During the consideration of complaints and appeals, the editorial board adheres to the relevant COPE guidelines.
Review Procedure
In the event of complaints and/or appeals against editorial decisions, the following procedure is applied.
Any complaint or appeal is initially reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief responsible for the journal and/or the Handling Editor who was directly involved in the editorial process. The Editor-in-Chief may involve two members of the Editorial Board who have relevant experience serving on editorial boards of other publications and whose expertise and knowledge may assist in resolving the dispute, clarifying the circumstances described in the submission, and ensuring the proper application of the journal’s editorial policies and publication ethics standards.
If the actions or omissions of the aforementioned editorial staff are themselves the subject of the complaint, the complainant should обратиться to the Coordinating Center for the publication of the series “Sophia. Humanities and Religious Studies Bulletin.” The complaint will be considered at a meeting of the Editorial and Publishing Council of the Coordinating Center with the participation of the Editor-in-Chief and the Handling Editor.
When reviewing complaints and/or appeals, the following principles must be observed:
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mutual respect for all participants in the editorial process and the presumption of their proper and good-faith conduct unless proven otherwise;
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granting all concerned parties the opportunity to present arguments in support of or against the claims raised;
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proper notification of participants in the editorial process regarding the receipt and consideration of a complaint that may affect their rights and/or interests;
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directing the dispute resolution process toward compromise and mutual understanding.
Complaint Concerning the Scientific Quality of an Article (e.g., appeal against rejection)
In an appeal, the author must provide a detailed justification addressing the reviewers’ comments point by point.
The Editor-in-Chief reviews the arguments of the author and the reviewers and makes one of the following decisions:
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to reject the appeal as unfounded;
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to uphold the claims set out in the appeal;
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to refer the matter to the Coordinating Center for the publication of the series “Sophia. Humanities and Religious Studies Bulletin” if the editorial office is unable to reach a final decision independently.
The complainant is informed of the decision with an explanation. Decisions on appeals are final, and new submissions take precedence over appeals.
Complaint Concerning the Review Procedure (e.g., review time)
The Editor-in-Chief, together with the Handling Editor and the leadership of the Coordinating Center for the publication of the academic periodical series “Sophia. Humanities and Religious Studies Bulletin,” investigates the matter. The complainant will receive an appropriate response. The results of the review will be taken into account by the relevant parties in order to improve editorial and publishing processes.
Complaint Concerning Publication Ethics (e.g., conduct of an author or reviewer)
The Editor-in-Chief or Handling Editor must follow the recommendations of COPE, EASE, and established publication ethics standards. In complex cases, they may seek consultation from the Coordinating Center for the publication of the series “Sophia. Humanities and Religious Studies Bulletin.”
A final decision rejecting a complaint or appeal cannot be overturned or further appealed. After such a decision, the editorial board does not engage in further correspondence with the authors of the rejected manuscript.
