1. Appeals against editorial decisions
Authors who believe an editorial decision was made in error may appeal once per manuscript. An appeal must:
- Be submitted in writing to editorialoffice@aperturepapers.com within 30 days of the decision.
- State the manuscript ID and the original decision.
- Provide a point-by-point response to the reviewer and editor comments, identifying specific factual or methodological errors in the assessment.
Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or a senior editor not involved in the original decision. The outcome of an appeal is final.
2. What an appeal is not
Dissatisfaction with the decision, disagreement with reviewer opinion, or general re-argument of the original submission do not constitute grounds for appeal. New experimental data should be submitted as a fresh manuscript rather than as an appeal.
3. Complaints about editorial conduct
Complaints about the behaviour of an editor, reviewer, or member of editorial office staff — for example breach of confidentiality, undue delay, bias, or unprofessional communication — are taken seriously and investigated under the COPE Code of Conduct.
Send complaints to editorialoffice@aperturepapers.com with the subject line "Complaint — Editorial Conduct". The complaint is acknowledged within five working days.
4. Complaints about published content
Concerns about the integrity, accuracy, or ethics of a published article are handled under the Corrections and Retractions Policy.
5. Investigation process
- The Editor-in-Chief or a delegated senior editor reviews the complaint.
- The person complained about is given a fair opportunity to respond.
- A documented decision is communicated to the complainant.
- Where systemic issues are identified, policy or process changes are recorded and published on this page.
6. External escalation
If a complainant believes a complaint has not been handled fairly, they may refer the matter to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for independent guidance.