Complain Appeals

Jurnal AGRO is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. We follow the guidelines and core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding complaints and appeals. We aim to ensure that all complaints and appeals from authors, reviewers, or third parties are handled in a fair, transparent, and prompt manner.

1. Scope of Complaints

Complaints related to the journal can generally be categorized into:

  • Editorial Handling: Concerns regarding delays in the peer-review process, perceived bias, unprofessional behavior of editors or reviewers, or procedural errors.

  • Publication Ethics Violations: Suspected plagiarism, data fabrication, redundant publication, authorship disputes, or undisclosed conflicts of interest.

  • Appeals against Editorial Decisions: Disagreements with a rejection decision regarding a submitted manuscript.

2. Appeals against Editorial Decisions

Authors have the right to appeal a rejection decision if they believe the decision was made based on a misunderstanding, factual error, or unfair peer review.

  • Procedure: Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief via email at jurnal AGRO contact within 30 days of receiving the notification.

  • Requirements: The appeal letter must provide a detailed point-by-point rebuttal addressing each of the reviewers' and editor's comments, backed by objective evidence or clarifications.

  • Resolution: The Editor-in-Chief will review the appeal, potentially consulting with the handling editor or independent reviewers if necessary. The decision made on the appeal is final. Rejection appeals will not be considered if they merely express disagreement without substantive academic arguments.

3. Complaints Procedure for Ethical or Operational Issues

  • Submission: All complaints regarding ethical breaches or operational flaws should be sent directly to the Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Office. To enable a thorough investigation, complaints must include specific details, concrete evidence, and the complainant's contact information. Anonymous complaints will only be investigated if they contain verifiable and substantial evidence.

  • Investigation Process:

    1. Acknowledgment: The Editorial Office will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 7-14 working days.

    2. Initial Assessment: The Editor-in-Chief will review the complaint. If necessary, the matter will be investigated in accordance with relevant COPE flowcharts (e.g., handling suspected plagiarism, authorship disputes, etc.).

    3. Response and Action: The accused party or author will be given a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations. If a violation is confirmed, appropriate corrective actions will be taken, which may include publishing a correction, issuing a retraction, alerting the author's institution, or revising internal journal procedures.

  • Timelines: We strive to resolve complaints within 4-6 weeks. If a longer investigation period is required, the complainant will be kept informed of the progress.

4. Further Escalation

If a complainant is unsatisfied with the journal's final resolution and believes that COPE guidelines were breached, the case may be escalated directly to COPE for guidance, or the complainant may seek external mediation in accordance with ethical publishing standards.