Spektrum Iran

SPEKTRUM IRAN (SPIR) is committed to ensuring a fair, transparent, and accountable editorial process. The journal provides a clear procedure for handling complaints and appeals related to editorial decisions, peer-review procedures, publication ethics, and other aspects of the publishing process. All complaints and appeals are handled according to internationally recognized standards of publication ethics, including the guidelines and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Editorial Decisions and Appeals

Authors have the right to appeal an editorial decision if they believe that a decision has been made based on a significant misunderstanding, procedural error, or inappropriate evaluation of their manuscript.

Appeals should:

• Be submitted in writing to the editorial office;
• Clearly state the reasons for the appeal and provide relevant evidence or explanations;
• Address specific concerns regarding the editorial process or peer-review comments rather than expressing general disagreement with the decision.

Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief, who may consult members of the editorial board or independent experts not involved in the original decision-making process. The final decision regarding an appeal is made by the Editor-in-Chief and will be communicated to the authors with appropriate justification.

Complaints

SPIR welcomes complaints concerning:

• The conduct of the editorial process;
• Delays in manuscript handling or communication;
• The behavior or performance of editors or reviewers;
• Alleged breaches of publication ethics;
• Issues related to authorship, conflicts of interest, plagiarism, or research integrity.

All complaints should be submitted to the editorial office with sufficient details and supporting information. Complaints will be acknowledged, investigated fairly and confidentially, and handled in a timely manner.

Handling of Ethical Complaints

Complaints involving research misconduct, plagiarism, duplicate publication, data integrity, authorship disputes, or other ethical concerns will be investigated according to SPIR’s publication ethics procedures and relevant COPE recommendations.

Where necessary, SPIR may request additional information from authors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties to ensure a fair assessment.

Confidentiality and Independence

All complaints and appeals are treated confidentially. Individuals involved in reviewing a complaint or appeal must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and will be excluded from the evaluation process when necessary to ensure impartiality.

SPIR is committed to resolving complaints and appeals objectively, transparently, and without discrimination. The outcome of each case will be communicated to the relevant parties, and appropriate corrective actions will be taken when required.