Ethical standards

1. Research integrity

Revista Geoingeniería promotes the principles of honesty, transparency, rigour, accountability and respect for intellectual property at every stage of research and scientific publication.

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original and that the data, methods, results, images, references and other material reported are authentic, verifiable, and have been obtained and used in accordance with applicable ethical and legal standards.

The journal does not tolerate practices that undermine scientific integrity, such as plagiarism or self-plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, improper manipulation of images or results, duplicate publication, unjustified fragmentation of results, alteration of records, non-existent references or any other misrepresentation of research.

Sources of information and contributions by third parties must be acknowledged through appropriate citations and references. Sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest and any other information relevant to the proper interpretation of the research must also be declared.

Where there are well-founded indications of a possible breach of scientific integrity, the Editorial Team may request further information, suspend the review process and take the editorial measures appropriate to the nature and seriousness of the situation.

2. Authorship and contribution

Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made a substantive contribution to the research and the manuscript, have reviewed and approved its final version, and agree to take responsibility for the published content.

Revista Geoingeniería will use the CRediT taxonomy to ensure transparency regarding the contributions made by each member of the author team. Where applicable, roles should be identified in areas such as conceptualisation, methodology, investigation, formal analysis, data curation, software, visualisation, supervision, project administration and writing.

The inclusion of individuals who have not made sufficient contributions to justify authorship, or the unjustified exclusion of those who have made substantive contributions, will not be accepted.

The order of authorship must be agreed among the authors before the manuscript is submitted. Any subsequent change to the composition or order of authorship must be duly justified and have the consent of all those involved.

Contributions that do not meet the criteria for authorship may be recognised in the acknowledgements section.

Artificial intelligence tools cannot be considered authors or co-authors, as they cannot take responsibility for the content of a publication.

3. Conflict of interest policy

All participants in the editorial process must declare any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest that may affect, or could reasonably be perceived as affecting, the impartiality of their actions.

Authors must disclose any financial, employment, professional, academic, institutional or personal relationships that could influence the research submitted or its interpretation, as well as the sources of funding for the work.

Peer reviewers must decline to review a manuscript where any relationship or circumstance could compromise the independence of their judgement.

Members of the Editorial Team who have a conflict of interest in relation to a manuscript must refrain from participating in its review and the editorial decision, delegating these functions to another person able to act independently.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily imply misconduct, nor does it automatically preclude publication, but it must be disclosed and managed appropriately.

Where a relevant conflict of interest is identified after publication, the journal will assess whether a clarification, correction or other editorial measure is required.

4. Ethical oversight policy

Revista Geoingeniería requires that published research complies with the ethical principles and standards applicable to the nature of the study undertaken.

Where research involves people, communities, personal or sensitive data, territorial information liable to create risks, animals or other matters subject to ethical review, authors must declare compliance with the relevant institutional and legal provisions.

Where applicable, approval granted by an ethics committee or competent body must be reported, identifying the responsible institution and the relevant authorisation details.

Research involving human participants must respect the principles of informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, dignity and protection of participants, in accordance with the nature of the study and the relevant regulations.

Where there is doubt as to compliance with ethical requirements, the Editorial Team may request supporting documentation before proceeding with review or publication.

Institutional ethical approval does not limit the journal’s editorial responsibility, nor the authors’ responsibility for the integrity and legitimacy of the procedures used.

5. Privacy statement

The names, email addresses, institutional affiliations and other personal data provided to Revista Geoingeniería will be used solely for the editorial, scientific and administrative management of the publication.

The information provided will not be used for commercial purposes unrelated to the operation of the journal, nor disclosed to third parties, except where a legal, institutional or technical obligation requires it for the legitimate conduct of the editorial process.

The journal will take particular care to safeguard the confidentiality of manuscripts under review, the identity of peer reviewers under the double-blind system and any unpublished or sensitive information obtained during the editorial process.

Those acting as editors or reviewers may not use for their own benefit, or disclose, any information, data, ideas or results contained in manuscripts that have not yet been published.

Personal data will be processed in accordance with institutional provisions and applicable legislation.

6. Complaints and appeals policy

Revista Geoingeniería recognises the right of authors, reviewers and other participants in the editorial process to submit well-founded complaints or appeals regarding actions or decisions taken during the publication process.

Appeals against editorial decisions must set out academic, methodological or procedural evidence and arguments in support of the request for reconsideration. Mere disagreement with an editorial decision will not in itself constitute sufficient grounds for changing it.

Complaints may relate to, among other matters, possible irregularities in the editorial process, conflicts of interest, ethical breaches, inappropriate handling of a manuscript or circumstances that may affect the impartiality and transparency of the process.

Complaints and appeals will be reviewed by the Editor and, where the nature of the case so requires, by the Director or by members of the Editorial Team who were not directly involved in the decision in question.

Submitting a complaint or appeal does not guarantee that the original decision will be changed. The journal will endeavour to provide a reasoned response and to preserve the confidentiality of all those involved.

7. Correction and retraction policy (including cases involving AI)

Revista Geoingeniería considers that the integrity of the scholarly record requires transparent mechanisms for correcting, clarifying or withdrawing publications when significant errors or breaches are detected after publication.

Where an error is identified that does not invalidate the main results or conclusions of the article, the journal may publish a correction or erratum, clearly linked to the original publication.

Retraction may be warranted where there is sufficient evidence to establish, among other things, that the results or conclusions are unreliable owing to serious error, fabrication or falsification of data, plagiarism, redundant publication, significant ethical breaches, substantive authorship problems or other conduct that compromises the validity or integrity of the work.

Retractions must be clearly identified and linked to the original article. Wherever technically possible, the published text will remain available as part of the scholarly record, with its retracted status and the general grounds for the decision clearly indicated.

Where matters are still under investigation and there is well-founded concern about the reliability of a publication, the journal may temporarily issue an expression of concern while the necessary information is gathered.

Authors will be informed and given the opportunity to provide information before a final decision is taken, unless exceptional circumstances prevent this.

Use of artificial intelligence. The use of AI tools does not in itself constitute grounds for correction or retraction where it has been declared and complies with the journal’s policies. However, correction or retraction measures may be taken where its use has resulted in the fabrication or alteration of data, non-existent references, plagiarism, manipulation of images or results, breach of confidentiality, false attribution, substantially incorrect information or other significant harm to scientific integrity. Failure to declare the use of AI will be assessed according to its nature, extent and effect on the transparency and integrity of the publication.