General Policy

Journal of Sport and Exercise Studies is committed to fair, transparent, and responsible editorial practice. The journal recognizes that authors, reviewers, readers, research participants, institutions, or other parties may raise complaints or appeals regarding editorial decisions, peer review, publication ethics, published content, or journal procedures.

All complaints and appeals will be considered carefully, respectfully, and in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies, publication ethics standards, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

Scope of Complaints and Appeals

Editorial Decision Appeals

Authors may appeal an editorial decision if they believe that the decision was based on a factual error, misunderstanding, procedural irregularity, conflict of interest, or substantial misinterpretation of the manuscript.

An appeal should include:

• The manuscript title and submission identification information;
• A clear explanation of the reason for appeal;
• Specific points where the author believes an error or misunderstanding occurred;
• Relevant evidence or documentation supporting the appeal;
• A respectful and evidence-based response to editor or reviewer concerns.

Appeals should not be used simply to disagree with a negative decision. The journal will not normally reconsider a decision unless the appeal presents substantive reasons for review.

Grounds for Appeal

Valid grounds for appeal may include:

• Evidence that the manuscript was misunderstood in a material way;
• Evidence that a reviewer or editor had an undisclosed conflict of interest;
• Evidence that the review process involved a procedural error;
• Evidence that the decision relied on factually incorrect assumptions;
• Evidence that relevant ethical or methodological information was overlooked;
• Concerns that reviewer comments included inappropriate, discriminatory, or unprofessional content.

Appeals based only on the author’s preference for a different outcome, without substantive evidence, are unlikely to result in reconsideration.

Appeal Review Procedure

Appeals will be reviewed by the Editorial Office, handling editor, Editor-in-Chief, or another qualified editor who was not directly involved in the original decision where appropriate. The journal may consult reviewer reports, editorial records, additional editors, or independent experts before reaching a conclusion.

Possible outcomes of an appeal include:

• The original editorial decision is upheld;
• The manuscript is returned for additional editorial assessment;
• The manuscript is sent for additional peer review;
• The authors are invited to submit a revised manuscript;
• The journal takes corrective action if a procedural or ethical problem is confirmed.

Submission of an appeal does not guarantee reversal of an editorial decision.

Complaints About the Peer Review Process

Complaints about the peer review process may involve concerns about reviewer conduct, review quality, confidentiality, conflict of interest, inappropriate comments, excessive delays, or procedural fairness.

When such a complaint is received, the journal may:

• Review the editorial history and reviewer reports;
• Assess whether the reviewer comments were professional, relevant, and evidence-based;
• Check whether any conflict of interest may have affected the review process;
• Request clarification from the handling editor or reviewer where appropriate;
• Seek an additional independent review if necessary;
• Take corrective action where a procedural or ethical problem is confirmed.

Publication Ethics Complaints

Complaints concerning publication ethics may be raised before or after publication. These may involve concerns about plagiarism, duplicate publication, authorship, data reliability, image manipulation, ethical approval, participant consent, conflicts of interest, AI use, or research misconduct.

The Editorial Office may request additional information from authors, reviewers, editors, complainants, institutions, ethics committees, research integrity offices, or other relevant parties. The journal may also request original data, ethics approval documents, consent records, permissions, analysis files, or other supporting materials where necessary.

Depending on the outcome, the journal may reject a manuscript, request revision, publish a correction, issue an expression of concern, retract an article, or take other appropriate action.

Post-Publication Complaints

Readers, authors, institutions, research participants, or other parties may raise concerns about published articles. Concerns should be specific, evidence-based, and supported by relevant documentation where possible.

Post-publication complaints may lead to:

• Author clarification;
• Editorial note;
• Correction;
• Expression of concern;
• Retraction;
• Article update or metadata correction;
• No further action where the concern is unsupported or resolved.

The journal will seek to preserve the integrity and transparency of the scholarly record while treating all parties fairly.

Administrative Complaints

Administrative complaints may concern communication delays, website information, submission handling, production issues, proofing, APC processing, metadata, indexing records, or other non-editorial matters.

The Editorial Office will review administrative complaints and seek to resolve them in a practical and timely manner. Where the issue involves editorial judgment or publication ethics, it may be referred to the appropriate editor or editorial leadership.

How to Submit a Complaint or Appeal

Complaints and appeals should be submitted in writing to the Editorial Office. The submission should provide enough information for the journal to understand and assess the issue.

A complaint or appeal should normally include:

• The name and contact information of the person submitting the complaint or appeal;
• The manuscript title, article title, DOI, or submission identification information, where applicable;
• A clear description of the concern;
• Relevant dates, correspondence, documents, or supporting evidence;
• The specific outcome or remedy being requested, where applicable.

Review and Response Timeline

The Editorial Office will normally acknowledge receipt of a complaint or appeal within 7 working days. The time required for full assessment may vary depending on the complexity of the issue, the availability of documentation, the need to consult editors or reviewers, and whether external institutions or ethics bodies are involved.

Where possible, the journal aims to provide an initial response or update within 30 days. Complex publication ethics cases, post-publication investigations, or cases requiring institutional input may take longer.

If additional time is required, the Editorial Office may provide an update explaining that the matter remains under review.

Fairness, Confidentiality, and Non-Retaliation

Complaints and appeals will be handled as confidentially as reasonably possible. Information will be shared only with individuals who need to be involved in assessing or resolving the matter.

The journal will not penalize authors, reviewers, readers, or other parties for raising a complaint or appeal in good faith. However, complaints that are abusive, knowingly false, malicious, harassing, or unsupported by any reasonable basis may be dismissed.

All parties are expected to communicate respectfully and provide accurate information during the complaint or appeal process.

Limits of Appeals

The appeal process is intended to address substantive procedural, factual, ethical, or editorial concerns. It is not intended to provide repeated reconsideration of the same decision without new information.

Once an appeal has been reviewed and a final response has been issued, the journal may decline further appeals on the same matter unless new and relevant evidence is provided.

Final Decision

Final decisions on complaints and appeals are made by the appropriate editorial authority, which may include the handling editor, Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Office, or other designated editorial leadership depending on the nature of the case.

The journal’s final response will normally explain the outcome and, where appropriate, the reason for the decision or the action taken.

Complaints and Appeals Summary

Who may submit: Authors, reviewers, readers, institutions, research participants, or other relevant parties.

What may be raised: Editorial decisions, peer review concerns, ethics issues, post-publication concerns, or administrative matters.

Acknowledgement: Normally within 7 working days.

Initial response: Normally within 30 days where possible.

Principle: Complaints and appeals are handled fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with publication ethics and editorial independence.