Complaints & Appeals Policy

Pedagogical Perspective (PedPer) (eISSN: 2822-4841) is committed to handling complaints and appeals fairly, confidentially, and transparently, in line with the journal’s ethical standards and COPE-oriented best practices. This policy covers complaints about the journal’s editorial processes and published content, as well as appeals against editorial decisions.

1) Scope

This policy applies to:

  • Appeals against editorial decisions (e.g., rejection decisions after peer review), and
  • Complaints related to:
    • publication ethics and research integrity concerns,
    • the peer review process,
    • editorial conduct or conflicts of interest,
    • publication errors or post-publication issues.

2) Time Limits

  • Appeals of editorial decisions: Authors should submit appeals as soon as possible after the decision and include a clear rationale and evidence.
  • Complaints about published articles: PedPer accepts complaints up to 12 months from the date of first publication. In exceptional cases involving serious ethical concerns, PedPer may consider complaints beyond this period.

3) How to Submit a Complaint or Appeal

Requests should be emailed to the Editorial Office at: info@pedagogicalperspective.com

Please include:

  • manuscript/article title and URL (or submission ID),
  • a clear description of the issue,
  • supporting evidence (documents, references, screenshots, similarity excerpts, etc.),
  • whether the request is an appeal (decision-related) or a complaint (process/content-related),
  • any relevant information about potential conflicts of interest.

4) Assessment and Handling

PedPer will:

  1. Acknowledge receipt of the request (where contact details are available),
  2. conduct an initial review for completeness and relevance,
  3. assign the case to an appropriate decision-maker:
    • The Editor-in-Chief (EIC) oversees complaints and appeals as a general rule, and
    • If the complaint/appeal involves the EIC, a handling editor, a guest editor, or any conflict of interest, the case will be assigned to an independent editor or an appropriate committee.
  1. request clarification or additional evidence when needed.

5) Possible Outcomes

Depending on the case, PedPer may:

  • confirm the original editorial decision (appeal not upheld),
  • initiate additional editorial assessment or re-review (where justified),
  • correct publication errors,
  • publish a Correction, Expression of Concern, or Retraction when warranted,
  • refer serious misconduct allegations to the authors’ institution(s) or relevant bodies, where appropriate.

6) Fairness, Confidentiality, and Non-Retaliation

  • All complaints and appeals are handled respectfully and confidentially, shared only on a need-to-know basis.
  • PedPer aims to ensure fairness to all parties and will not tolerate retaliatory or abusive communications.
  • Decisions are based on evidence and the integrity of the scholarly record.

7) Response Time

PedPer aims to provide a decision or formal response within a reasonable timeframe, depending on the complexity of the case and the need for external input (e.g., institutional investigations or independent expert review).

Related Policies: Publication Ethics & Malpractice • Handling Allegations of Misconduct Policy • Corrections, Retractions & Expressions of Concern Policy • Peer Review Policy • Conflict of Interest Statement

Contact

All complaints and appeals should be sent to: info@pedagogicalperspective.com