Complaints and Appeals Policy

1. General Principles

Al Fiddhoh: Journal of Banking, Insurance, and Finance is committed to maintaining fairness, transparency, accountability, and integrity throughout the scholarly publishing process. The journal provides a formal mechanism for authors, reviewers, readers, and other relevant parties to submit complaints or appeals concerning its editorial practices, publication procedures, and ethical standards.

All complaints and appeals will be handled objectively, confidentially, and within a reasonable timeframe. The journal will assess each case based on the available evidence, relevant editorial policies, and recognized principles of publication ethics.

No individual shall be subjected to unfair treatment or retaliation for submitting a complaint or appeal in good faith.

2. Scope of Complaints

Complaints may concern, but are not limited to:

• Delays or irregularities in manuscript handling and editorial processing.

• Alleged breaches of publication ethics or research integrity.

• Potential conflicts of interest involving authors, reviewers, or editors.

• Concerns regarding the fairness or conduct of the peer-review process.

• Alleged plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, or other research misconduct.

• Authorship disputes or unauthorized changes to authorship.

• Inappropriate communication or unprofessional conduct by journal representatives.

• Alleged violations of the journal's published policies.

• Concerns regarding corrections, retractions, or other post-publication actions.

Complaints must be submitted in good faith and should include sufficient information to enable the journal to assess the concern.

3. Submission of Complaints

Complaints should be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief or the journal's official editorial contact. The complainant should provide:

• Their name and contact information, where disclosure is appropriate.

• The manuscript title, article title, or submission identification number, if applicable.

• A clear description of the issue or alleged violation.

• Relevant supporting documents or evidence.

• The action or resolution being requested, where applicable.

The journal may consider anonymous complaints when they contain credible and sufficiently detailed information. However, the ability to investigate or communicate the outcome may be limited when the complainant's identity or supporting evidence is unavailable.

4. Handling of Complaints

Upon receiving a complaint, the journal will acknowledge receipt where contact information is available and conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the matter falls within the scope of this policy.

The journal may request additional information from the complainant or other relevant parties. Depending on the nature of the complaint, the matter may be handled by the Editor-in-Chief, an appropriate editorial representative, or an independent person appointed to avoid conflicts of interest.

If a complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief or another person directly involved in handling the case, that individual must not determine the outcome of the complaint. The matter should instead be referred to an uninvolved senior editor, the journal's publisher, or the responsible institutional authority, as appropriate.

The journal will assess the available evidence fairly and give relevant parties an appropriate opportunity to respond when necessary. Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent possible, subject to the requirements of a fair investigation and applicable obligations.

5. Appeals Against Editorial Decisions

Authors may appeal an editorial decision if they believe that the decision resulted from a significant factual error, a material misunderstanding of the manuscript, an identifiable procedural irregularity, or a demonstrable conflict of interest.

An appeal must be submitted in writing by the corresponding author and should:

• Identify the manuscript and the editorial decision being appealed.

• Explain the specific grounds for the appeal.

• Provide a clear, evidence-based response to the relevant concerns.

• Include any supporting information necessary for reconsideration.

Disagreement with a rejection decision, without specific and substantiated grounds, is generally insufficient for an appeal. Appeals must not be used merely to challenge reviewers' scholarly opinions or to request preferential treatment.

6. Review and Decision on Appeals

Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriate senior editor who was not responsible for the original decision, where practicable. If the appeal concerns the Editor-in-Chief, it will be referred to an uninvolved senior editorial representative, the publisher, or another appropriate independent authority.

The journal may consult the original reviewers, invite an additional independent reviewer, or request clarification from the authors where necessary. The review will focus on whether the original decision was made fairly, followed the journal's procedures, and adequately considered the relevant scholarly evidence.

Following review, the journal may:

• Uphold the original editorial decision.

• Reconsider the decision in light of material new information.

• Request further peer review or additional clarification.

• Refer the matter for further investigation if an ethical or procedural concern is identified.

The outcome of the appeal will be communicated to the corresponding author with a brief explanation. The decision following a properly conducted appeal will ordinarily be final.

7. Complaints Regarding Publication Ethics

Complaints involving research misconduct or publication ethics will be handled in accordance with the journal's Allegation of Research Misconduct Policy and other relevant policies.

Where necessary, the journal may contact the authors' institutions, research ethics committees, funding bodies, or other appropriate authorities. Any such communication will be based on the nature of the concern, the available evidence, and applicable confidentiality and legal requirements.

The journal may take appropriate editorial action, including requesting clarification, issuing a correction, publishing an expression of concern, retracting an article, or rejecting a manuscript, depending on the findings and the seriousness of the matter.

8. Timeframe and Communication

The journal aims to acknowledge complaints and appeals within a reasonable period and to resolve them as promptly as circumstances permit. The time required for resolution may vary depending on the complexity of the case, the availability of evidence, and the need to consult independent parties.

If a case requires additional time, the journal will provide an update to the complainant or relevant parties where appropriate.

All communications concerning complaints and appeals should be professional, evidence-based, and limited to individuals who need to be involved in the process.

9. Confidentiality and Protection Against Retaliation

The journal will handle complaints and appeals confidentially to the extent possible. Information will be shared only when necessary to investigate the matter, obtain a response, comply with applicable obligations, or implement an appropriate decision.

The journal does not tolerate retaliation against individuals who raise legitimate concerns in good faith. However, knowingly submitting false, malicious, or deliberately misleading allegations may itself be referred for appropriate review.

10. Records and Policy Review

The journal will maintain appropriate records of complaints, appeals, investigations, and decisions, subject to applicable data protection and confidentiality requirements.

This policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure that the journal's procedures remain fair, transparent, consistent, and aligned with recognized scholarly publishing ethics standards.

Al Fiddhoh: Journal of Banking, Insurance, and Finance is committed to resolving complaints and appeals impartially and to using the outcomes, where appropriate, to improve its editorial practices and publication standards.