Complaint handling procedure
Procedure for Submitting and Considering Complaints Regarding Published Articles
Complaints regarding articles published in the collection of scientific papers “Ways to Improve Construction Efficiency” shall be submitted electronically to: chernenko.kv@knuba.edu.ua (contact person: Kostiantyn Chernenko).
Complaints may be submitted by research institutions, researchers, readers, editors of other journals, and other interested parties.
Email subject line: Complaint. Ways to Improve Construction Efficiency - [Name].
A complaint shall be considered only if it is properly submitted and meets the established requirements. The complaint must include:
- the complainant’s full name, institution, and contact details;
- the title of the article, author(s), year and issue number, DOI, or electronic link;
- a clear statement of the complaint and the specific request made, such as correction, investigation, retraction, or other action;
- evidence or supporting materials, including files, links, screenshots, text comparison results, or other relevant materials;
- a confirmation of good faith and the absence of intentional misrepresentation.
If the above information is missing, the complaint will not be considered. Anonymous complaints are not accepted for consideration.
Upon receipt of a complaint, the editorial board shall send the complainant an acknowledgment of receipt within 3 working days.
Further consideration of complaints follows this procedure:
- preliminary assessment, including determination of the journal’s competence, sufficiency of evidence, and absence of signs of abuse;
- requesting written explanations from the author(s);
- where necessary, contacting the author’s institution, funding body, or another relevant organisation;
- making a decision and determining the appropriate actions;
- informing the complainant and the author(s) of the decision made.
The period for considering a complaint is from 2 to 4 weeks and depends on the complexity of the case and the promptness of responses from the interested parties. If the consideration lasts longer than 4 weeks, the editorial board shall inform the complainant of the current status at least once every two weeks. After the review is completed, a reasoned decision shall be sent to the complainant and the author(s), subject to confidentiality requirements.
The editorial board ensures an impartial review. In the event of a real or potential conflict of interest, the relevant editor shall recuse themselves from participation in the process, and the materials shall be transferred to another member of the editorial board.
In its activities, the editorial board of the collection of scientific papers “Ways to Improve Construction Efficiency” follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and applies the relevant procedures for handling ethical concerns.
Based on the results of the review, the editorial board shall make a decision on the further editorial actions regarding the publication. Depending on the violations identified, this may include issuing a Correction, retracting the article (Retraction), publishing an official clarification or apology where appropriate, or adopting a reasoned decision that there are no grounds for upholding the complaint.
If a complaint contains abusive language, unsubstantiated allegations, or repeated submissions without new facts, the editorial board has the right to request further clarification and evidence or to leave the complaint without further consideration. In the absence of proper substantiation, the complaint shall not be subject to further review.
Review materials shall be stored by the editorial board under restricted access for authorised persons only for a period of 3 years. The confidentiality of the information is ensured, except where disclosure is necessary to inform readers about confirmed serious violations.
The complainant or the author(s) may file an appeal against the decision within 10 working days of its receipt, provided that new evidence not previously considered is submitted.
