Complaints and Appeals Policy

Pedagonal: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan is dedicated to maintaining procedural fairness, integrity, and transparency across all editorial decisions. In alignment with the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the journal provides clear, objective procedures for managing appeals against editorial decisions as well as formal complaints concerning editorial conduct or operational processes.

1. Appeals Against Editorial Decisions Authors possess the right to appeal an editorial decision (such as manuscript rejection) if they believe the decision was influenced by a factual misunderstanding, technical oversight, or documented reviewer bias. Simple dissatisfaction with an editorial judgment or unaddressed reviewer critiques does not constitute valid grounds for appeal.

  • Valid Grounds for Appeal:

    • Clear demonstration that a reviewer or editor made an objective factual or mathematical error regarding the manuscript's contents.

    • Direct evidence of an undisclosed conflict of interest or demonstrable bias by a reviewer or handling editor.

    • Substantial new technical data or methodological validation that directly refutes the primary reason for rejection.

  • Appeal Submission Procedure:

    • Appeals must be submitted by the corresponding author within 14 calendar days of receiving the decision letter.

    • The appeal must be emailed to the Editor-in-Chief at [email protected] with the subject line: "Editorial Appeal: [Manuscript ID] - [Manuscript Title]".

    • The submission must include a detailed, point-by-point rebuttal letter explaining the technical or factual basis of the appeal, accompanied by supporting academic evidence.

  • Review of Appeals:

    • The Editor-in-Chief reviews the appeal alongside the original manuscript, peer-review reports, and editorial remarks.

    • If deemed warranted, the manuscript will be assigned to an independent Section Editor or a new external reviewer for a fresh evaluation.

    • The final ruling following an appeal review is definitive; only one appeal is permitted per manuscript.

2. Complaints Regarding Editorial Processes or Conduct Complaints may be submitted by authors, reviewers, readers, or the general public regarding failures in editorial process, unreasonable publication delays, discourteous communication, or breaches of publication ethics.

  • Scope of Complaints:

    • Procedural failures (e.g., unexplained, excessive delays exceeding standard review timelines).

    • Breaches of confidentiality during peer review.

    • Allegations of misconduct, financial conflict, or unethical behavior by editors, reviewers, or editorial staff.

  • Complaint Submission Procedure:

    • All complaints must be submitted in writing via email to [email protected].

    • The complaint should state the specific nature of the grievance, identify the individuals involved, provide chronological documentation/correspondence, and suggest a constructive resolution.

  • Investigation and Escalation Framework:

    • Acknowledgement: The Editorial Office will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 3 to 5 working days.

    • Initial Investigation: The Editor-in-Chief (or a designated senior editor with no conflict of interest) investigates the grievance impartially.

    • Resolution Timeline: The complainant will receive a formal written outcome and resolution within 30 working days.

    • Escalation Mechanism: If the complaint directly involves the Editor-in-Chief, or if the complainant remains unsatisfied with the resolution, the grievance will be escalated to the Editorial Advisory Board and the Dean / Leadership of Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan Unit E-Journal Universitas Pakuan as the institutional governing publisher.

3. Commitment to Non-Retaliation and Continuous Improvement Pedagonal strictly ensures that filing an appeal or complaint will not result in prejudice or negative repercussions for the authors' current or future submissions. All complaints are treated confidentially and utilized constructively by the editorial board to refine journal workflows and governance.