|
Policy for appeals of handling manuscripts of ACM publications
(Adopted January, 2001; amended July, 2002 )
ACM as a scientific publisher must make informed
judgments about the correctness and relevance of manuscripts under consideration for
publication. ACM relies on qualified volunteers to review manuscripts and serve on
editorial boards and program committees to make these editorial decisions and to provide
feedback to authors. In the vast majority of cases, this process works smoothly.
Should an author feel that the process was implemented
incorrectly, the author should first follow the stated appeal procedure of the involved
publication. If the concern is not resolved, the author may appeal the decision to the
Publications Board Chair, whose decision can then, at the author's discretion, be appealed
to the President of the ACM. The decision of the President is final.
At each stage of the appeal, the relevant ACM
representative can at their discretion handle the appeal directly, or delegate this to an
ad hoc committee named by the representative. The members of the ad hoc committee should
not have any direct connection with either the manuscript under question or the associated
publication. The decision by the representative, along with an explanation of the decision
process, shall be communicated to the appealer and other involved parties in writing
within a reasonable time frame.
ACM accords the editor-in-chief or program chair final
rights with regard to content, ACM stands behind the EiCs and program chairs on technical
matters; appeals should based on serious violations of due process or ethical standards.
Volunteers will be assumed to have acted in an
appropriate and professional manner unless and until it is shown through an investigation
to be otherwise. ACM representatives will keep involved volunteers appraised of the
process, and will always be cognizant that such investigations are difficult for all
concerned.
|
