Appeals and Complaints

Appeals and Complaints Policy

Al-Adzka: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Guru Madrasah Ibtidaiyah is committed to providing a fair, transparent, confidential, and impartial process for handling appeals and complaints. Authors, reviewers, readers, editors, institutions, and other interested parties may submit an appeal or complaint when they believe that a significant procedural, factual, ethical, or professional problem has occurred during the editorial or publication process.

This policy should be read together with the journal’s Publication Ethics and Research Integrity, Peer Review Process, Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern Policy, and Manuscript Withdrawal Policy.

Appeals against Editorial Decisions

Authors may appeal an editorial decision when they believe that a significant factual, procedural, or ethical error affected the evaluation of their manuscript. An appeal may be considered when there is evidence that reviewer comments were based on a substantial misunderstanding, the editorial procedure was not followed correctly, a relevant conflict of interest was not disclosed, or important evidence was overlooked during the decision-making process.

An appeal based solely on disagreement with the academic judgment of editors or reviewers will not normally be accepted. Authors should not submit an appeal merely because they are dissatisfied with a rejection or revision decision.

Appeal Submission

An appeal must be submitted through the journal’s official email or OJS editorial correspondence system within 30 calendar days of the editorial decision. The appeal should include the manuscript title, submission identification number, date of the decision, a clear explanation of the grounds for appeal, and relevant supporting evidence.

The appeal must address the editor’s and reviewers’ comments professionally and specifically. Personal attacks, defamatory statements, threats, or unsupported allegations will not be considered.

Only one formal appeal will normally be considered for each editorial decision.

Appeal Review Process

The editorial office will acknowledge receipt of an appeal within seven working days. The appeal will be evaluated by an editor who was not directly involved in the original decision whenever possible.

The reviewing editor may examine the manuscript, reviewer reports, author responses, editorial correspondence, and supporting evidence. When necessary, an additional independent reviewer or subject expert may be consulted.

The outcome may confirm the original decision, revise the decision, request further peer review, or return the manuscript for additional editorial consideration. The journal aims to communicate the outcome within 30 working days, although complex cases may require additional time.

The outcome of the appeal will normally be considered final.

Complaints

Complaints may relate to editorial procedures, peer-review conduct, publication delays, conflicts of interest, inappropriate communication, research-integrity concerns, discrimination, confidentiality, authorship, corrections, retractions, or other aspects of journal management.

A complaint should clearly identify the relevant manuscript, article, individual, decision, or procedure and provide sufficient information and evidence for the journal to examine the matter fairly.

Complaints concerning errors or misconduct in a published article will be handled according to the journal’s Publication Ethics and Corrections and Retractions policies.

Complaints against Editors

A complaint concerning an editor will be handled by another editor who has no involvement in the matter. A complaint concerning the Editor-in-Chief will be referred to an independent senior editor, editorial board member, publisher representative, or qualified external party.

The person against whom the complaint is made will not make the final decision concerning the complaint.

Confidentiality and Protection from Retaliation

Appeals and complaints will be handled confidentially. Information will only be shared with individuals whose involvement is necessary to evaluate and resolve the matter.

The journal will not discriminate or retaliate against authors, reviewers, readers, editors, or whistleblowers who raise concerns in good faith. However, knowingly false, malicious, abusive, repetitive, or defamatory complaints may be dismissed.

Anonymous complaints may be considered when they contain specific, credible, and verifiable information.

Conflicts of Interest

Anyone involved in reviewing an appeal or complaint must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest. A person with a conflict of interest must withdraw from the process, and the matter will be reassigned to an independent individual.

Complaints Involving Research Misconduct

When a complaint indicates possible plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, unethical research, manipulated peer review, inappropriate authorship, citation manipulation, or another serious violation, the journal may request supporting documents, research data, ethical approval, consent records, or clarification from the parties involved.

The journal may contact the authors’ institution, ethics committee, funding agency, publisher, or other relevant authority when justified. Such cases will be handled in accordance with the journal’s publication-ethics and research-integrity procedures.

Communication of Outcomes

The complainant or appellant will receive a written explanation of the outcome whenever appropriate. The response will summarize the issue considered, the procedure followed, and the decision reached, while respecting confidentiality and data-protection requirements.

Possible outcomes may include confirmation of the original decision, reconsideration of a manuscript, correction of a procedural error, further investigation, publication of a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or another proportionate action.

External Guidance

Al-Adzka follows relevant principles provided in the COPE Guidance and Tools and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.

Appeals and complaints should be submitted to the official editorial email:

[email protected]