Complaints & Appeals

Authors have a right to appeal editorial decisions. However, only those appeals will be considered where the author(s) provide strong evidence or new data that can respond to and alleviate the concerns of the editors and reviewers.

Appeals must be rational arguments not emotional ones so be sure you have enough evidence before trying to change the editor’s mind.

If you do decide to go ahead with an appeal you should:

  • Clearly explain why you disagree with the decision and provide any new information that you would like the editors to take into consideration. This should not be a repetition of what you have included in your original submission or cover letter.
  • If the editors or reviewers have highlighted shortcomings with your paper that you think you can address, please indicate how you would do this, such as providing further data.
  • Include a point-by-point response to any reviewer comments.
  • Provide any evidence to support your opinion when you believe a reviewer has made technical errors in their assessment of your manuscript or has been biased.

Upon receiving an eligible appeal, the editors will mediate all exchanges between authors and peer-reviewers during the review process. Additional peer reviewers can be added if required. After reviewing the appeal, the Editor's decision will be the "Final decision".

Appeals & Complaints process

Pakistan Journal of Psychology will investigate the appeal case in line with the relevant information given by Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). In case of a complaint/appeal, the author may send an email to the editorial office on jrp.psy@lcwu.edu.pk