Complaints and Appeals

"Research Focus" International Scientific Journal handles complaints and appeals in accordance with COPE guidance. Authors, reviewers, readers and other interested parties may use this procedure.

What can be raised

A complaint may concern the handling of a manuscript, delays, the conduct of editors or reviewers, suspected research or publication misconduct, or the content of a published article. An appeal concerns an editorial decision on a manuscript.

How to submit

Send a written complaint or appeal to ReFocusJournal@gmail.com. Include the title of the manuscript or article, its ID or DOI where available, a clear description of the issue and any supporting evidence. Anonymous complaints about possible misconduct are also considered if they contain sufficient evidence.

Procedure

The editorial office acknowledges receipt within 5 working days. The complaint or appeal is examined by the Editor-in-Chief or, if the Editor-in-Chief is involved, by another editor with no conflict of interest. Where needed, additional independent reviewers are consulted. The outcome is communicated in writing to the person who raised the matter. The journal aims to complete the process within 30 days.

Appeals against editorial decisions

An appeal should explain why the decision is considered wrong, for example by pointing to a factual error in the review. Disagreement with the reviewers' opinion alone is not a sufficient reason. Each manuscript may be appealed once, and the decision taken on appeal is final.

Complaints about the Editor-in-Chief

Complaints concerning the Editor-in-Chief are addressed to the publisher, LLC "Ilm-fan va innovatsiyalar akademiyasi", at the same e-mail address with the subject line "For the publisher".