Studia Botanica

Journal out of circulation

About the Journal

Focus and Scope

Studia Botanica publishes original scientific research on topics related to the various fields of botany and mycology, including articles on plant and fungal taxonomy and systematics, algae in the broad sense, pseudofungi and slime moulds, as well as other related areas such as biogeography, conservation, ecophysiology, phylogeny, phylogeography, floristics, functional morphology, nomenclature, and plant–animal interactions. The journal also publishes synthesis and review papers. All submissions are subject to peer review by external specialists selected according to the subject matter of the manuscript. Book reviews focus on publications related to the thematic scope of Studia Botanica.

Manuscripts may be submitted in either Spanish or English.
 All articles undergo double-blind peer review.

Studia Botanica is published as a continuous journal. The journal is edited by Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca. Articles are published on the Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca website in the following formats: PDF, XML-JATS, HTML, and ePUB.

Manuscripts must be submitted directly by authors through the electronic submission platform, following the instructions provided by the Open Journal Systems (OJS). Authors are required to consult and comply with the submission guidelines carefully. Manuscripts that do not conform to the established criteria will be returned without being considered for review.

 

Peer Review Process

Studia Botanica accepts unpublished scientific articles that comply with the journal’s formal and thematic criteria. All manuscripts considered for publication are subject to double-blind peer review by at least two external experts.

An initial editorial decision (technical assessment and evaluation of thematic relevance) is made within 5 to 7 days of receipt of the manuscript. After the external reviewers’ reports have been received, the editors will inform the author of one of the following decisions: 1) Acceptance without revisions; 2) Acceptance with minor revisions; 3) Revision and resubmission for further review; 4) Rejection.

If revisions are requested, authors are given 7 days to submit the revised version. The editor will verify that the requested changes have been adequately addressed and, where necessary, will resubmit the manuscript to the reviewers. Failure to meet the revision deadlines will be considered withdrawal from the evaluation process. In cases of conflicting reviewers’ reports (one positive and one negative), the editors will submit the manuscript for a final decision by a member of the Scientific Council. The peer review process typically takes between 30 and 60 days.

Open Science

Studia Botanica is a Diamond Open Access journal, which means that no article processing charges (APCs) are applied to either authors or readers. The journal represents a publishing initiative driven, managed, and governed by the scientific community, and reflects the University of Salamanca’s commitment to open access to knowledge and Open Science.

This commitment is formalized through adherence to the Berlin Declaration (signed by the University of Salamanca on 27 February 2009) and remains fully in force through the adoption of the DORA Declaration, the COARA Coalition, the Spanish Science, Technology and Innovation Act (2022), and the National Open Science Strategy (ENCA) 2023–2027. Studia Botanica aligns its editorial policies with this framework, promoting responsible, transparent, and accessible practices in scientific communication.

Intellectual Property and Publication Licenses

Authors publish their content under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA) license. This license permits the copying, distribution, and adaptation of the work for non-commercial purposes, provided that proper attribution is given and that any derivative works are published under the same license.

All supplementary materials and data sets associated with published articles must be deposited in open-access institutional or thematic repositories and linked to the published text through a unique and persistent identifier.

Content Dissemination

The public dissemination of preprint or postprint versions of manuscripts submitted to the journal is not permitted, either during the peer review process or after final acceptance for publication. Authors may self-archive the final published version in institutional or personal repositories, provided that the original publication is correctly cited and the corresponding DOI is included. This practice contributes to the dissemination, impact, and citability of their work.

The editorial and technical work carried out by Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca ensures stability and continuous development of the OJS platform, which incorporates interoperability protocols that enable metadata harvesting through the OAI-PMH protocol.

Interoperability Protocol

The OAI-PMH protocol is employed and can be accessed at ttps://revistas.usal.es/index.php/studiabotanica/oai

Ethical Commitment and Good Editorial Practices

Studia Botanica is committed to ensuring scientific integrity and transparency in all editorial processes, in accordance with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), as well as internationally recognized standards in scientific publishing. The journal ensures strict compliance with these principles by all parties involved in publication: authors, editors, and reviewers. More information on COPE principles can be found at: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices.

