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Complaints and Appeals Policy

Introduction
E-ISSN: 2277-7547

The International Journal of Behavioral Social and Movement Sciences (IJOBSMS) is committed to maintaining fairness, transparency, accountability, editorial independence, and professional conduct throughout the scholarly publishing process.

The journal recognizes the right of authors, reviewers, readers, editorial board members, institutions, and other stakeholders to raise legitimate concerns regarding editorial procedures, peer review, publication ethics, published content, or the conduct of individuals involved in the publication process.

IJOBSMS seeks to address complaints and appeals objectively, confidentially, respectfully, and within a reasonable period. Complaints and appeals are assessed on their merits and are not influenced by academic status, institutional affiliation, nationality, professional position, personal relationships, or other irrelevant considerations.

Where appropriate, the journal considers relevant guidance issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when addressing complaints and appeals.

Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to complaints or appeals concerning:

  • Editorial decisions
  • Peer-review procedures
  • Manuscript handling
  • Unreasonable editorial delay
  • Reviewer conduct
  • Editor conduct
  • Publication ethics
  • Authorship disputes
  • Plagiarism or research misconduct
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Corrections or retractions
  • Published content
  • Journal policies or procedures
  • Administrative communication
  • Other related editorial/publication matters

External Referral: Matters falling primarily within the authority of an author's institution, employer, research ethics committee, funding organization, regulatory authority, or another external body may be referred to the appropriate organization where necessary.

General Principles
Fairness Each concern will be assessed objectively and on the basis of available evidence.
Impartiality Individuals who have a significant conflict of interest concerning a complaint or appeal will not be responsible for determining its outcome.
Confidentiality Information will be handled confidentially and disclosed only when necessary for investigation, decision-making, legal compliance, or record protection.
Transparency The journal will communicate the outcome to the relevant party and, where appropriate, explain the basis of the decision.
Editorial Independence Complaints and appeals will not be influenced by commercial interests, personal relationships, institutional pressure, or inappropriate considerations.
Good Faith Individuals may raise legitimate concerns without fear of disadvantage solely because they submitted a complaint or appeal in good faith.
Difference Between a Complaint and an Appeal

A complaint concerns dissatisfaction with the journal's procedures, conduct, service, ethical handling, communication, peer-review process, or other aspects of editorial or publication management.

An appeal is a formal request to reconsider an editorial decision, normally based on a claim that significant evidence was overlooked, the manuscript was materially misunderstood, a serious procedural error occurred, or relevant new information has become available.

Disagreement with an editorial decision alone does not necessarily provide sufficient grounds for an appeal.

Submitting a Complaint

Submit to Editorial Office with sufficient information. Where possible, include:

  • Complainant's name and contact information
  • Manuscript/article title, submission number, DOI
  • A clear description of the concern
  • Relevant dates or correspondence
  • Supporting evidence or documentation
  • Requested resolution, where appropriate

Anonymous complaints may be considered if specific, credible, and verifiable information is provided. Unsupported allegations require additional evidence.

Initial Assessment of a Complaint

Editor-in-Chief or designated editor conducts assessment to determine:

  • If matter falls within journal's responsibility
  • If sufficient information is provided
  • If additional documentation is required
  • If immediate corrective action is necessary
  • If conflict of interest exists
  • If matter should be referred externally

If complaint concerns Editor-in-Chief, it is handled by an independent senior editor/board member.

Complaints & Appeals Concerning Editorial Decisions
Complaints Regarding Decisions: Authors may submit complaints if they believe a decision involved procedural irregularity, unprofessional conduct, undisclosed conflict of interest, or failure to follow procedures. Substantive reconsiderations are handled as appeals.
Appeals Against Decisions: Valid grounds include overlooked factual/methodological info, material misunderstanding, peer review error, conflict of interest, demonstrable reviewer errors, or new evidence. Appeals must not merely repeat prior arguments.
Appeal Review Procedure

Reviewed by independent qualified individuals:

  • Editor-in-Chief or non-involved senior editor
  • Independent editorial board member
  • Additional subject expert
  • Additional peer review if necessary
  • Reviewers/editors must have no material conflict of interest
Possible Outcomes of an Appeal

An appeal may result in:

  • Confirmation of original decision
  • Reconsideration / reopening assessment
  • Additional peer review
  • Modification of original decision

Reconsideration does not guarantee acceptance.

Complaints About Peer Review Concerns regarding disrespectful language, conflict of interest, confidentiality breach, coercive citations, or identity manipulation are investigated. Reviews may be disregarded or reviewers discontinued.
Complaints About Editors Allegations regarding conflict of interest, procedural fairness, delays, or policy non-compliance. Subject editors will not investigate themselves and matters refer to independent senior editors.
Complaints Regarding Ethics Plagiarism, fabrication, duplicate publication, authorship misconduct, or ethics concerns are handled under the Research Misconduct Policy and COPE principles.
Complaints About Published Articles Concerns regarding data integrity, errors, or ethical issues on published work are assessed to determine if clarification, correction, expression of concern, or retraction is needed.
Complaints Concerning Publication Delay Authors experiencing unreasonable delays may request status updates. The journal will review manuscript history and expedite editorial processing where appropriate.
Protection Against Retaliation Retaliation against individuals submitting good-faith complaints is prohibited. Present or future manuscript decisions will not be influenced.
Conflicts of Interest in Handling

Any decision-maker with an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest must disclose it and withdraw from the process. Independent qualified individuals will handle the matter.

Malicious or Abusive Complaints

Communications that are intentionally abusive, threatening, defamatory, or harassing may result in restricted correspondence after full review. This will not block legitimate criticism.

Response, Resolution, Escalation & Final Decision

IJOBSMS aims to acknowledge and assess complaints within a reasonable period. If unresolved, escalation requests may be reviewed by an independent party.

Complaint/Appeal Upheld or Partially Upheld
Original Decision Confirmed
Further Investigation Required
Corrective Editorial Action Taken
Matter Referred to External Body
No Further Action Warranted

The journal will communicate the final outcome to the relevant party with an appropriate explanation.

Relationship With Other Journal Policies

This policy should be read alongside related journal policies including:

  • Publication Ethics & Malpractice
  • Research Misconduct Policy
  • Authorship Criteria and Policy
  • Conflict of Interest Policy
  • Peer Review & Plagiarism Policies
  • Corrections, Retraction & Withdrawal
Policy Review and Updates: This Complaints and Appeals Policy may be reviewed periodically and updated where necessary. Material amendments will be reflected on the journal website.