Jurnal Sosiologi Agama Indonesia (JSAI) considers complaints and appeals fairly, confidentially, and without discrimination. Submitting a complaint or appeal in good faith will not disadvantage an author, reviewer, reader, or other party in future interactions with the journal.

This policy applies to appeals against editorial decisions and complaints concerning the journal’s editorial procedures, staff, editors, reviewers, published policies, or other aspects of journal administration.

Appeals Against Editorial Decisions

Authors may appeal an editorial decision when they believe that a material error, procedural irregularity, unmanaged conflict of interest, or substantial misunderstanding affected the evaluation of their manuscript.

An appeal must:

• identify the manuscript title and submission number;
• state clearly which decision is being challenged;
• explain the specific grounds for the appeal;
• respond to the relevant editorial or reviewer comments with supporting evidence; and
• be submitted by the corresponding author with the agreement of all authors.

Limits of an Appeal

Appeal Review Process

1. The editorial office verifies that the appeal contains sufficient information and falls within this policy.
2. The appeal is reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or another qualified editor who was not directly responsible for the disputed decision.
3. The reviewing editor may examine the manuscript, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, author responses, and other relevant records.
4. Additional independent academic or methodological advice may be requested when necessary.
5. The journal communicates a reasoned outcome to the corresponding author.

Possible outcomes include confirming the original decision, reopening editorial assessment, obtaining additional peer review, or issuing a revised decision. The outcome of the formal appeal is normally final for that submission.

Complaints

A complaint may concern:

• failure to follow a published editorial procedure;
• unreasonable or unexplained administrative delay;
• inappropriate communication or professional conduct;
• a breach of confidentiality;
• an unmanaged conflict of interest;
• discriminatory, abusive, or coercive treatment;
• misrepresentation of journal fees, services, or decisions; or
• another matter concerning the journal’s administration or adherence to its published policies.

Submitting a Complaint

Complaints should be submitted in writing and should contain:

• the complainant’s name and contact information;
• the relevant manuscript, article, correspondence, or journal process;
• a clear description of the concern;
• relevant dates and persons involved, where known;
• supporting documents or evidence; and
• the outcome or remedy sought.

Anonymous reports may be considered when they provide specific and verifiable evidence. However, anonymity may limit the journal’s ability to investigate or communicate an outcome.

Complaint Handling

1. The journal conducts an initial assessment to determine the nature and scope of the complaint.
2. The complaint is assigned to an editor or authorized person who does not have a relevant conflict of interest.
3. The person or party concerned is normally given an opportunity to respond.
4. Relevant records and evidence are examined confidentially.
5. The journal determines whether corrective, administrative, editorial, or no further action is appropriate.
6. The complainant is informed of the outcome to the extent permitted by confidentiality, privacy, and legal obligations.

Independent Handling and Escalation

A complaint concerning an editor will be handled by another editor who was not involved in the matter. A complaint concerning the Editor-in-Chief will be referred to an authorized representative of the publisher or another independent senior academic appointed for that purpose.

Where a complaint cannot be resolved internally, the journal or publisher may seek confidential advice from an appropriate independent expert, institutional authority, or recognized publication-ethics body.

Confidentiality and Records

Appeals and complaints are handled confidentially. Information is shared only with persons who need it for assessment, response, advice, or decision-making. The journal retains relevant correspondence and decisions as part of its administrative and editorial records.

Abusive or Repetitive Communications

JSAI may limit or discontinue correspondence that is abusive, threatening, discriminatory, knowingly false, unrelated to the stated concern, or repetitively submitted after a reasoned final response has been provided. Legitimate criticism and good-faith disagreement will not be treated as abusive merely because they challenge an editorial decision or journal practice.

Processing Time

The journal will normally acknowledge receipt of a complaint or appeal within seven working days. An initial assessment will normally be completed within fourteen working days.

The journal seeks to communicate a reasoned outcome within thirty working days after receiving sufficient information and supporting evidence. Complex matters involving external experts, institutions, ethical investigations, legal questions, or multiple parties may require additional time.

When the matter cannot be completed within the expected period, the journal will inform the complainant or appellant of the delay and, where appropriate, provide an updated procedural timeframe. These timeframes are service targets and do not override the need for a fair and sufficiently thorough assessment.