Appeals Policy
Authors may appeal an editorial decision if they believe it was based on a factual error, a misunderstanding of the work, a reviewer's conflict of interest, or a failure to follow the journal's policies.
How to appeal
- Send an appeal by email to [email protected] within 30 days of the decision, with the subject "Appeal – [manuscript ID]".
- Explain clearly why the decision should be reconsidered, responding point by point to the reviewer and editor comments, and provide any new evidence or data.
How appeals are handled
- The appeal is acknowledged within 7 days.
- It is assessed by the Editor-in-Chief or by an editor who was not involved in the original decision. Where needed, an additional independent reviewer is invited.
- The outcome – decision upheld, manuscript returned for further review, or decision reversed – is sent to the author in writing, normally within 30 days.
Conditions
- Only one appeal is allowed per manuscript. The decision on the appeal is final.
- The manuscript must not be submitted to another journal while the appeal is being considered.
- Disagreement with the reviewers' opinion, without a new argument or evidence, is not a ground for appeal.
Complaints about the process (rather than the decision itself) are handled under the Complaint Policy.
