JAMBD provides a fair, transparent, and conflict-aware process for complaints and appeals concerning editorial and publication matters.
1. Scope
JAMBD accepts good-faith complaints and appeals concerning editorial decisions, peer review, publication ethics, journal policies, staff conduct, published content, procedural fairness, or other journal matters.
2. Editorial Appeals
An author may appeal when there is a specific reason to believe that a material error, misunderstanding, procedural failure, or overlooked evidence affected the decision. An appeal is not a second review simply because an author disagrees with reviewers.
3. How to Submit
A complaint or appeal should be sent through the official journal contact channel, identify the manuscript/article, explain the issue concisely, provide relevant evidence, and state the resolution requested.
4. Initial Handling
The Editor-in-Chief or a designated independent editor assesses the matter. A person directly involved in the disputed decision or with a competing interest should not adjudicate it.
5. Review of an Appeal
The journal may review the editorial record, reviewer reports, author responses, policy, and independent expert advice. The outcome may confirm the decision, modify it, request further review, or take another appropriate action.
6. Complaints About the Editor-in-Chief
Where the complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief or cannot be handled independently within the journal, it should be escalated to an appropriate independent representative of the publisher or institution.
7. Research-Integrity Complaints
Allegations of plagiarism, fabrication, unethical research, authorship abuse, peer-review manipulation, or other misconduct are handled under the Research Misconduct policy.
8. Abusive or Bad-Faith Communications
JAMBD may decline threatening, discriminatory, repetitive, or clearly abusive communications. Legitimate criticism and whistleblowing are not rejected merely because they are uncomfortable or critical.
9. Outcome and Record
The journal communicates the outcome and, where appropriate, reasons. Formal post-publication actions are documented publicly.
Policy Commitment
JAMBD applies this policy consistently to protect editorial independence, research integrity, transparency, and the reliability of the scholarly record.
