines are recommended.

d) Methodological or Technical Studies

Development or validation of methods, models, instruments, or systems.

e) Brief Communications

Preliminary findings or limited-scope research contributions.
Recommended length: up to 2,500 words.

4. MANUSCRIPT FORMAT

Manuscripts must be submitted in Word format (.doc or .docx) with the following specifications:

  • Font: Verdana
  • Size: 11 pt
  • Line spacing: 1.15
  • Margins: 2.5 cm
  • Justified text alignment
  • Pages must be numbered

5. ARTICLE STRUCTURE

Mandatory elements:

  • Title (in Spanish and English)
  • Abstract (max. 250 words)
  • Keywords (3–6)
  • Introduction
  • Methodology
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusions
  • References

6. ABSTRACT AND KEYWORDS

The abstract must be structured or descriptive depending on the study type and include:

  • Objective
  • Methodology
  • Main results
  • Conclusions

Keywords should preferably be selected from controlled vocabularies such as DeCS or MeSH, when applicable.

7. CITATIONS AND REFERENCES

The journal follows the Vancouver style, based on ICMJE recommendations.

  • References must be listed in order of appearance.
  • DOIs should be included whenever available.
  • Priority is given to recent, peer-reviewed scientific literature.

8. TABLES, FIGURES, AND SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

  • Must be numbered consecutively
  • Must include a clear and descriptive title
  • Sources must be indicated when applicable
  • Images must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi

9. AUTHORSHIP AND CONTRIBUTIONS

All authors must meet the authorship criteria established by the ICMJE.

The CRediT taxonomy must be used to specify individual contributions.

Mandatory requirements include:

  • ORCID identifiers for all authors
  • Designation of a corresponding author
  • Complete institutional affiliations

10. LANGUAGES OF PUBLICATION

Manuscripts are accepted in:

  • Spanish
  • English
  • Portuguese

Professional language editing is recommended for non-native English manuscripts.

11. PEER REVIEW PROCESS

All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process, ensuring confidentiality, impartiality, and scientific quality.

12. EDITORIAL PROCESS AND REVIEW TIMELINES

The editorial management is conducted through specialized electronic platforms under principles of transparency, quality, and efficiency.

Estimated timelines:

  • Initial editorial assessment: 7–15 days
  • Double-blind peer review: 20–45 days
  • Author revision stage: 7–20 days
  • Production and publication: 15–25 days

These timelines may vary depending on manuscript complexity and reviewer availability.

13. EDITORIAL ETHICS

Authors must ensure:

  • Originality of the work
  • Accuracy and reliability of data
  • Compliance with international ethical standards
  • Disclosure of conflicts of interest
  • Ethical approval when applicable

The journal adheres to COPE guidelines.

14. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POLICY

The use of artificial intelligence tools is permitted solely as support for writing, translation, or language editing.

AI use must be explicitly declared.
AI tools cannot be listed as authors or be responsible for scientific content.

15. OPEN ACCESS AND COPYRIGHT

All content is published under the:

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)

Authors retain copyright, while the journal holds the right of first publication.

The journal does not charge APCs.

16. CORRECTIONS, RETRACTIONS, AND EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN

The journal maintains editorial mechanisms to ensure the integrity of the scientific record:

  • Corrections
  • Errata
  • Expressions of concern
  • Retractions

These procedures follow the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

17. FINAL STATEMENT

These guidelines are part of the editorial policy of Sapiens Sciences (SS) and are intended to ensure scientific quality, editorial transparency, academic integrity, research reproducibility, and responsible dissemination of knowledge.