Appeals, Complaints & Withdrawal Policies

Appeals

• Authors whose manuscripts are rejected have the right to appeal.
• Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of the decision, with detailed justification.
• Appeals are reviewed by a senior editorial board member not involved in the original decision.
• The outcome of the appeal will be communicated to the author in writing within a reasonable timeframe.
• The decision after review is final.
• Manuscripts that have been formally rejected will not be reconsidered as new submissions unless substantially revised and invited by the Editor.

Complaints

• Complaints may relate to editorial handling, peer review, publication ethics, or suspected misconduct.
• Complaints must be submitted in writing to the editorial office ([email protected]).
• Complaints are reviewed by a designated senior editor who was not part of the original decision.
• PJR follows COPE flowcharts for handling complaints fairly, transparently, and consistently.
• Authors and complainants will receive a written response outlining the outcome.

Withdrawal of Manuscripts

• Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript prior to acceptance, with a written explanation.
• Once a manuscript is accepted or published, withdrawal is not permitted except under extraordinary circumstances such as:
• Proven errors that invalidate the work.
• Ethical violations (e.g., authorship disputes, duplicate submission, research misconduct).
• Requests for withdrawal after acceptance are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and must be supported by all co-authors.
• Unjustified or repeated withdrawal requests may lead to sanctions, including temporary or permanent refusal of future submissions.
• Withdrawal or retraction of published articles will follow COPE Retraction Guidelines, and retraction notices will remain permanently accessible.