Call for applications for the CEA-APQ Seal of Quality for scientific collections 2026 now open

From today, January 7, until February 13, the CEA-APQ Seal of Quality for scientific collections is open for its tenth call for applications for all public and private academic publishers who wish to obtain it or renew the one obtained in previous editions.

Applications must be submitted on the website https://colecciones.selloceaapq.es/, where the terms and conditions of the call for applications, the quality seal evaluation guide, and the application manual are available, as well as the templates necessary for the application process and the composition of the evaluation committee.  

The seal, which certifies scientific quality, is awarded to collections that meet the requirements in four areas:

• Informative quality of the collection. The seal assesses various aspects of the communication, dissemination, and accessibility of the collection, such as the identification of the collection, the inclusion of metadata, and reviews in scientific journals.
• Quality of the editorial policy. In this case, the requirements analyze the definition of the editorial policy of each collection and the identification and prestige of the collection director and the scientific committee.
• Quality of the editorial processes. Publishers must demonstrate the existence of detailed instructions for submitting works, information on the manuscript selection process, and reasoned communication of the acceptance or rejection of works.
• Reputation and prestige of the collection. Finally, the requirements in this section assess the frequent publication of authors from outside the publishing institution and the ability to attract original works by foreign authors, in addition to citations and reviews received.

New features for 2026

As usual, the rules and guidelines have been updated to clarify some aspects and specify others in the call for proposals, so it is recommended that both documents be read in full.

Among these changes, it is worth highlighting those relating to the reviewers who participate in the processes for the acceptance of titles published in the collection.

In addition to what has been established so far, as of this call for submissions, “reports that have been prepared by individuals who, at the time of their preparation, belonged to the same institution as the persons who coordinated or authored the work or who have a conflict of interest with them under the terms established in Article 32 of Royal Decree 678/2023, of July 18,” will be penalized, according to the guidelines.

Consolidated evaluation criteria

Since its creation in 2017, the CEA-APQ Seal has been recognized as an indication of the quality of publications in the evaluation of research activity by the National Commission for the Evaluation of Research Activity (CNEAI) and in the evaluation criteria for research merits claimed for the various accreditation figures for teaching staff carried out by ANECA (See resolution 2025 sent by CNEAI and ANECA to the BOE).

75 accredited collections

Currently, 75 collections have this seal, which recognizes best practices in Spanish university publishing, promotes and stimulates quality in academic publishing, and is an indicator of scientific quality recognized by research activity evaluation agencies and the university community.
123 accredited individual monographs

As for individual monographs, 123 have been accredited in the first three calls for applications held in 2023 and 2024.

ANECA, FECYT, and UNE

ANECA, FECYT, and UNE are leading the creation and development of the Academic Publishing Quality Seal (CEA-APQ).