Editorial Policies and Diamond Open Access in 2025: Best Practices, Transparency, and Sustainability in Spanish Scholarly Journals

Abstract

This study examines the level of formalization, transparency, and implementation of open science practices in the editorial policies of Spanish scholarly journals evaluated by FECYT in 2025. Based on eight key dimensions—(i) submission and editorial process, (ii) rights and licensing, (iii) ethics, (iv) governance, (v) dissemination, (vi) transparency and metrics, (vii) open science, and (viii) gender perspective—the analysis covers 742 journals published by different types of editorial institutions, with particular emphasis on the characteristics of diamond open access journals. The results show high levels of compliance in well-established aspects, such as author guidelines, licensing practices, and adherence to ethical codes, whereas more advanced elements—such as research data management, preprint dissemination, editorial transparency, and the systematic incorporation of gender analysis—remain significantly less developed. Notable differences are also observed according to the type of publishing institution, with universities and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) showing stronger alignment with diamond open access criteria, in contrast to lower levels of compliance among commercial publishers. Positive correlations across the examined dimensions suggest that editorial policies operate as interconnected systems. The study concludes by highlighting the need to strengthen infrastructures, standardize processes, and promote diamond open access as a sustainable and equitable model aligned with the principles of open science.