Biota Colombiana adopts and promotes the principles of scientific integrity, transparency, responsibility, and good editorial practices, in accordance with international standards for academic publishing ethics. This code applies to authors, editors, reviewers, and the editorial team.

1. General principles

The journal is committed to:

• Ensuring the integrity, quality, and transparency of the editorial process
• Promoting open access without financial barriers for authors or readers
• Preventing and managing scientific misconduct
• Safeguarding editorial independence from external interests

2. Research ethics

Authors must ensure that:

• Research complies with applicable national and international ethical standards
• Legal permits are obtained for specimen collection, access to biological resources, and data use, where applicable
• Studies involving animals follow recognized animal welfare standards and current regulations
• Research involving human communities or traditional knowledge respects principles of informed consent and regulations on access to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge

The Materials and Methods section must explicitly state ethical approvals, permits, and protocols followed.

3. Originality, plagiarism, and misconduct

Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under simultaneous consideration elsewhere.

The following are considered misconduct:

• Plagiarism (total or partial)
• Self-plagiarism or redundant publication
• Data fabrication or manipulation
• Inappropriate authorship or unjustified exclusion of contributors

The journal uses plagiarism detection tools (e.g., Turnitin) and follows COPE guidelines to investigate suspected misconduct. Confirmed cases may result in rejection, retraction, or notification to relevant institutions.

4. Authorship and contributions

• Authorship must reflect substantial contributions to the work
• All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript
• Declaration of specific contributions (e.g., CRediT taxonomy) is encouraged
• The order of authorship must be agreed upon by all co-authors
• Changes in authorship after submission require justification and approval from all authors

5. Conflicts of interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence the evaluation or interpretation of the manuscript.

These may include:

• Financial interests (funding, employment, consultancies)
• Institutional affiliations
• Personal or academic relationships

The existence of a conflict does not necessarily preclude publication but must be transparently disclosed. The journal may publish these declarations.

6. Confidentiality

• Manuscripts are treated as confidential documents
• Editors and reviewers must not share or use manuscript information for personal benefit
• The peer review process follows a double-blind model
• Editorial decisions and related information must not be disclosed outside the process

7. Peer review process

• All manuscripts are evaluated by at least two expert reviewers
• Reviews must be objective, constructive, and evidence-based
• Reviewers must:
  • Declare conflicts of interest
  • Decline review if lacking appropriate expertise
  • Report suspected ethical issues or plagiarism

8. Responsibilities of editors

Editors must:

• Make decisions based solely on academic merit
• Ensure fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory processes
• Manage editorial conflicts of interest
• Act on suspected misconduct following established protocols
• Address ethical complaints, appeals, and disputes in a timely manner

9. Responsibilities of authors

Authors must:

• Present accurate, complete, and verifiable data
• Retain original data and provide it if requested
• Properly cite all sources, data, images, and third-party materials
• Obtain permissions for reproduction where required
• Declare conflicts of interest
• Ensure the manuscript is not previously published or under simultaneous review
• Review and approve final proofs prior to publication

10. Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern

The journal may:

• Issue corrections when significant errors are identified
• Retract articles in cases of fraud, major errors, or misconduct
• Publish expressions of concern when reasonable doubts arise during investigation

These actions will follow international guidelines and be communicated transparently.

11. Open science and data availability

In line with open science principles:

• The availability of data, code, and supplementary materials is encouraged
• Authors are encouraged to use open repositories when possible
• A data availability statement must be included

12. Final declaration

By submitting a manuscript, authors declare that:

• They comply with this code of ethics
• The research is original and scientifically valid
• Relevant ethical standards have been followed
• All authors approve the submitted version