Complaints and Appeals Policy
The Journal of Sport Sciences is committed to handling complaints and appeals in a professional, fair, and transparent manner that respects the rights of authors, reviewers, and readers while preserving the independence of editorial decisions and the integrity of the scholarly publishing process.
First: Scope of Complaints and Appeals
The journal receives complaints or appeals related to submission procedures, peer review, editorial decisions, published errors, or any issues concerning research and publication ethics. Authors, readers, reviewers, or academic institutions may submit a documented complaint when there is a clear reason requiring consideration.
Second: Appeals Against Editorial Decisions
Authors may appeal a rejection decision if they believe that the decision was based on a scientific misunderstanding, procedural error, or clear oversight of essential information in the manuscript. The appeal must be written in a scientific and professional manner and must include specific reasons supported by evidence, without personal language or unsupported allegations.
Submitting an appeal does not guarantee that the editorial decision will be changed. The Editorial Board reviews the appeal and may consult an additional reviewer or a specialized editorial board member when necessary. The decision made after the appeal is usually final unless substantial new information becomes available.
Third: Complaints Related to Peer Review or Editorial Conduct
If a complaint concerns unjustified delays in the review process, manuscript handling, unprofessional conduct, or suspected conflict of interest, the Editorial Board reviews the case confidentially and objectively. If the complaint involves a member of the Editorial Board, it will be handled by the Editor-in-Chief or by another independent editor who is not directly involved in the case.
Fourth: Post-Publication Ethics Complaints
The journal receives complaints related to published articles, including suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data or image manipulation, or significant errors affecting the results. The Editorial Board examines such complaints in accordance with the journal’s policies on publication ethics, corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern. If a significant problem is confirmed, the journal will take the appropriate editorial action, such as issuing a correction, publishing an expression of concern, or retracting the article, depending on the nature of the case and the strength of the available evidence.
Fifth: How to Submit a Complaint or Appeal
Complaints or appeals must be submitted to the journal’s official email address or through the approved contact method stated on the journal website. The request should include the following information:
1. Name and contact details of the person submitting the request.
2. Title of the manuscript or article and its submission number or link, if available.
3. A clear and specific description of the complaint or appeal.
4. Supporting evidence or documents, if available.
5. The action or clarification requested from the journal.
The journal does not normally consider anonymous or undocumented complaints unless they contain clear and verifiable evidence of serious scientific or ethical misconduct.
Sixth: Review and Response
The Editorial Board seeks to acknowledge receipt of complaints or appeals within a reasonable period and reviews them confidentially and professionally. The journal may request additional information from the complainant, authors, reviewers, or relevant parties before reaching a decision. The journal will inform the person submitting the complaint or appeal of the outcome whenever possible, while respecting confidentiality and protecting the data of individuals involved in the editorial and peer-review process.
Seventh: Principles for Handling Complaints
The journal handles all complaints and appeals based on evidence and facts, not on personal opinions, pressure, or interests. Submitting a professional and justified complaint or appeal must not negatively affect the rights of an author, reviewer, or reader. At the same time, the journal reserves the right not to consider repeated, abusive, or unsupported requests.
Eighth: Protection of Editorial Independence
This complaints and appeals policy is intended to ensure fairness and transparency and does not represent interference with editorial independence or reviewers’ scientific judgment. The Journal of Sport Sciences affirms that final publication decisions are based on the quality, originality, methodological soundness, and ethical compliance of the submitted work.
