Corrections, Retractions, & Withdrawals

Principles and Scope

This policy applies to manuscripts under editorial processing as well as articles that have already been published. Actions are determined according to the extent to which an issue affects the accuracy, reliability, integrity, or publication status of the scholarly record.

In general:

• a correction is used to address an error in an article that remains reliable overall;
• a retraction is used when a serious problem means that an article can no longer be relied upon as published;
• an expression of concern is used when a serious issue requires further investigation or the available evidence is insufficient to determine a final action; and
• a manuscript withdrawal applies to a manuscript that has not yet reached final publication.

The handling of suspected ethical misconduct underlying any of these actions remains subject to the principles set out in Publication Ethics & Malpractice.

Corrections

A correction may be issued when an error is identified after publication and requires amendment, but the error does not invalidate the reliability of the article as a whole.

Minor technical or editorial errors that do not alter the substantive meaning of an article may be corrected on a limited basis, provided that the change does not mislead readers or alter the scholarly conclusions. A typographical correction to a published author name or affiliation must be distinguished from adding or removing an author, changing author order, or changing authorship status; the latter changes are not permitted after publication under Authorship & Contributorship. Errors affecting data, tables, figures, interpretations, or other substantive elements must be handled transparently.

A substantive correction after publication must be communicated to the authors and editors through the discussion facility in OJS and accompanied by a publicly accessible correction notice that:

• clearly identifies the article being corrected;
• explains the section being corrected and the nature of the change;
• maintains a clear relationship between the original article and the correction notice; and
• updates relevant publication information or metadata where necessary.

Corrections must not conceal substantive changes. The public notice must remain linked to the article so that changes important to readers' understanding remain traceable in the publication record.

Retractions

An article may be retracted when evaluation identifies a serious problem that fundamentally affects the reliability, integrity, or legitimacy of the published work.

Circumstances that may warrant consideration of a retraction include:

• findings or conclusions that cannot be relied upon because of a serious error;
• fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data;
• plagiarism or unjustified redundant publication;
• use of material without required permission;
• research found to have violated fundamental ethical requirements;
• proven manipulation of the peer review process;
• a serious undisclosed conflict of interest that affects the integrity of the publication; or
• other circumstances that mean the article can no longer reasonably be maintained as a reliable scholarly record.

Retraction is not equivalent to deleting an article. A retracted article will, in principle, remain part of the publication record with its retracted status clearly identified and accompanied by a notice explaining the reason for the action.

A retraction notice should use objective language, clearly identify the affected article, state the reason for the retraction with sufficient clarity, and identify the party initiating or requesting the retraction where relevant.

Expressions of Concern

An expression of concern may be issued when there are serious concerns regarding the reliability or integrity of an article, but the available information or evidence is not yet sufficient to determine whether the article requires correction or retraction.

An expression of concern may be used when:

• an investigation is still in progress;
• the available evidence is inconclusive;
• the findings of an investigation by an institution or other competent authority are not yet available; or
• additional time is required to determine a proportionate course of action.

An expression of concern must be clearly linked to the article concerned and explain why the interim status has been applied. Once the investigation is completed, the expression of concern may be withdrawn, followed by a correction, or followed by a retraction, as appropriate to the outcome of the evaluation.

Manuscript Withdrawals

Manuscript withdrawal applies to a manuscript that has not yet reached final publication. Authors may submit a written request for withdrawal and must provide the reasons supporting the request.

A withdrawal request will be considered in light of the stage of the editorial process, the work already undertaken by editors and reviewers, and the reasons provided. Manuscript withdrawal is not intended as a mechanism to avoid editorial evaluation or the consequences of publication ethics violations.

The journal may also discontinue processing or withdraw a manuscript from the publication process when a serious issue is identified before publication, including ethical misconduct, duplicate submission, plagiarism, data manipulation, or other circumstances that make continuation toward publication inappropriate.

Withdrawal before final publication is clearly distinguished from retraction, as retraction applies only to articles that have already been published.

Notices, Metadata, and the Scholarly Record

Any action affecting the status of a published article must be managed in a manner that preserves the traceability of the scholarly record. When a correction, retraction, or expression of concern is issued, the journal will seek to ensure that the relationship between the article and the relevant notice remains clear to readers.

Relevant publication information and metadata may also be updated so that changes in an article's status can be recognized by readers, indexing services, DOI registration agencies, and other systems that use journal metadata.

Complete removal of a published article will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as a valid legal requirement, a serious breach of privacy or confidentiality, or a safety risk that cannot adequately be addressed through correction or retraction alone. In such circumstances, the journal will retain bibliographic information or an appropriate notice to the extent possible in order to preserve the traceability of the publication record.

Objections to decisions concerning corrections, retractions, or other editorial actions may be submitted through the mechanism set out in Complaints & Appeals.