Responsibilities of Authors

-Submit original, unpublished work that is free from plagiarism or self-plagiarism, and not under simultaneous consideration by other journals.
-Accurately cite all sources used and appropriately acknowledge the contributions of other individuals or entities.
-Disclose financial, institutional, or material support that contributed to the research or manuscript preparation.
-Take responsibility for the content presented and notify the journal of any significant errors detected after submission or publication.
-Ensure that all listed authors meet established criteria for academic authorship and that there are no disputes regarding authorship or author order.-Designate a corresponding author to communicate with the journal during the editorial process. All authors share collective responsibility for all aspects of the work, to ensure that any issues related to accuracy or integrity are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Responsibilities of the Editorial Team

-Ensure the objective, impartial, and confidential evaluation of all submitted manuscripts, regardless of the authors’ origin, affiliation, or status.
-Apply rigorously the scientific quality and thematic suitability criteria established in the journal’s scope.
-Ensure compliance with the double-blind peer review process and preserve the confidentiality of manuscripts throughout the process.
-Detect and manage potential conflicts of interest and inappropriate conduct, following COPE protocols when necessary.
-Publish corrections, retractions, or clarifications when appropriate, in the interest of transparency and scientific reliability.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

-Evaluate manuscripts objectively, confidentially, and within the established deadlines.
-Identify potential conflicts of interest and refrain from reviewing when a personal or professional relationship with the authors exists.
-Report any indications of misconduct (plagiarism, data manipulation, etc.) to the editorial team.
-Justify their evaluations with clear, respectful, and scientifically grounded arguments.

Policy on Retractions and Post-Publication Corrections 

The journal ensures the integrity of the scientific record by following the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the NISO RP-45-2024 standard (Communication of Retractions, Removals, and Expressions of Concern – CREC).

Post-publication corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, and article removals are communicated through independent public notices, each with its own DOI and standardized metadata (according to JATS and Crossref), clearly linked to the affected article and accessible on the journal’s website.

Each notice will indicate the date and reason for the editorial decision, maintain the visibility of the original article record (marked or header RETRACTED where appropriate), and be communicated to indexing systems, preservation services, and relevant third parties to ensure traceability and correct identification by both humans and automated systems.

Definitions:

  • Post-publication corrections (errata, corrigenda, or addenda) are used to rectify minor errors that do not affect the overall validity of the work.
  • Expression of concern is an editorial notice indicating potential issues in an article while its validity or integrity is being investigated.
  • Retraction is the mechanism used to correct the scientific record when an article contains serious errors or irregularities that invalidate its results or conclusions.
  • Article removal involves the complete removal of the text for exceptional legal or ethical reasons, while keeping the title, authors, and essential metadata accessible.

References and normative sources:

This policy is based on the following international guidelines and standards, which the journal adopts and maintains accessible via active links in all language versions:

Plagiarism Detection Tool: Turnitin Ephorus

Studia Botanica uses this tool to detect textual similarities and prevent plagiarism, in accordance with the University of Salamanca's institutional policies.

Generative AI*

At the time of manuscript submission, if applicable, authors must declare the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the scientific writing process. This declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools such as spelling and grammar checkers or reference managers. If no generative AI has been used, no declaration is required.

Important: In order to protect copyright and the confidentiality of research, Studia Botanica currently does not allow the use of generative AI technologies (such as ChatGPT, Elicit, DALL·E, or similar tools) by reviewers or editors in the peer review or manuscript evaluation process, as specified in our general AI policy. This policy may be updated in the future.

Good Editorial Practices in Gender Equality: Inclusive Language and Gender Perspective 

Studia Botanica is committed to promoting real equality between women and men in the academic field. More than 40% of its editorial team is composed of women, and over 50% of peer reviews are conducted by women.

