Complaints Policy

Complaints Policy of Diyala Journal of Engineering Sciences

This policy describes the procedures followed by Diyala Journal of Engineering Sciences (DJES) for receiving, reviewing, and responding to complaints submitted by authors, reviewers, readers, or other concerned parties. DJES welcomes legitimate complaints and makes every reasonable effort to address them fairly, transparently, confidentially, and in a timely manner. Authors, reviewers, and readers are encouraged to read the journal’s instructions for authors, editorial policies, and publication ethics policies carefully before submitting a complaint, as many common questions may already be answered on the journal website.

Understanding of Complaints

A complaint is understood as any expression of dissatisfaction regarding the journal’s publication process, editorial procedures, editorial policies, editorial decisions, publication ethics, or the conduct of any party involved in the submission, review, editing, or publication process.

Complaints may include, but are not limited to:

  • Delays in editorial processing, peer review, or publication.
  • Concerns regarding communication with authors, reviewers, or readers.
  • Concerns about editorial decisions or the handling of a manuscript.
  • Concerns about inappropriate, unclear, or unprofessional responses.
  • Concerns about possible misjudgment, bias, or procedural irregularities.
  • Concerns related to plagiarism, duplicate publication, data integrity, conflicts of interest, or research misconduct.

Types of Complaints Considered by DJES

Diyala Journal of Engineering Sciences considers complaints related to, but not limited to, the following matters:

  • Complaints from authors, reviewers, readers, or other concerned parties.
  • Allegations of plagiarism, text recycling, duplicate publication, or simultaneous submission to multiple journals.
  • Allegations of fabrication, falsification, inappropriate data manipulation, or misrepresentation of research findings.
  • Misappropriation of research results, ideas, data, figures, or other scholarly material.
  • Violations of research ethics, publication ethics, or journal editorial policies.
  • Concerns regarding conflicts of interest.
  • Concerns regarding biased, inappropriate, or unprofessional reviewer behavior.
  • Concerns regarding editorial procedures, peer-review procedures, or publication decisions.
  • Concerns regarding errors, inaccuracies, or misleading information in published articles.

Editorial Complaints Policy

The Editor-in-Chief, editorial team, and journal staff will take appropriate and prompt action on every legitimate complaint, regardless of whether it is submitted by an author, reviewer, reader, or other stakeholder. The journal will make reasonable efforts to investigate the matter carefully and provide a clear response to the complainant where appropriate.

DJES distinguishes between formal complaints and constructive criticism. Constructive comments are welcomed and may be used to improve the journal’s editorial, peer-review, and publication processes. However, abusive, defamatory, threatening, or unsupported allegations may not be considered as formal complaints unless they are accompanied by relevant evidence or documentation.

Policy for Handling Complaints

If the journal receives a complaint concerning possible infringement of intellectual property rights, plagiarism, inaccuracies, unlawful material, research misconduct, ethical concerns, conflicts of interest, or procedural irregularities, the complaint will be reviewed carefully by the Editor-in-Chief and/or the relevant editorial body.

The journal will investigate the matter according to its editorial policies, publication ethics procedures, and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), where applicable. Depending on the nature and seriousness of the complaint, DJES may request clarification, supporting documents, or additional evidence from the complainant, the author(s), reviewer(s), editor(s), or other parties involved.

Where necessary, the Editor-in-Chief may consult the Editorial Board, an independent senior editor, or an appropriate committee before reaching a decision. If the complaint relates to a published article and the concern is confirmed, the journal may issue a correction, clarification, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the nature and severity of the case and in accordance with the journal’s correction and retraction policies.

DJES makes every effort to improve the quality, integrity, and transparency of its editorial and publication processes and to minimize errors. However, the journal acknowledges that occasional mistakes may occur and is committed to correcting them through appropriate editorial procedures.

Guiding Principles

DJES handles complaints according to the following guiding principles:

  • Complaints are treated seriously, fairly, and respectfully.
  • Complaints should be supported by clear information and, where possible, relevant evidence.
  • Complaints are handled confidentially to the extent reasonably possible.
  • All parties involved in a complaint are expected to act professionally and in good faith.
  • Individuals with a conflict of interest will not participate in handling or deciding the complaint.
  • Editorial decisions will not be changed unless there is clear evidence of procedural error, bias, ethical concern, or a substantial mistake affecting the decision.
  • The journal will preserve the integrity of the scholarly record and will not silently remove or alter published material without an appropriate editorial notice where required.

The journal aims to respond to complaints within two to three weeks. In complex cases requiring further investigation, additional time may be needed, and the complainant will be informed where appropriate.

If a complaint involves a dispute between parties, including concerns related to intellectual property, research integrity, publication ethics, or conflicts of interest, the journal may request clarification or documentation from the parties involved and may consult the Editorial Board or an appropriate committee before reaching a final decision.

How to Make a Complaint

Complaints should be submitted in writing. General complaints should be sent through the official journal email: [email protected].

The complaint should clearly state the nature of the concern, provide sufficient details, identify the manuscript or published article involved where applicable, and include any supporting documents or evidence. The complainant should also provide their name, affiliation where applicable, and contact information so that the journal can communicate with the complainant and follow up on the matter where necessary. Complaints will be handled confidentially, fairly, and in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies and publication ethics standards.

If a complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief, or if the complainant believes that the Editor-in-Chief has a potential conflict of interest, the complaint should be sent directly to the Journal Manager through the following official institutional email: [email protected]. The subject line should clearly indicate: “Complaint involving the Editor-in-Chief.” The Journal Manager will refer such complaints to the Editorial Board for independent handling. The Editorial Board may assign a senior editor or designate an appropriate committee to review the complaint and recommend the necessary action. Any person with a conflict of interest, including the Editor-in-Chief, will not participate in handling, reviewing, discussing, or deciding such complaints.

Complaints should be submitted as soon as possible after the complainant becomes aware of the concern. Delayed complaints may still be considered where the issue involves serious ethical concerns, research misconduct, publication integrity, or correction of the scholarly record.