Complaint Handling Committee

ISSN: 0974-536X · Follows COPE Guidelines · Complaints: editor@creativesaplings.in

Creative Saplings (CS) is committed to handling all complaints with the utmost fairness, transparency, and rigour. The journal maintains a standing Complaint Handling Committee to receive, investigate, and resolve complaints arising from any aspect of the journal's editorial, peer review, or publication processes. All complaint procedures adhere to the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Any author, reviewer, editor, or reader who believes that the journal has acted contrary to its stated policies, or that a matter of publication ethics has been inadequately addressed, is entitled to file a formal complaint using the procedure set out below.

Complaints Contact. All formal complaints must be submitted in writing to: editor@creativesaplings.in · Subject line: Formal Complaint — Creative Saplings

Section 1

Composition of the Committee

The Complaint Handling Committee of Creative Saplings is composed of impartial individuals of senior academic standing — ordinarily of the rank of Associate Professor or Professor — who possess relevant expertise in the area to which the complaint pertains. Members are appointed by the Editor-in-Chief and serve on a case-by-case basis.

No committee member may serve on a complaint panel if they have any conflict of interest — financial, personal, institutional, or professional — that could affect their capacity to evaluate the matter objectively. Any actual or perceived conflict of interest must be declared immediately and will result in the member's recusal from the relevant case.

Section 2

Complaint Procedure

Complaints are received directly from the individual raising the concern. In this procedure, a complaint submitted directly by the affected individual is referred to as a Direct Complaint, and the individual submitting it is referred to as the Request Maker. The following steps govern the complaint process from submission to resolution:

Step	Stage	Description
1	Submission	The Request Maker submits a written Direct Complaint to editor@creativesaplings.in with the subject line Formal Complaint — Creative Saplings. The complaint must clearly describe the nature of the concern, the parties involved, and any relevant supporting evidence.
2	Acknowledgement	The editorial office will acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing within 7 working days of receipt. The Request Maker will be informed of the expected timeline for a substantive response.
3	Investigation	The Complaint Handling Committee conducts a thorough and impartial investigation of the matter. The committee gathers all relevant evidence, consults the parties involved where appropriate, and evaluates the complaint against the journal's stated policies and applicable ethical standards.
4	Decision	The committee reaches a decision based solely on the evidence gathered and the applicable editorial and ethical standards. A clear written rationale is prepared to accompany the decision. The committee's decision is communicated to the Request Maker within 30 days of the original complaint submission.
5	Communication	The committee's written decision and rationale are communicated to the Request Maker and to any other parties directly involved in the complaint. All communications are treated with strict confidentiality.
6	Follow-up	Following the communication of the decision, the committee follows up with the Request Maker to confirm that the matter has been addressed to a satisfactory resolution. Where the complaint has revealed a systemic issue, the editorial board will take appropriate remedial action.

Section 3

Confidentiality

The Complaint Handling Committee treats all complaints and all related information with strict confidentiality. The identity of the Request Maker, the substance of the complaint, the evidence gathered, and the committee's deliberations will not be disclosed to any party other than those directly involved in the resolution of the complaint, except where required by applicable law or where disclosure is necessary to prevent ongoing harm. Committee members are required to maintain confidentiality both during and after the resolution of any complaint.

Section 4

Appeals Process

If the Request Maker is not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint process, they are entitled to file a formal appeal with the Appellate Authority. The following conditions govern the appeals process:

—An appeal may only be filed after a period of 30 days has elapsed from the date of the original complaint submission, allowing the complaint process to reach its conclusion.
—The appeal must be submitted in writing to editor@creativesaplings.in with the subject line: Appeal — Complaint Handling Committee.
—The appeal must set out clearly the specific grounds on which the Request Maker contests the committee's decision, with reference to any evidence or arguments not previously considered.
—Appeals that consist solely of a general expression of dissatisfaction, without identifying a specific procedural or substantive error, will not be admitted.

Appellate Authority

The Editor-in-Chief of Creative Saplings serves as the Appellate Authority and manages all formal appeals. The Editor-in-Chief may, where deemed appropriate and in the interest of swift resolution, address the matter directly prior to formally convening the appeal process. The decision of the Appellate Authority is final and binding on all parties.

Section 5

Summary of Key Timelines

Action	Timeline
Acknowledgement of receipt of complaint	Within 7 working days
Substantive response / decision communicated to Request Maker	Within 30 days of complaint submission
Earliest date on which an appeal may be filed	30 days after original complaint submission
Appeal decided by Appellate Authority (Editor-in-Chief)	As soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of appeal