Complaints and Appeals Policy

Appeals

JAFESS recognizes that authors may occasionally disagree with an editorial decision or peer-review assessment. Authors have the right to formally appeal a rejection if they can demonstrate that the decision was influenced by a clear factual error, an evident misunderstanding of the science, or an objective breach of the peer-review process.

Grounds for an Appeal

Appeals will only be considered under the following strict conditions:

Factual or Technical Error: The author provides definitive evidence that a reviewer or editor fundamentally misunderstood a core methodology, formula, data trend, or institutional variable, and that this specific error directly caused the manuscript's rejection.

Reviewer Bias or Conflict of Interest: The author supplies verifiable evidence demonstrating that a peer reviewer acted with structural bias or carried an undisclosed commercial or institutional conflict of interest.

Note: Rebuttals based purely on speculative scientific opinions, general text style disagreements, or the perceived novelty/impact of the research will be rejected without further assessment.

The Appeal Process

  • Submission: To initiate a formal appeal, the corresponding author must submit a comprehensive written statement within 14 days of receiving the final decision notice.
  • Required Documentation: The appeal document must explicitly outline point-by-point responses to the reviewers’ and editors' comments, backing up claims with original, verified data where applicable.
  • Editorial Evaluation: The Editor-in-Chief, along with an independent member of the Editorial Board who was not involved in the original review, will evaluate the case.
  • Final Outcome: If the appeal is upheld, the manuscript will be sent to a new, independent reviewer for a fresh evaluation. If the appeal is denied, the original rejection stands. The decision following a formal appeal is final and absolute.

Submitting an Appeal

All formal editorial appeal letters and accompanying evidence should be sent directly to the JAFESS Editorial Office: [email protected]

Complaints

JAFESS welcomes constructive feedback, concerns, or complaints regarding our editorial processes, journal policies, website management, or the behavior of our editorial staff, authors, and reviewers.

Who can complain: Anyone—including authors, reviewers, readers, or members of the public—can submit a formal complaint.

Complaints Handling Procedures

  • How to submit: Please email your complaint in writing to the JAFESS Editorial Office at [email protected] with the subject line "Formal Complaint".
  • Our Process: The Editorial Office will acknowledge receipt within 3 working days. The Editor-in-Chief (or an unbiased editorial board member if the complaint involves the Editor-in-Chief) will investigate the matter fairly.
  • Resolution Timeline: A formal, detailed response outlining the investigation outcome and any corrective actions will be delivered to the complainant within 30 working days.