Inclusive Language Regarding Gender
Inclusive language regarding gender is understood as language that avoids discriminatory expressions toward any sex, social gender, or gender identity, as well as the perpetuation of gender stereotypes.

Authors must ensure the use of inclusive language throughout their work. They should not make assumptions about the beliefs, identities, or contexts of the readership, and writing should remain free from bias, stereotypes, jargon, references to a dominant culture, or cultural assumptions.

The following resources are recommended:

– United Nations: Gender Inclusive Language

– European Commission: Gendered Innovations 2

Sex/Gender-Based Analysis (SGBA)
 When research involves humans, animals, or eukaryotic cells, or when sex and gender may influence study outcomes, authors must integrate Sex and Gender-Based Analysis (SGBA) into the methodological design and interpretation of results. This integration should comply with the requirements of funding agencies and the best practices in the relevant field of knowledge.

The following documents are recommended for guidance:

–Gender in Research, European Commission, Directore-General for Research and Innovation
– SAGER Guidelines (Sex and Gender Equity in Research)

Editorial Worfklow

The editorial process is carried out entirely through the OJS (Open Journal Systems) platform, which allows all stages of the editorial cycle to be managed, documented, and audited, from manuscript submission to final publication.

To initiate the process, authors must register on the platform and upload two files:

  • A complete version of the manuscript in Word format (.doc or .docx), including tables and figures (see Authors: Instructions for Manuscript Submission).
  • A fully anonymized version, in which names, institutional affiliations, and any elements that could reveal the authors’ identities have been removed.

Studia Botanica is published as a continuous journal.

The estimated timelines for the editorial process are as follows:

  • Manuscript submission
  • Initial editorial decision (technical assessment and thematic suitability): 5 to 7 days
  • Peer review: 21 to 30 days
  • Submission of revisions by authors: 7 days
  • Online publication in OJS: 15 to 30 days after final acceptance

These timelines are indicative and depend on the availability of reviewers, the manuscript's initial quality, and the authors' responsiveness.

Acceptance or Rejection Criteria

The final decision to accept or reject a manuscript is made by the Editorial Team, taking into account the reports provided by the reviewers.

The possible editorial decisions are:

  • Acceptance without revisions
  • Acceptance subject to minor revisions
  • Revision and resubmission for further review following substantial modifications
  • Rejection

In all cases, authors receive a reasoned notification that includes the reviewers’ comments and recommendations.

Editorial Policies on Imparciality and Appeals

Editors do not participate in decision-making on manuscripts that:

  • They have authored themselves
  • Have been written by family members or individuals with whom they maintain a direct professional relationship

In such cases, the journal ensures the manuscript is handled in a consistent manner and evaluated by external peers, independently of the editor involved and their research group.

Authors may submit a formal appeal of an editorial decision by contacting Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca at: revistas@usal.es.. Only one appeal per manuscript will be accepted, and the resulting decision will be final.

Authors: Instructions for Manuscrit Submission

All authors must be identified with their full name, detailed institutional affiliation (including department, faculty, university, and country), their ORCID iD (persistent author identifier), and email address. The corresponding author must be clearly indicated.

Example:
 Name Surname1-Surname2 (if signing with two surnames, use a hyphen)
 Department of History, Faculty of Geography and History, University of Barcelona, Spain
 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-XXXX-XXXX
 surname@ub.edu
 Corresponding author

In the case of co-authorship, the CRediT taxonomy should be used to describe the individual contributions of each author to the manuscript. This information should be included at the end of the article, before the bibliography, under the heading Author Contribution. Full names of the authors (without abbreviations) should be listed, followed by the roles performed, separated by commas.

Example:
 AUTHOR CONTRIBUTION
 Name Surname1-Surname2: Conceptualization, Investigation, Final Editing, and Review.
 Name Surname1-Surname2: Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Original Draft Writing.

 

Manuscript Format, Style, and Structure

  • Manuscripts must be submitted in Word format (.doc or .docx).
  • The title, abstract, and keywords must appear both in the original language of the publication and in English.

