Editorial Decision Appeals Policy

Authors who wish to appeal the revision or rejection decision for their manuscript may submit a formal appeal. Appeal requests must be made in writing to the journal (authors can find the journal’s email address on the journal’s homepage) with the word “Appeal” and the manuscript reference number in the subject line. Appeals will only be considered for manuscripts that have been peer-reviewed and will not be considered for those rejected outright by the journal editorial team. The appeal must be submitted by the corresponding author of the manuscript. All authors must agree to the submission of the appeal.

Corresponding authors should:

• submit their appeal within 1 month of the date on which the authors receive the editorial decision.

• not submit their manuscript to any other journal or start a transfer process to another journal while their appeal is being considered.

• detail in the appeal letter why they refute the decision and provide point-by-point responses to any of the editors’ and/or reviewers’ comments that may have contributed to the rejection decision, together with supporting evidence. Please note that appeals will not be considered where manuscripts have been rejected because they do not comply with journal publishing policies or where there is a difference of opinion as to the interest, novelty, or suitability of the manuscript for the journal.

• provide supporting evidence if they believe the Editor or Reviewer has made technical errors in their assessment of the manuscript.

• provide supporting evidence if they believe the Editor or the Reviewer may have a conflict of interest or has been biased.

Appeal requests which do not comply with the above requirements will be rejected and not considered by the journal.

The time required for the consideration of an appeal may vary from journal to journal and in accordance with the scientific field, and the complexity of the manuscript and its conclusion, among other reasons.

The corresponding author may withdraw an appeal request by sending an email to the same email address used to submit their appeal with the words “Appeal withdrawal” and the manuscript reference number in the subject line.

The appeal request will be considered by the journal’s Editor-in-Chief or their designated representative (such as members of a journal’s Ethics Committee), or by a member of Elsevier staff depending on the nature of the appeal. Where there is an allegation of a conflict of interest on the part of the Editor, the appeal will be handled by a different member of the editorial board.

The appeal request will be assessed in accordance with the journal’s policies and aims and scope. The journal will notify the corresponding author of the outcome of the appeal.

Should the journal agree to reconsider the manuscript, acceptance is not guaranteed, and the reconsideration process may involve re-review by previous or new reviewers and/or Editors, and substantive revision. Only one appeal per submission will be considered and the appeal decision will be final. The journal is unable to consider appeals in which the subject matter is part of a legal dispute and reserves the right to suspend or discontinue an ongoing appeal in such cases.