Complaint & Misconduct Policy

Complaints and Misconduct Policy

The Jurisocial Journal of International Law welcomes complaints and concerns relating to its editorial processes, published content, and publication practices. The journal regards well-founded complaints as an opportunity to identify shortcomings, improve editorial procedures, and maintain high standards of scholarly publishing.

The journal is committed to handling complaints promptly, fairly, transparently, and confidentially, while ensuring that complainants are treated respectfully and without prejudice.

What Constitutes a Complaint?

For the purposes of this policy, a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction concerning an action, decision, procedure, or conduct for which the Jurisocial Journal of International Law has editorial or publishing responsibility.

A complaint may relate, for example, to:

  • Unreasonable or unexplained delays in the editorial or peer-review process;

  • Concerns regarding editorial conduct or communication;

  • Alleged failures to follow the journal's published policies or procedures;

  • Concerns regarding the handling of manuscripts, peer review, or publication decisions;

  • Alleged errors or serious problems in published content; or

  • Other substantial concerns relating to the journal's editorial or publishing processes.

A disagreement with an editorial decision does not, by itself, constitute a complaint. However, concerns that an editorial decision resulted from a significant procedural failure, conflict of interest, inappropriate conduct, or serious misjudgment may be raised through the complaints process.

Submission and Handling of Complaints

Complaints should be submitted in writing to the journal's editorial office through the official contact details provided on the journal's website. Where appropriate, the complaint should include sufficient information and supporting evidence to enable the journal to understand and investigate the matter.

The journal follows the following procedure:

  1. Acknowledgement: Complaints will be acknowledged as soon as reasonably practicable.

  2. Initial Review: The complaint will initially be reviewed by an appropriate member of the editorial team.

  3. Investigation: Where necessary, the journal will examine relevant records, correspondence, editorial decisions, peer-review reports, and other available evidence.

  4. Escalation: Where the matter cannot appropriately be resolved by the initial recipient, it will be referred to the Editor-in-Chief or another appropriate senior editorial authority.

  5. Response: The journal will provide a substantive response as soon as reasonably practicable. Where a final response cannot be provided within two weeks, an interim response will be issued explaining the status of the matter and, where possible, the expected next steps.

  6. Further Review: Where appropriate, unresolved complaints may be escalated to the Editor-in-Chief or an independent or institutional authority where the circumstances require external consideration.

The journal will seek to ensure that complaints are handled objectively and without retaliation against any individual who raises a concern in good faith.

Research and Publication Misconduct

The Jurisocial Journal of International Law is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and expects authors, reviewers, editors, and other contributors to comply with recognized standards of research and publication ethics.

Allegations of research or publication misconduct may include, but are not limited to:

  • Plagiarism or substantial unattributed copying;

  • Fabrication or falsification of research data or findings;

  • Duplicate or redundant publication;

  • Manipulation of citations or references;

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest;

  • Improper authorship or unauthorized changes to authorship;

  • Peer-review manipulation or interference;

  • Submission of materially misleading information;

  • Ethical violations involving research participants or sources; or

  • Other practices that may compromise the reliability, integrity, or attribution of published research.

Concerns regarding suspected misconduct should be submitted to the journal's editorial office with as much supporting evidence as reasonably available. Allegations will be assessed carefully and investigated in accordance with the journal's publication-ethics procedures and applicable international standards, including relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Where appropriate, the journal may seek information or assistance from an author's affiliated institution, research organization, funding body, or other relevant authority.

Depending on the findings of an investigation, the journal may take appropriate action, including rejection of a manuscript, publication of a correction or erratum, issuance of an Expression of Concern, retraction of a published article, notification of the relevant institution, or other measures necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

The journal will maintain