The International Journal of Social World (IJSW) is committed to maintaining a fair, transparent, and responsible editorial and publication process. Authors and other relevant individuals may raise concerns regarding editorial decisions, published articles, research integrity, or matters related to the publication process. For submissions and publications involving sociology, social research, surveys, interviews, community studies, or human participants, concerns may also relate to research ethics, participant privacy, confidentiality, and the responsible presentation of social research findings.

Complaints and Concerns

Questions, complaints, or concerns regarding an article, manuscript, editorial process, or possible publication-related issue should be submitted to the official IJSW editorial office.

Where possible, correspondence should include:

• Article or manuscript title
• DOI or article identification number, where available
• A clear description of the concern
• Relevant supporting information or evidence

Concerns may relate to matters such as plagiarism, authorship, data or image integrity, research ethics, conflicts of interest, participant consent, privacy or confidentiality, inaccurate reporting of survey or interview findings, or other publication-related issues.

IJSW will assess the concern based on the available information and the circumstances of the individual case.

Appeals Against Editorial Decisions

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision may submit an appeal to the IJSW editorial office.

An appeal should provide specific and substantive reasons why the decision should be reconsidered and should include relevant supporting information where available.

An appeal is intended to address matters such as a significant misunderstanding, overlooked information, procedural concern, or other substantive issue that may reasonably warrant reconsideration. For manuscripts involving social research, an appeal may also identify a material misunderstanding of the research methodology, participant-related ethical considerations, data interpretation, or the context of the reported findings.

Review of Complaints and Appeals

Where appropriate, IJSW may review relevant manuscript or publication records, correspondence, peer-review information, and other material relevant to the matter.

IJSW may request clarification or supporting documentation from the individuals concerned. Where necessary and appropriate, the journal may seek information from relevant institutions, research organizations, ethics committees, funders, journals, publishers, or other appropriate parties.

Where a concern relates to surveys, interviews, focus groups, community-based research, or other studies involving human participants, the review may consider relevant information about research methods, participant consent, confidentiality, data handling, and ethical oversight, as applicable to the case.

Where reasonably practicable, relevant authors or other concerned parties will be given an opportunity to respond before a final editorial action is taken.

Institutional and External Investigations

Where a matter may require institutional or external investigation, IJSW may communicate with relevant institutions, research organizations, ethics committees, funders, or other appropriate bodies.

Where an independent investigation has been conducted, IJSW may consider its findings when determining appropriate action concerning the published scholarly record.

For social research involving human participants, community groups, sensitive personal information, or potentially identifiable survey and interview data, relevant findings concerning research ethics, participant protection, data integrity, or confidentiality may be considered where they relate to the publication in question.

Possible Outcomes

Depending on the nature of the matter and the available evidence, an investigation or appeal may result in:

• No further action
• Editorial clarification
• Correction
• Expression of Concern
• Retraction
• Another appropriate editorial action

The appropriate outcome will depend on the circumstances and evidence of the individual case.

Appeals Following Retraction

Where necessary to protect readers and the integrity of the scholarly record, IJSW may maintain the retraction notice while an appeal is being considered.

Further reconsideration may be undertaken where new and substantial evidence is presented or where a significant procedural issue is identified.

Confidentiality

IJSW will handle complaints, investigations, and related communications with appropriate confidentiality.

Information may be shared where reasonably necessary to conduct a fair investigation, communicate with relevant parties, address publication-ethics concerns, comply with applicable legal requirements, or protect the integrity of the scholarly record.