Policy on Appeals against Rejection
National Journal of Health Sciences (NJHS) is committed to a fair and transparent peer-review process. While editorial decisions regarding the rejection of a manuscript are generally final, we recognize that errors in judgment or misunderstandings of specific data can occur.
In alignment with the guidelines established by the ICMJE, COPE, and WAME, NJHS has established the following procedure for authors who wish to appeal a rejection decision.
1.Grounds for Appeal
- Authors may submit an appeal if they believe the rejection was based on:
- A significant technical error or factual mistake in the review process.
- A fundamental misunderstanding of the manuscript’s scientific content or methodology by the reviewers or editors.
- Clear evidence of bias or a conflict of interest during the peer review.
Please note: Appeals based solely on the author’s disagreement with the novelty of the work, or the subjective opinion of the reviewers, are unlikely to be successful. Appeals demanding re-review without providing evidence of substantive errors will be declined.
2.Submission of an Appeal
If you believe your article was rejected in error, you may submit a formal appeal. The following strict criteria apply:
Deadline: The appeal must be submitted to the Editorial Office within Two weeks (14 days) of the date of the rejection letter. Appeals received after this timeframe will not be considered.
Format: The appeal must take the form of a formal rebuttal letter. This letter must provide a detailed, point-by-point explanation of how the rejection decision was based on errors or misunderstandings.
Supplementary Material: Authors are encouraged to include necessary supplementary material or data that clarifies the points raised in the rebuttal.
Method: Appeals should be sent via email to the Editorial Office with the subject line: “Appeal: Manuscript ID with (Corresponding Author Name)“.
3.The Appeal Review Process
Upon receipt of an appeal, the Editorial Office will follow this workflow:
Initial Assessment: The Editor-in-Chief (or a designated Associate Editor not involved in the original decision) will review the rebuttal letter and the original peer review reports.
Decision to Re-review: If the appeal has merit, the editor may choose to send the manuscript and the rebuttal to the original reviewers or invite new reviewers. However, an appeal does not guarantee a new round of peer review.
Priority: Please be aware that new submissions take priority over appeals; therefore, the review of an appeal may take longer than the standard review process.
4.Final Decision
If the appeal is successful, the manuscript may be reactivated for further review.
If the appeal is rejected, the original decision to reject the manuscript stands.
Limit: The journal accepts only one appeal for any specific article. The decision made following the appeal process is final and cannot be contested further.
Alignment with Ethical Standards
This policy has been drafted in accordance with COPE Core Practices regarding post-publication discussions and corrections, and ICMJE recommendations regarding editorial freedom and responsibility.