    • Titles: Concise, informative, and engaging.
    • Abstract: Should provide a clear overview of the study, objectives, and results/advances of the research, highlighting the main findings and their relevance.
    • Keywords: Between 4 and 6, in lowercase (except proper nouns or acronyms), separated by commas. They should reflect the article's core topics and use standardized terminology in the discipline.

Example:
 Keywords: Agaricales, diversity, Europe, Quercus, taxonomy
 Palabras clave: Agaricales, diversidad, Europa, Quercus, taxonomía

 

Images, Figures, and Tables

  • Must be numbered and titled clearly and concisely. Titles should appear above tables and below figures.
  • Must be inserted in the main text and also submitted as separate editable files (Excel, Word, JPG, or vector formats).
  • Accepted image formats: JPG (minimum 300 dpi), TIFF.
  • Any image, figure, or table extracted from other sources must include the proper reference and, if applicable, reproduction permissions.

Photographs and/or small figures should be grouped to fit the journal’s page layout. All figures must include a metric scale. Captions should be as brief and precise as possible, placed together at the end of the manuscript, and written in the same language as the rest of the text. In the text, figures should be cited as Fig. 1 or Tab. 1, and in captions as Figure 1 or Table 1.

Tables should be created in a plain format using the table editor in Open Office or Word. Tables must not be inserted from Excel or other software as images or screenshots.

Manuscript Structe

The manuscript structure should conform to the writing style appropriate to the journal’s field of knowledge.

The methodology section must be described with sufficient rigor and detail to ensure the study's reproducibility.

The content of the work should demonstrate originality, scientific relevance, and potential to open new lines of research.

All contributions must be submitted in plain text without tabs or special formatting and follow the following format: 2.5 cm margins, Arial or Times New Roman 12-point font, and 1.5 line spacing. The text must be presented in a single column.

All scientific names and other Latin words (species and supra-specific categories) must be written in italics, and no other font styles should be used. No handwritten text or text with formats different from the body of the manuscript is allowed, except for scientific names or Latin words (any taxonomic rank), which are italicized. Notes or comments must not be included in the document. The text should not contain handwritten amendments or tracked changes.

Author names of taxa are indicated only the first time they are cited, or in a table listing all taxa, and should be abbreviated according to the Authors of Plant Names (Brummit & Powell, 1992) or, if not included in that work, according to the IPNI or Index Fungorum.

Except for duly justified exceptions, the text should be organized into the following sections: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Funding and Acknowledgements, and References.

References to Herbarium Material

Citations must follow the specified typographic format: COUNTRY (if referencing material from multiple countries or if this information is relevant), PROVINCE: municipality, locality, etc. (other entities such as region, district, valley, natural park, etc., may be included, always from larger to smaller area), coordinates, habitat, date (e.g., 18-IV-2003), leg. followed by the collector’s name (in regular font with the initial(s) of the given name and the initial of the surname(s) in uppercase, the rest in lowercase), det. followed by the identifier’s name (only if different from the collector, using the same format as for the collector), HERBARIUM OR FUNGARIUM ACRONYM and specimen number. Coordinates should be provided in decimal format (WGS 84) and accompanied by a precision value, depending on the method used to obtain them.

Example:
 Material examined. SPAIN. Salamanca: La Orbada, 41.134694, -5.483694 (± 10 m), 800 m a.s.l., Quercus ilex forest, 12-XII-2024, leg. P. García, det. S.P. Gorjón, coll. SPG 6789, SALA-Fungi 2578.

Supplementary Files and Data Sets

Submission of additional materials (images, videos, datasets) is allowed, provided they are deposited in open-access repositories.

  • Accepted types: Images (JPG, TIFF), videos (MP4, maximum 500 MB), datasets (CSV, XLSX, JSON).
  • Maximum size: 500 MB per file.
  • Citation and permissions: All materials must include their source and have the appropriate permissions if not authored by the submitter.
  • Recommended repositories: Zenodo, Figshare, Dryad, or institutional open-access repositories. The repository link must be included in the manuscript.

