Complaints and Appeals Policy

Austronesian: Journal of Language Science & Literature is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics, editorial integrity, transparency, and fairness. The journal provides a clear and impartial procedure for handling complaints and appeals concerning editorial decisions, peer review, publication practices, and publication ethics.


1. Complaints
A complaint is a formal expression of concern regarding the conduct, procedures, or practices of the journal, including matters involving editors, reviewers, editorial staff, the Publisher, or the publication process.
Complaints may be submitted by authors, reviewers, readers, researchers, Editorial Board members, editorial staff, institutions, or other relevant parties who have a legitimate concern. Complaints may concern, but are not limited to:

  • unfair or inappropriate editorial or peer-review practices;
  • delays or administrative problems;
  • breaches of confidentiality;
  • conflicts of interest;
  • inappropriate conduct by editors or reviewers;
  • authorship or contributorship disputes; and
  • other concerns related to the journal's editorial and publication practices.

Complaints should be submitted in writing through email (austronesian.jlsl@gmail.com) as the journal's official contact and should provide sufficient details and supporting evidence where applicable.

Upon receiving a complaint, the journal will:

  1. acknowledge receipt of the complaint;
  2. assess the nature and seriousness of the concern;
  3. investigate the matter fairly and confidentially;
  4. obtain information from relevant parties when necessary;
  5. determine appropriate action based on the findings; and
  6. communicate the outcome or appropriate response to the complainant.

Complaints will be handled without retaliation against the person submitting the complaint in good faith.


2. Appeals Against Editorial Decisions
An appeal is a formal request by an author to reconsider an editorial decision concerning a submitted manuscript. Authors may appeal an editorial decision when they have reasonable grounds to believe that:

  • a significant error occurred during the editorial or peer-review process;
  • relevant evidence or arguments were overlooked or misunderstood;
  • the decision was affected by a conflict of interest, bias, or procedural irregularity; or
  • substantial academic or methodological reasons justify reconsideration.

An appeal should be submitted by the corresponding author in writing through the journal's official email (austronesian.jlsl@gmail.com). The appeal should clearly identify the manuscript and the decision being appealed and provide specific reasons and supporting evidence. Where appropriate, authors should respond point-by-point to the relevant editorial or reviewer comments.

The journal will assess the grounds of the appeal and may assign the manuscript to the same or different reviewers or to another editor who is independent of the original decision.

An appeal does not guarantee acceptance or publication. The purpose of an appeal is to determine whether the original decision should be reconsidered based on valid academic or procedural grounds.


3. Publication Ethics Complaints
Complaints concerning suspected research or publication misconduct will be handled in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics Policy and relevant publication ethics principles.
Such complaints may include, but are not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • fabrication or falsification of data;
  • duplicate or redundant publication;
  • inappropriate or disputed authorship;
  • citation manipulation;
  • peer-review manipulation;
  • image or data manipulation;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest; and
  • other forms of research or publication misconduct.

The journal will assess credible allegations objectively and may request explanations, evidence, or clarification from the authors or other relevant parties. Where necessary, the journal may contact the authors' affiliated institutions, research organizations, funding bodies, or other appropriate authorities to assist with an investigation. Depending on the findings, the journal may take appropriate corrective action, including issuing a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other appropriate editorial notice.


4. Editorial Misconduct
Complaints concerning alleged misconduct by an editor or Editorial Board member will be handled independently to avoid conflicts of interest.
Editorial misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

  • abuse of editorial authority;
  • inappropriate interference in the peer-review process;
  • breach of manuscript confidentiality;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest;
  • misuse of unpublished information;
  • discriminatory or abusive conduct; and
  • manipulation of editorial or publication decisions.

An editor who is the subject of a complaint will not be responsible for investigating or deciding the complaint. The matter will instead be referred to another qualified editor, the Publisher, or an appropriate independent party.


5. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest
The journal will handle complaints, appeals, and related communications confidentially to the extent possible.

  • Information concerning a complaint or appeal will be shared only with individuals who are directly involved in assessing or resolving the matter.
  • All editors, reviewers, Editorial Board members, and other individuals involved in handling a complaint or appeal must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest.
  • Anyone with a conflict of interest must recuse themselves from the relevant process and, where necessary, another qualified individual will be appointed to handle the matter.
  • The journal will protect individuals who raise legitimate concerns in good faith and will not tolerate retaliation, intimidation, or inappropriate pressure related to the submission of a complaint or appeal.


6. Escalation and Final Decision
The journal will make reasonable efforts to resolve complaints and appeals fairly, objectively, and in a timely manner.

  • If a complaint cannot be resolved through the journal's internal procedures, or if it concerns the Editor-in-Chief, the matter may be referred to the Publisher or another appropriate independent authority for further consideration.
  • For appeals, the decision following reconsideration will normally be considered final. An appeal does not constitute a new submission and does not guarantee acceptance or publication.
  • The journal may decline to consider complaints or appeals that are abusive, threatening, repetitive without new evidence, or unrelated to the journal's editorial or publication processes.

The journal will maintain appropriate records of complaints and appeals and may use the outcomes to improve its editorial policies and publication practices while protecting the confidentiality of the parties involved


7. Official contact for complaint/appeal
Complaints and Appeals should be sent via email: austronesian.jlsl@gmail.com

Further sources:
COPE. 2018. Complaints and Appeals. https://publicationethics.org/news-opinion/complaints-and-appeals
COPE. Develop guidelines for promptly responding to suspected ethical breaches by authors, reviewers, and editors. https://publicationethics.org/guidance/guideline/ethics-toolkit-successful-editorial-office/develop-guidelines-responding-suspected-ethical-breaches