Appeals and Complaints Policy
1. General Procedure
All appeals or complaints should initially be directed to the Editor-in-Chief or the Handling Editor responsible for the manuscript. If the concern involves the Editor-in-Chief or the Handling Editor, the matter may be escalated to the journal’s publishing contact listed on the journal homepage. If no contact is listed, you may direct your concern to:
Email: ethics.reporting@njet.org
2. Appeals Against Editorial Decisions
Authors who wish to appeal a rejection decision should submit a detailed explanation of their concerns. The Editor-in-Chief or Handling Editor will:
- Review the authors’ arguments and the original peer review reports
- Decide whether the original decision should stand,
- Seek an independent opinion, or
- Consider the appeal for further review
The final decision, along with a rationale (where appropriate), will be communicated to the appellant. Please note: Appeals are assessed based on editorial merit and do not guarantee reversal of the decision. New submissions will take priority over appeals.
3. Complaints About Editorial or Review Processes
Concerns such as unreasonable delays in manuscript processing or communication issues will be investigated by the Editor-in-Chief, Handling Editor, and/or in-house publishing contact, as applicable. Upon review:
- The complainant will receive a timely and appropriate response
- Internal feedback will be shared with relevant teams to improve editorial workflows
4. Complaints Regarding Publication Ethics
Allegations involving ethical misconduct by authors, reviewers, or editors will be handled in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. The Editor-in-Chief or Handling Editor may consult the publisher for advice on complex or sensitive matters.
Based on the investigation:
- A suitable course of action will be determined
- The complainant will receive feedback regarding the outcome
If the complainant remains dissatisfied, they may escalate the matter directly to COPE. For more details, visit: COPE Guidelines – www.publicationethics.org