Appeals and Complaints

1. Scope
This policy covers:

  • Appeals by authors who believe an editorial decision (e.g., rejection) was based on a factual error or procedural irregularity.

  • Complaints regarding editorial process delays, reviewer misconduct or bias, conflicts of interest, and publication‐ethics concerns (e.g., plagiarism, data manipulation). 

2. Submission of Appeal or Complaint

  • Appeals or complaints must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief (or designated contact) using the journal’s official email address.

  • The submission should include: manuscript/ article ID or title (if applicable), clear description of the issue, supporting evidence (e.g., correspondence, reviewer comments, similarity report), and contact information of the complainant.

  • Anonymous reports will be considered if sufficiently detailed and supported by evidence.

3. Acknowledgement and Initial Review

  • Receipt of the appeal or complaint will be acknowledged promptly (within approximately one week) and the complainant will be informed of the process and expected timeframe.

  • An initial assessment will determine whether the matter falls under this policy and whether further investigation is warranted.

4. Investigation and Decision

  • A committee (for instance, the Editor-in-Chief aided by an independent senior editor or editorial board member) will review the case. If the complaint involves the Editor or a board member, another independent party will handle it.

  • The investigation may involve: obtaining responses from involved parties; gathering documentation (review reports, data, correspondence); consulting external reviewers if needed.

  • Decisions may include: upholding the original decision, revising the decision (e.g., sending the manuscript for further review), correcting or retracting a published article, or addressing process improvements. 

5. Communication of Outcome

  • The complainant will be notified in writing of the outcome and any actions taken.

  • Details of corrective action (e.g., published correction, retraction) will be publicly noted in the journal in accordance with ethical standards.

6. Confidentiality and Protection

  • All procedures will be handled confidentially. The identities of complainants, respondents and involved reviewers/editors will be protected as far as possible.

  • Retaliation against anyone submitting a complaint in good faith is not tolerated.

7. Continuous Improvement

 

  • BJES will monitor the nature of appeals and complaints and use lessons learned to refine editorial and peer-review procedures, ensuring fairness, transparency and efficiency in line with best practices.