Policy and process

The IJSSE is committed to applying the below procedure to appeals and complaints to editorial decisions, such as failure in the processes, long delays in handling papers, and complaints about publication ethics. First, the complaint should be governed by the Editor(s)-in-Chief responsible for the journal and/or the Editor who reviewed the paper. If they are the subject of the complaint, we recommend you approach the in-house publishing contact (Please send your query to ethics@gaerpsy.com).

Scientific content complaint (e.g., an appeal against rejection)

The Editor-in-Chief or handling Editor considers the authors’ argument, and the reviewer reports and decides whether the decision to reject should stand, another independent opinion is required, and the appeal should be considered. The complainant is informed of the decision with an explanation if appropriate. Decisions on appeals are final, and new submissions take priority over requests.

Processes’ complaint (e.g., time taken to review)

The Editor-in-Chief Handling Editor, and/or in-house contact will investigate the matter. The complainant will receive appropriate feedback, which will be provided to relevant stakeholders to improve processes and procedures.

Publication ethics’ complaint (e.g., authorship or reviewer’s conduct)

The Editor-in-Chief or handling Editor follows guidelines published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The ethics will advise on cases. The Editor-in-Chief or managing Editor will decide on a course of action and provide feedback to the complainant. If the complainant remains unhappy with the outcomes of the committee, they would be allowed to submit the complaint to the COPE to appeal.