Complaints and Appeals Policy

World Nutrition is committed to maintaining fair, transparent, objective, and ethical editorial processes. The journal provides clear procedures for handling complaints and appeals in line with COPE Core Practices. 

  1. Scope

This policy covers complaints and appeals relating to:

  • Editorial decisions
  • Peer review conduct
  • Delays in manuscript processing
  • Allegations of misconduct
  • Ethical concerns
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Procedural fairness 
  1. Appeals Against Editorial Decisions

Authors who believe their manuscript was unfairly rejected may submit a formal appeal.

Appeal Requirements:

  • Written justification
  • Point-by-point response to reviewers’ comments
  • Supporting evidence where applicable

Appeal Procedure:

  1. Appeal submitted to the Editorial Office
  2. Initial assessment by Senior Editor
  3. Independent evaluation by Editorial Advisory Board member
  4. Final decision communicated within 4–6 weeks

Editorial decisions after appeal are final. 

  1. Complaints Handling Procedure

All complaints are handled confidentially, impartially, and promptly.

Steps:

  1. Submission of complaint via official journal email
  2. Acknowledgment within 5 working days
  3. Investigation by Editorial Board
  4. Decision issued within 30 days

If unresolved, the complaint may be escalated to the WPHNA Ethics Committee. 

  1. Ethical Complaints & Whistleblowing

Concerns regarding:

  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication/falsification
  • Authorship disputes
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

are investigated following COPE flowcharts and guidelines.

  1. Protection from Retaliation

Complainants and whistleblowers are protected against retaliation. Complaints may be submitted confidentially or anonymously.