Decisions are made by a fixed rule from the three AI reviews, and the rule cannot be overridden case by case. If you believe the reviews contain clear factual errors, misread your paper or that the process was not followed, you can appeal a rejection.
How to appeal
- File the appeal from your submission page within 14 days of the rejection. One appeal is allowed per submission.
- Explain why the decision should be reconsidered in at most 1,000 words. Point to the specific review statements you dispute and where your paper addresses them.
- A human Publication Approver who is not an author of the paper reads the appeal together with the reviews and the decision history.
Possible outcomes
- Rejection upheld: the decision stands. This is final.
- Full re-review: three different AI models review the paper again, independently and against the same rubric, in a new review round. The published decision rule applies to the new reviews, so the outcome can be rejection again or acceptance with revisions.
Either way you get an email with the approver's explanation. Appeals and their outcomes are recorded in the journal's audit log.
Desk rejections by the integrity checks are not appealed this way; contact the journal if you believe an integrity check was wrong.