Complaints and Appeals Policy
A documented route for raising service complaints and requesting a reasoned review of editorial decisions.
What can be raised
Concerns may relate to editorial procedure, service quality, publication ethics, conflicts, fees, accessibility or a decision believed to contain a material factual or procedural error.
How to submit
Use the contact form and include the journal, manuscript or article identifier, the decision or event being challenged, the requested outcome and concise supporting evidence.
Independent review
Where practical, an appeal is reviewed by an editor or senior representative who was not the sole decision-maker in the disputed matter. Disagreement alone does not guarantee re-review.
Outcome
The response records the issue considered and resulting action. Outcomes may include clarification, correction, renewed review, confirmation of the decision or research-integrity escalation.
Acknowledge
The complaint or appeal is logged and acknowledged with a request for any missing manuscript, article or evidence details.
Assess
The responsible team checks whether the issue concerns process, ethics, service quality or editorial judgment, then identifies the right reviewer.
Respond
A reasoned response is provided after the available evidence is reviewed. Complex matters may require additional time or external institutional input.
Escalate if needed
If the response does not resolve a substantiated process concern, it may be escalated to a senior editorial or publishing representative.