Complaints and Appeals

Journal of Language Education and Literacy (JLEL) is committed to maintaining a fair, transparent, professional, and accountable editorial and publication process. Authors, reviewers, readers, and other stakeholders may raise concerns regarding the journal's editorial procedures, publication process, ethical matters, or published content.

JLEL considers complaints and appeals seriously and seeks to address them objectively, fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with the journal's policies and recognized principles of publication ethics.

Editorial Appeals

Authors may appeal an editorial decision when they believe that the decision was based on a significant misunderstanding of the manuscript, an error in the review or editorial process, or a substantial factual, scholarly, ethical, or procedural issue.

An appeal should:

  • Identify the manuscript title and submission ID;

  • Clearly state the editorial decision being appealed;

  • Explain the specific grounds for the appeal;

  • Address the relevant comments or concerns raised by the editor or reviewers; and

  • Provide supporting information or evidence where appropriate.

Appeals should focus on substantive scholarly, ethical, or procedural issues. Disagreement with an editorial decision alone does not constitute sufficient grounds for an appeal.

The appeal should normally be submitted by the corresponding author. Repeated appeals concerning the same editorial decision will normally not be considered unless substantial new information or evidence is provided.

Appeal Review Process

Upon receiving an appeal, the Editor-in-Chief or an authorized handling editor will conduct an initial assessment of the issues raised.

Where necessary, the journal may consult members of the Editorial Board, the original reviewers, additional independent reviewers, or other appropriate experts. An editor who has a relevant conflict of interest must not be responsible for determining the outcome of the appeal.

The appeal process may result in:

  • Confirmation of the original editorial decision;

  • Reconsideration of the manuscript;

  • Additional or independent peer review; or

  • Another editorial action considered appropriate based on the circumstances.

An appeal does not automatically result in reversal of the original editorial decision or acceptance of the manuscript.

The journal will communicate the outcome of the appeal to the corresponding author after the assessment has been completed.

Complaints

JLEL considers legitimate complaints concerning its editorial and publication activities. Complaints may relate to matters including:

  • Editorial procedures or handling of a manuscript;

  • Peer-review procedures;

  • Unreasonable delays in the editorial process;

  • Publication ethics or research integrity;

  • Authorship or contributorship concerns;

  • Conflicts of interest;

  • Suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other forms of publication misconduct;

  • Errors or ethical concerns involving published articles;

  • Editorial or reviewer conduct; or

  • Other matters directly related to the journal's policies and publishing activities.

Complaints should clearly describe the issue and include sufficient information and supporting documentation to enable an appropriate assessment.

Handling of Complaints

Complaints will be reviewed objectively, fairly, and, where appropriate, confidentially.

The journal will first determine the nature and scope of the complaint. Depending on the issue, the matter may be referred to the Editor-in-Chief, an authorized handling editor, an appropriate member of the Editorial Board, the publisher, or another appropriate authority.

Individuals who are directly involved in a complaint or who have a relevant conflict of interest must not be responsible for making the final determination concerning that complaint.

Where allegations involve potential research or publication misconduct, JLEL may request additional information from relevant parties and take appropriate editorial action in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement and other applicable policies.

Complaints Concerning the Editor-in-Chief

If a complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief, the matter must be referred to the journal's publisher or an authorized institutional representative of the Language Education and Literacy Research Group (LELRG), under the auspices of the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), Universitas Negeri Padang, so that the complaint can be considered independently of the Editor-in-Chief.

The Editor-in-Chief must not participate in the assessment or determination of a complaint concerning their own conduct or decisions.

Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest

JLEL will handle complaints and appeals with appropriate confidentiality. Information will be shared only with individuals whose involvement is necessary for assessing or resolving the matter, subject to applicable ethical and legal requirements.

Editors or other individuals involved in handling a complaint or appeal must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and, where appropriate, recuse themselves from the process.

Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent reasonably possible while allowing the journal to conduct a fair and appropriate assessment.

Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

Where a complaint or appeal involves publication ethics, research integrity, corrections, retractions, authorship disputes, conflicts of interest, or suspected misconduct, JLEL will consider the matter in accordance with its Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Where appropriate, the journal may contact authors, reviewers, institutions, research-integrity offices, or other relevant parties to obtain information necessary to assess the matter.

Submitting a Complaint or Appeal

Complaints and appeals should be submitted to the JLEL Editorial Office through the journal's official contact channel.

The submission should include, where applicable:

  • The name and contact information of the person submitting the complaint or appeal;

  • The manuscript title and submission ID or DOI of the published article;

  • A clear description of the issue;

  • The grounds for the complaint or appeal; and

  • Relevant supporting documentation or evidence.

Official contact information is available on the Contact page of the Journal of Language Education and Literacy (JLEL).

JLEL is committed to considering complaints and appeals fairly, independently, and in a timely manner and to taking appropriate action when substantive editorial, procedural, scholarly, or ethical concerns are established.