Complaints and Appeals Policy

IJICES provides a transparent process for receiving and considering complaints relating to editorial decisions, peer review, publication ethics, alleged misconduct, conflicts of interest, and the conduct of journal representatives.

Submitting a Complaint

Complaints should be submitted to the journal's official editorial contact. The complainant should identify the relevant article or process, explain the concern clearly, and provide supporting evidence where available.

Editorial Decision Appeals

An author who believes that an editorial decision resulted from a significant factual error, procedural irregularity, or misunderstanding of the manuscript may submit a reasoned appeal. Disagreement with an editor's scholarly judgment alone does not guarantee reconsideration.

Assessment

The journal will assess complaints fairly and confidentially, as appropriate. Where feasible, a complaint or appeal will be reviewed by an editor or designated person who was not directly involved in the original decision.

The journal may request further information from the complainant, authors, reviewers, or other relevant parties.

Outcomes

Possible outcomes include dismissal of an unsupported complaint, clarification of a decision, additional editorial review, correction of a procedural error, reopening of a review, or further investigation under the relevant ethics policy.

Protection Against Retaliation

Good-faith complaints will be handled professionally. The journal will not knowingly penalize individuals solely for raising legitimate concerns.

Recordkeeping

The journal will maintain appropriate records of complaints, investigations, decisions, and any corrective action, subject to applicable confidentiality and data-protection requirements.

The journal's decision following an appeal will be communicated to the relevant parties. Any further action will depend on the nature of the concern and the available evidence.