Appeals and complaints

The Journal of Techniques is committed to a fair, transparent, and accountable editorial process. This policy distinguishes between appeals (requests to reconsider editorial decisions) and complaints (concerns about editorial conduct, ethics, or process delays).

1. Appeals Against Editorial Decisions

Authors may submit an appeal if they believe there has been a misunderstanding of their work, a flaw in the review process, or a potential conflict of interest affecting the decision.

Procedure:
• Submit a formal appeal including manuscript ID and justification
• Appeals are acknowledged within 5 working days
• Reviewed by an independent editor not involved in the original decision
• Additional reviewers may be consulted if necessary
• Final decision issued within 15–30 working days

Possible Outcomes: Decision upheld, re-evaluation initiated, or invitation to revise and resubmit. All decisions are final.

2. Complaints About Editorial Process or Ethics

Complaints may relate to editorial misconduct, ethical concerns, delays in processing, or publication ethics violations.

Serious allegations involving research misconduct or systemic ethical concerns may be referred directly to the Research Integrity Officer.

Procedure:
• Submit a written complaint with full details and supporting evidence
• Complaints are acknowledged within 5 working days
• Investigated by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent editorial member if required
• If the Editor-in-Chief is involved, the complaint is escalated to the publishing authority
• Resolution provided within 15–30 working days

3. Escalation Path:
Handling Editor → Editor-in-Chief → Research Integrity Officer → Independent Editorial Member → Publishing Authority

If no appropriate contact is identified, please send your query to [email protected]

4. Principles:
• All cases are handled confidentially
• No retaliation against complainants
• Decisions are made independently and fairly
• Records are maintained for accountability