Complaints and Appeals Policy

1. Scope of the Policy

 

The Herald of Advanced Information Technology provides a transparent mechanism for handling complaints and appeals related to editorial decisions, peer review processes, and publication ethics.

This policy follows COPE Core Practices and international best practices in scholarly publishing.

2. Types of Complaints

 

Complaints may relate to:

  • Editorial decisions (acceptance or rejection of manuscripts);
  • Fairness or conduct of peer review;
  • Allegations of bias or conflict of interest;
  • Ethical concerns regarding published or submitted work;
  • Editorial or reviewer misconduct.

3. Submission of Complaints

 

All complaints must be submitted in writing to the Editorial Office via the official journal email address. Complaints should include sufficient detail and supporting evidence to allow proper investigation.

4. Complaint Handling Procedure

 

Upon receipt of a complaint, the journal will follow these steps:

  1. Acknowledge receipt within 5 working days;
  2. Conduct an initial assessment by the editorial office;
  3. Consult relevant editors, reviewers, or external experts if necessary;
  4. Provide a formal response within 30 working days;
  5. Take corrective or remedial action if required.

5. Appeals Against Editorial Decisions

 

Authors may appeal editorial decisions (rejection or major revision requests) if they believe there has been a misunderstanding or procedural error.

Appeals must include:

  • Detailed justification for the appeal;
  • Point-by-point response to reviewer comments;
  • Supporting evidence or clarifications.

Each manuscript may be appealed only once. Final decisions rest with the Editor-in-Chief.

6. Possible Outcomes

 

After review, the journal may:

  • Uphold the original decision;
  • Request additional revision;
  • Assign new reviewers;
  • Reverse the editorial decision;
  • Escalate ethical concerns if necessary.

7. Ethical Complaints

 

Complaints related to ethical misconduct are handled according to the journal’s Research Integrity & Misconduct Policy and COPE guidelines.

8. Final Authority

 

The Editor-in-Chief holds final authority over all appeal decisions. All processes are conducted in a fair, transparent, and unbiased manner.