Complaints Policy
Scholaria International Journal of Research, published by Scholaria Publications, is committed to maintaining transparency, fairness, academic integrity, and responsible publishing practices. This policy is intended to provide authors, reviewers, readers, subscribers, and other stakeholders with a procedure for raising concerns related to the journal's editorial activities, publication processes, and subscription services.
1. Scope of Complaints
Complaints may relate to, but are not limited to, the following:
- Editorial decisions or concerns about editorial conduct.
- Peer-review procedures, reviewer conduct, or delays.
- Allegations of plagiarism, duplicate publication, research misconduct, or breaches of publication ethics.
- Authorship disputes, conflicts of interest, or confidentiality concerns.
- Errors in published articles, corrections, retractions, or other publication-related matters.
- Subscription payments, access to subscription-based content, subscription renewals, or access expiry.
- Website functionality, customer service, or other journal-related concerns.
2. How to Submit a Complaint
Complaints should be submitted in writing to the journal's editorial office using its official contact email address. The complainant should provide a clear description of the concern, relevant dates, the article or service involved, supporting documents where available, and the resolution being requested.
Subscription-related complaints should include relevant transaction details or subscription reference information. Sensitive payment information, including complete card numbers, passwords, and security codes, should not be submitted by email.
3. Review and Investigation
Complaints will be assessed by an appropriate representative of the editorial or publishing team. The nature and seriousness of the complaint will determine the review procedure and whether additional information is required. Relevant records and supporting evidence may be examined before a decision is reached.
Complaints involving an editor or another person directly concerned with the allegation should, where practicable, be referred to an independent and appropriately authorized person to avoid conflicts of interest.
4. Confidentiality and Fair Treatment
Complaints will be handled fairly, objectively, and with appropriate confidentiality. Information will be shared only with individuals who need it to assess or resolve the matter, subject to applicable legal and ethical requirements.
Individuals raising concerns in good faith should be treated respectfully. All parties will be given a reasonable opportunity to provide relevant information where appropriate.
5. Subscription and Access Complaints
As a subscription-based journal, Scholaria International Journal of Research may provide certain content and services subject to the applicable subscription terms. Subscribers may contact the journal regarding payment discrepancies, unsuccessful transactions, subscription activation, renewal, expiry, or access to content covered by their subscription.
Such complaints will be reviewed against the relevant subscription records and published terms. Any applicable correction, access restoration, cancellation, or refund will be handled in accordance with the journal's disclosed subscription, cancellation, and refund policies and applicable law.
6. Outcomes and Communication
The journal will communicate the outcome of a complaint to the complainant using the contact details provided. Where appropriate, the response may explain the findings, the action taken, or the reasons why a requested action cannot be taken. Additional information may be requested when necessary to complete the review.
7. Appeals and Further Review
If a complainant believes that a complaint has not been handled fairly, they may request a further review by providing the reasons for the appeal and any additional supporting information. Where practicable, the appeal should be reviewed by someone who was not responsible for the original decision.
8. Contact the Editorial Office
For complaints concerning editorial matters, publication ethics, subscriptions, or journal services, please contact:
Publisher: Scholaria Publications
Location: Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India
Email: editor@scholariajournal.org
This policy should be read alongside the journal's Publication Ethics, Peer Review Process, Subscription Terms, and Cancellation and Refund policies.