Complaints and Appeals Policy
The International Journal of Social Exploration (IJSoE) is committed to handling complaints and appeals fairly, respectfully, confidentially, and as consistently as reasonably possible.
This policy applies to concerns relating to editorial decisions, peer-review procedures, publication ethics, editorial conduct, administrative processes, published content, or other journal practices.
General Complaints
Authors, reviewers, readers, editors, and other concerned individuals may submit a complaint regarding the journal's editorial or publication processes.
Complaints should clearly describe the matter of concern and, where possible, include relevant evidence or documentation that may assist the Editorial Team in understanding the issue.
The journal may request additional information where necessary before determining whether further action is appropriate.
Complaints Concerning Editorial Conduct
A complaint concerning the conduct of an editor, reviewer, staff member, editorial-board member, or other person involved in the journal will be considered according to the nature of the allegation and the information available.
Where the complaint concerns an individual who would normally handle the matter, responsibility should, where reasonably possible, be transferred to another appropriate and uninvolved person.
Appeals Against Editorial Decisions
Authors may appeal an editorial decision where they believe that a significant error in the editorial or peer-review process has affected the decision or that important scholarly information was materially misunderstood.
An appeal should:
- identify the manuscript and decision concerned;
- clearly explain the grounds for appeal;
- address the relevant editorial or reviewer comments; and
- provide supporting information where appropriate.
An appeal should focus on substantive scholarly or procedural issues rather than disagreement with the outcome alone.
Consideration of Appeals
The journal may review the manuscript, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, and any new clarification provided by the author.
Where appropriate, the appeal may be considered by an editor who was not substantially involved in the original decision.
The journal may seek additional editorial or independent expert advice where reasonably necessary.
Submission of an appeal does not guarantee reconsideration, additional peer review, or reversal of the original decision.
Final Editorial Position
After reasonable consideration of the appeal and available information, the journal may uphold, modify, or reconsider the previous editorial decision.
The journal may regard its decision on an appeal as final once the available scholarly and procedural issues have been adequately considered.
Repeated appeals concerning substantially the same matter may not be reconsidered unless materially new information or evidence is provided.
Complaints Concerning Published Articles
Concerns regarding published material, including possible errors, plagiarism, research misconduct, authorship disputes, ethical issues, or undisclosed competing interests, will be assessed under the journal's relevant publication-ethics and post-publication policies.
Where appropriate, the journal may seek clarification from authors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties before determining whether any correction, retraction, Expression of Concern, or other editorial action is warranted.
Evidence and Confidentiality
The journal will seek to handle complaints and appeals with appropriate confidentiality.
Information may nevertheless be shared with relevant authors, editors, reviewers, institutions, advisers, service providers, or appropriate authorities where reasonably necessary to assess or resolve a legitimate concern.
The journal cannot guarantee complete confidentiality where disclosure is required to investigate the matter appropriately or to comply with legal or ethical obligations.
Anonymous or Unsubstantiated Complaints
The journal may consider anonymous complaints where they contain sufficiently specific and credible information to permit meaningful assessment.
Complaints that are vague, unsupported, abusive, threatening, repetitive without new evidence, or unrelated to legitimate scholarly or publication concerns may be closed without further action after appropriate initial consideration.
Institutional or External Investigations
The journal is responsible for decisions concerning its editorial and publication record but is not normally responsible for conducting formal investigations into employment, institutional discipline, research governance, criminal conduct, or other matters outside the journal's competence.
Where such investigation is necessary, the journal may refer the matter to an appropriate institution, employer, research organization, funder, regulatory body, or other relevant authority.
No Retaliation for Good-Faith Concerns
Raising a genuine concern or submitting a reasonable appeal in good faith will not, by itself, adversely affect the consideration of current or future manuscripts.
Contact
Complaints and appeals should be submitted in writing to the Editorial Office through the journal's official contact channel. Correspondence should include sufficient information to identify the matter and permit appropriate assessment.
The journal will seek to acknowledge and consider complaints and appeals within a reasonable period, but the time required may vary depending on the complexity of the case, availability of evidence, and need for consultation.
Policy Review
The journal may update this policy from time to time to reflect developments in scholarly publishing, publication ethics, journal operations, and applicable requirements.
