WITHDRAWAL POLICY OR APPEALING THE EDITORIAL DECISION
ISSN: 2982-2181 (Online)
According to Health Sciences Australia’s copyright policy, upon submission, the copyright of the manuscript transfers to the journal. Authors may choose to withdraw their manuscript during the initial processing stage; however, they are required to submit a written explanation for the withdrawal. The policy for withdrawal after the peer review process is very strict, and any author who withdraws at this stage may face blacklisting.
COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS PROCEDURE
Appealing the Rejection Decision
Editors hold broad discretion in determining the suitability of a manuscript for the journal. Many manuscripts are declined with a general statement explaining the rejection. Authors may appeal a rejection decision, but the appeal must be based on a valid point or concern.
Appealing After Publication
If an article is already published and requires retraction, correction, or any other action, Health Sciences Australia follows the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including COPE’s retraction guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines). Authors who wish to appeal any post-publication action, such as a retraction or correction, may contact the editorial office to express their concerns.
The Editorial Board will review whether proper procedures were followed during the decision-making process. The board will examine the paper’s peer review history and all correspondence between the author, editor, and reviewers to ensure that the author's concerns are addressed without prejudice.
Authors must provide a written explanation for their appeal or concerns, and Health Sciences Australia will work to resolve the issue as swiftly as possible, though some investigations may take several weeks.
In the interest of fairness and transparency during retraction investigations, we ask that authors refrain from making public comments about the issue until the process has been completed to avoid prejudicing the outcome.
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