APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS
Complaints handling procedure
Complaints and concerns regarding any aspect of being published in Journal of Ophthalmology (Ukraine) will only be accepted within 12 months from the first publication date.
If any, the authors are required to submit their complaints along with their reasons to the editorial office via tou.org@ukr.net
The issue will be acknowledged within 5 business days.
We will then lead the investigation following COPE guidelines and recommendations (https://publicationethics.org/appeals ).
The investigation will establish whether the correct procedures have been followed.
We will review the submission history and any correspondence between the author, editor and reviewers.
We may also contact the parties involved to obtain further information where necessary.
Journal of Ophthalmology (Ukraine) aims to resolve issues as quickly as possible.
The final decision will be acknowledged to the author in writing.
When processing the complain, we will try to treat all parties involved in a complaint fairly and confidentially and avoid bias and conflicts of interest.
If the author wishes to pursue their complaint further, they may contact COPE directly. Information can be found on the COPE website: Facilitation and Integrity Subcommittee | COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics
Appealing the Editorial Decision
If the author believes the decision to reject the submission was due to a misunderstanding or was not in accordance with journal policy and procedures, the author may appeal the decision by sending the editor a comprehensive detailed response to the issues raised in the rejection letter.
If any, the authors are required to submit their complaints along with their reasons to the editorial office via tou.org@ukr.net
The Editor-in-chief and Editors will consider the appeal and will review the peer review process undertaken for the submission. If the decision was made in line with editorial criteria, the Editor’s decision to reject is final.
Complaints about our Publications
All concerns raised on our published content are investigated confidentially and in accordance with COPE guidelines regardless of their status or identity.
If any, the authors are required to submit their complaints along with their reasons to the editorial office via tou.org@ukr.net
In many instances, an internal review will be carried out to determine if a full investigation is required.
All investigations into our published content will be undertaken in collaboration with the author and the Editors.
In many cases, it may be necessary for us to contact third parties such as independent experts, author institutions or their funding bodies which will be carried out.
Appealing Corrective Action taken Post Publication
If any, the authors are required to submit their complaints along with their reasons to the editorial office via tou.org@ukr.net
If concerns are raised on a published article, the Editor-in-chief and Editors, in line with guidance published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including COPE’s retraction guidelines, will decide on the retraction of the published article, other corrective actions, or notices on the published article.
The authors can appeal this decision if new evidence impacting the underlying decision comes to light prior to the specified deadline for comment.
Appeals will be considered by the Editorial Board and/or external scientific advisors.
Decisions on retraction and expression of concern appeals are final.
Allegations of Research Misconduct
Authors are required to follow the journal’s author instructions and ethical policies carefully to avoid any misconduct issues.
If you would like to report any misconduct for an article published in our journal, please submit it with details via: tou.org@ukr.net.
The complainant needs to clearly indicate the specific manner and detail of misconduct.
The issue will be acknowledged within 5 business days.
We will then lead the investigation following COPE guidelines during which time the Editors of the journal and the corresponding author(s) of the suspected article will be in contact.
If the misconduct has been confirmed, the Editorial office will act depending on the situation.
If the article has been published, the article will be retracted.
If the misconduct is reported during the review process, the review process may continue, with the author(s) making the relevant changes.
In the case of non-response in the stipulated time or an unsatisfactory explanation, the article is retracted or rejected.
Before making a decision, confirmation will be sought from the experts of the relevant institution or other authorities as required.
The final decision will be acknowledged to the author in writing.
The Committee on Publication Ethics, COPE has described in detail the procedures for reviewing allegations of research misconduct and has developed flowcharts for resolving these issues. The Journal of Ophthalmology will use these procedures when considering complaints and appeals (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Flowcharts )
