• Clear evidence of unreliable findings caused by major error, fabrication, falsification, or materially inappropriate analysis.
• Substantial plagiarism or undisclosed redundant publication that compromises the publication record.
• Unauthorised material, infringement, or another serious rights problem that cannot adequately be addressed by a narrower remedy.
• Serious ethical failures in the research.
• A compromised or manipulated assessment process that leaves no adequate basis for confidence in publication.
• A major undisclosed competing interest that unduly affected interpretation or assessment and cannot adequately be addressed through disclosure and correction.

Retraction may follow honest error as well as misconduct. Evidence supporting the reliability or integrity determination is required; personal intent need not always be established before the record is corrected.

A non-conflicted, authorised editor decides whether retraction is warranted, supported by the publisher in implementing the decision. Evidence examination and opportunities to respond follow Integrity Investigations.

A bare allegation, an authorship dispute alone, disagreement with a defensible interpretation, or an error adequately resolved by correction does not normally justify retraction. Disclosed preprint posting is not redundant journal publication under Athena’s Preprint Policy.

Authors are normally informed and given a reasonable opportunity to respond. Their agreement is not required when the evidence warrants action. Necessary reader protection must not be indefinitely delayed by non-response or an unresolved institutional process.

The notice clearly identifies the article and DOI, states who is issuing the retraction, explains the supported reasons, and distinguishes established findings from unresolved questions. Author agreement or disagreement may be recorded accurately.

Wording must be factual and proportionate. Collective blame must not be inferred merely because several authors or articles are involved. Related cases may be examined together, but each affected article requires an adequate evidential basis.

The notice is dated, freely accessible, clearly labelled as a Retraction, and permanently linked to the article. Retraction normally preserves the article with an unmistakable status warning rather than deleting it.