Up-to-date policy on Cochrane's Editorial Policies page
Legacy policy within the EPPR: Appeals
Guidance for the updated appeals process active from 27 October 2022.
Editorial roles and notifications
The appeals process is set up to be handled primarily between authors, independent editor(s) from Cochrane's Editorial Board, and the EPMD liaison. The EPMD liaison recruits the independent editor(s) and manages timelines and most communication.
An article's previous handling editor will be notified at two points for information only:
- At the initiation of the appeal, by being copied into the authors' email submitting an appeal
- At the conclusion of the appeal, by being copied into the independent editor(s)' decision email to the authors
Previous handling editors may be asked to provide additional information to the independent editor to assist their adjudication.
Actions after the appeal process
Following an unsuccessful appeal (rejection upheld)
Authors are informed in the appeals process that if the reject decision is upheld (i.e. the appeal is unsuccessful), the independent editor’s decision is final: no further appeals can be made, and no further correspondence about the article will be entered into.
If authors contact their previous handling editor with an aim toward countering the appeal decision, editors can respond using the EM ad hoc email template "Response when an author tries to appeal again". Note that this email template is not yet active as of 27 October 2022. Contact emd@cochrane.org if you need this template and it is not yet available.
Following a successful appeal (rejection overturned)
Cochrane’s Central Editorial Service will handle the process for articles revised and resubmitted after a successful appeal. If the article was originally handled by the CES, a new handling editor will be assigned.