Complaints & Appeals
The International Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Fertility Sciences is committed to maintaining a fair, transparent, and responsible editorial and publishing process. Authors, reviewers, editors, and other stakeholders may raise concerns or submit appeals regarding editorial decisions, peer review, publication procedures, or ethical matters.
The journal provides online facilities for submissions, editorial information, privacy information, and contact with the journal team.
1. Purpose of the Complaints and Appeals Policy
This policy provides a framework for handling concerns relating to:
- Manuscript submission and processing
- Editorial decisions
- Peer-review procedures
- Reviewer conduct
- Authorship issues
- Conflicts of interest
- Publication ethics
- Plagiarism or duplicate publication
- Research integrity
- Corrections and retractions
- Publication or administrative matters
2. Complaints
A complaint may be submitted when an author, reviewer, editor, or other stakeholder believes that an aspect of the journal's publishing process has not been handled appropriately.
Complaints should be submitted with sufficient information to allow the editorial team to understand and investigate the concern.
3. Appeals Against Editorial Decisions
Authors may appeal an editorial decision when they believe that:
- A significant factual or scientific issue was misunderstood.
- Relevant information was not properly considered.
- There may have been a procedural error during peer review.
- A conflict of interest may have affected the evaluation.
- The decision appears inconsistent with the manuscript's scientific content.
An appeal should provide a clear explanation of the reason for requesting reconsideration.
4. Appeal Requirements
An appeal should include:
- Manuscript title.
- Manuscript identification or submission information, where available.
- Nature of the appeal.
- Specific reasons for requesting reconsideration.
- Relevant evidence or clarification.
- A clear explanation of any alleged procedural or factual error.
General disagreement with a decision, without substantive justification, may not be sufficient for reconsideration.
5. Review of Appeals
The editorial team will review the appeal to determine whether there is a reasonable basis for reconsideration.
Where appropriate, the journal may:
- Reconsider the original decision.
- Seek additional editorial assessment.
- Request clarification from reviewers.
- Assign an additional independent reviewer.
- Maintain the original decision.
The outcome will depend on the circumstances of the individual case.
6. Reviewer-Related Complaints
Concerns regarding reviewer conduct may be raised with the editorial team.
Examples may include:
- Unprofessional or inappropriate comments.
- Breach of confidentiality.
- Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
- Misuse of confidential manuscript information.
- Comments unrelated to the scientific evaluation of the manuscript.
The journal may investigate such concerns and take appropriate action.
7. Publication Ethics Complaints
Complaints concerning potential publication misconduct may include:
- Plagiarism
- Fabrication or falsification
- Duplicate publication
- Manipulation of research data
- Unethical research
- Authorship disputes
- Undisclosed conflicts of interest
- Misrepresentation of research findings
Such concerns may require investigation and supporting documentation.
8. Confidentiality
Complaints and appeals will be handled with appropriate confidentiality.
Information relating to a complaint should only be shared with individuals who need it for the purpose of evaluating or resolving the matter, subject to applicable legal and ethical requirements.
9. Respectful Communication
All complaints and appeals should be communicated professionally and respectfully.
The journal does not consider abusive, threatening, discriminatory, or defamatory communication appropriate for the complaints process.
10. Complaints About Published Articles
Concerns about an already published article should include sufficient information to identify the article and explain the specific concern.
