Complaints and Appeals

The Journal of Medical Sciences (JOMS) takes complaints and appeals seriously and handles them fairly, promptly and confidentially, following the guidance of COPE.

1. Appeals against editorial decisions

Authors may appeal a decision to reject their manuscript if they believe it was based on a factual error, a misunderstanding of the work, or a biased review.

  • The appeal must be submitted by the corresponding author within 30 days of the decision, through the Contact page, addressed to the Editor-in-Chief.
  • The appeal must explain, point by point, why the decision should be reconsidered, with supporting evidence. Disagreement alone, or a request to reconsider without new arguments, is not grounds for appeal.
  • The Editor-in-Chief, or an editor not involved in the original decision, reviews the appeal and may seek the opinion of an additional independent reviewer.
  • The authors are informed of the outcome in writing. Only one appeal is considered per manuscript, and the decision on the appeal is final.
  • The manuscript must not be submitted to another journal while the appeal is under consideration.

2. Complaints

Anyone may make a complaint about the journal's processes, for example about delays, the handling of a manuscript, the conduct of an editor or reviewer, or the content of a published article.

  • Complaints should be sent to the Editorial Office through the Contact page, giving the manuscript or article details and a clear description of the concern.
  • The Editorial Office acknowledges the complaint within 7 days and aims to give a full response within 30 days. If more time is needed, the complainant is kept informed.
  • Complaints about the Editor-in-Chief are referred to the publisher, Sebha University.
  • Complaints about possible research or publication misconduct are investigated following the COPE flowcharts and, where relevant, the Corrections, Retractions and Withdrawals Policy.

3. Confidentiality

All appeals and complaints are handled confidentially. The identity of the person raising a concern is not disclosed without their permission, except where required by law.