Complaints and appeals
Complaints and Appeals
When handling complaints and appeals, the journal’s Editorial Office follows the relevant COPE guidelines. If an author is dissatisfied with the editor’s handling of an appeal, they may contact the Editorial Office by email at: i.osadtsa@chnu.edu.ua
Review procedure
If a complaint and/or an appeal against an editorial decision is submitted, the following procedure applies:
- Any complaint or appeal is first reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief responsible for the journal and/or the handling editor who was directly involved in the editorial process.
- The Editor-in-Chief involves two members of the Editorial Board who have relevant experience serving on editorial boards of other journals and who, through their expertise and knowledge, can help resolve the dispute, properly clarify the circumstances described in the submission, and ensure the appropriate application of the journal’s editorial policy and publication ethics rules.
During the consideration of complaints and/or appeals, the following principles should be observed:
- mutual respect for all participants in the editorial process and a presumption of proper and good-faith conduct unless proven otherwise;
- granting all interested parties the right to present their arguments in support of or in opposition to the stated claims;
- duly informing participants in the editorial process about the receipt and consideration of a submission that may affect their rights and/or interests;
- directing any dispute-resolution process toward seeking compromise and mutual understanding.
Complaint about the scientific quality of an article (e.g., appealing a rejection)
In an appeal, the author must provide a detailed justification, addressing the reviewers’ comments point by point.
The Editor-in-Chief considers the arguments of the authors and the reviewers and adopts one of the following decisions:
- reject the complaint/appeal as unfounded;
- uphold the complaint/appeal.
- The complainant is informed of the decision with an explanation. Decisions on appeals are final, and new submissions take priority over appeals.
Principles for handling an appeal
First, the Editorial Office treats all parties involved in the complaint fairly; we avoid misinterpretation of information and conflicts of interest.
Second, we keep our communications clear and take into account the needs of the people with whom we communicate.
Third, the Editorial Office strives to resolve complaints as quickly as possible. However, we ask for understanding that some investigations are complex and may require time for proper resolution due to the involvement of multiple parties.
Complaint about publication ethics (e.g., regarding the conduct of an author or a reviewer)
The Editor-in-Chief or the Executive/Managing Secretary must follow the recommendations of COPE, EASE, and publication ethics standards.
The final decision to dismiss a complaint/appeal cannot be reversed or challenged. After such a decision, the Editorial Office does not correspond with the authors of a rejected manuscript.
