Complaints and Concerns

Questions, complaints, or concerns regarding an article, manuscript, editorial process, or possible publication-related issue should be submitted to the official IJMES editorial office.

Where possible, correspondence should include:

Concerns may relate to matters such as plagiarism, authorship, data or image integrity, research ethics, conflicts of interest, or other publication-related issues.

IJMES will assess the concern based on the available information and the circumstances of the individual case.

Appeals Against Editorial Decisions

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision may submit an appeal to the IJMES editorial office.

An appeal should provide specific and substantive reasons why the decision should be reconsidered and should include relevant supporting information where available.

An appeal is intended to address matters such as a significant misunderstanding, overlooked information, procedural concern, or other substantive issue that may reasonably warrant reconsideration. Disagreement with an editorial decision alone does not necessarily constitute grounds for an appeal.

Review of Complaints and Appeals

Where appropriate, IJMES may review relevant manuscript or publication records, correspondence, peer-review information, and other material relevant to the matter.

IJMES may request clarification or supporting documentation from the individuals concerned. Where necessary and appropriate, the journal may seek information from relevant institutions, research organizations, ethics committees, funders, journals, publishers, or other appropriate parties.

Where reasonably practicable, relevant authors or other concerned parties will be given an opportunity to respond before a final editorial action is taken.

Institutional and External Investigations

Where a matter may require institutional or external investigation, IJMES may communicate with relevant institutions, research organizations, ethics committees, funders, or other appropriate bodies.

Where an independent investigation has been conducted, IJMES may consider its findings when determining appropriate action concerning the published scholarly record.

Possible Outcomes

Depending on the nature of the matter and the available evidence, an investigation or appeal may result in:

The appropriate outcome will depend on the circumstances and evidence of the individual case.

Appeals Following Retraction

An appeal against a retraction does not automatically suspend the retraction status of the article.

Where necessary to protect readers and the integrity of the scholarly record, IJMES may maintain the retraction notice while an appeal is being considered.

Further reconsideration may be undertaken where new and substantial evidence is presented or where a significant procedural issue is identified.

Confidentiality

IJMES will handle complaints, investigations, and related communications with appropriate confidentiality.

Information may be shared where reasonably necessary to conduct a fair investigation, communicate with relevant parties, address publication-ethics concerns, comply with applicable legal requirements, or protect the integrity of the scholarly record.