Funding Sources and Acknowledgements

This section should be included before the References.

Funding sources that supported the research must be declared, including the full name of the funding organization and the project reference number.

Example:
 RESEARCH FUNDING SOURCES
 This work was funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities of Spain (project PID2023-XXXXX-XX).

An Acknowledgements section may also be added to recognize significant support that does not meet the criteria for authorship.

References

Citations and references must strictly follow the APA 7th edition style or later throughout the manuscript.

Failure to comply with this standard may result in the manuscript being rejected before the peer review process begins. Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca submits all references to CrossRef, which enhances the visibility and impact of published research.

Bibliographic references should be formatted as follows:

In-text citations: Examples include Aedo (2013), Bolòs (1906: 118), (Aedo 2013; Willkomm 1893), Bernicchia & Gorjón (2010) for two authors, and Saitta et al. (2011) for three or more authors.

At the end of the manuscript, References should be arranged alphabetically by author names and chronologically for works by the same author. Subsequently, works with two, three, or more authors should be listed successively. Journal names should be cited in full, without abbreviation. For works with five or more authors, cite the first four authors followed by et al. If a work has a digital identifier (DOI), it should be included at the end of the reference.

  • Aedo, C. 2013. Narcissus. In: Rico, E., Crespo, M.B., Quintanar, A., Herrero, A. & Aedo, C. (eds.), Flora Iberica 20: 340–397. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC. Madrid.
  • Bernicchia, A. & Gorjón, S.P. 2010. Corticiaceael. Fungi Europaei nº 12. Ed. Candusso, Italia, 1008 pp.
  • Suárez González, R., Rodríguez de la Cruz, D., Gorjón, S.P., Sánchez Sánchez, J. 2003. Estudio aerobiológico de la ciudad de Salamanca durante el año 1995. Studia Botanica 22: 27–35.
  • Saitta, A., Bernicchia, A., Gorjón, S.P., Altobelli E., et al. 2011. Biodiversity of wood decay fungi in Italy. Plant Biosystems 145(4): 958–968. https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2011.633114
  • Willkomm, H.M. 1893. Supplementum Prodromi Florae Hispanicae. Stuttgartiae, Sumtibus E. Schweizerbart.
  • Carrasco, M.A., Martín-Blanco, C.J., García, A. & Perea, D. 1996. Plantas de D. Estanislao Vayreda en el Real Colegio Alfonso XII de San Lorenzo del Escorial, Madrid. Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid 54(1): 589–594.

Ethics Certificates

For case reports and research articles involving human or animal subjects, a copy of the Ethics Committee certifications is required. For informed consent, a copy must be included with authorization from an accredited Ethics Committee. In cases where the Nagoya Protocol is applicable, compliance with its principles must be duly demonstrated, and certificates of permits for the collection of biological material and access to genetic resources must be provided.

 

Repositories in Databases, Herbaria and Fungaria

Data that require it must be properly deposited in databases such as GBIF, GenBank, and MycoBank, and alignments must be deposited in TreeBase, with the corresponding codes indicated in the article. Herbarium citations must follow Index Herbariorum.

Suggested Reviewers

The corresponding author must indicate three potential reviewers who are competent and recognized in the field of research during the manuscript submission process, including their email addresses and institutional affiliations. The Editorial Team may consider these or other alternative reviewers.

No Article Processing Charges (APC) will be applied for any stage of the article publication process or for the publication of images (black and white or color). However, as a general rule, manuscripts should not exceed 10 pages. If this limit is exceeded, a charge of €6 per additional page may apply starting from page 11 (in the final print format). For the publication of works longer than 10 pages or more extensive monographs, prior consultation with the Editorial Team is required.

For any other queries regarding the Instructions for Authors, the Editorial Team can be contacted at studiabotanica@usal.es