Correction & Retraction Policies
Occasionally, it may be necessary to make modifications to an article after it has been officially published. Such changes are made only after thorough consideration by the Editor, in consultation with the journal's editorial team, and in alignment with the ethical standards established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Any post-publication updates are documented through a permanent public notice, which is directly linked to the original article to ensure transparency and uphold the integrity of the scholarly record.
There are several types of formal post-publication notices. A Correction (either as a Corrigendum or an Erratum) is issued when a mistake or omission is discovered that affects the clarity or interpretation of the article, but does not compromise its scientific validity. A Corrigendum typically refers to errors made by the authors, while an Erratum indicates errors introduced during the production process by the publisher. Examples include mislabelled figures, incorrect author affiliations, or omitted funding or conflict-of-interest statements.
A Retraction is issued when a serious issue is identified that undermines the credibility of the article such as flawed methodology, data fabrication, image manipulation, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or lack of ethical approval. Retractions are handled according to COPE guidelines, and may also be requested by authors or their institutions, provided the justification meets the journal’s retraction criteria. Retraction notices will always:
- Be linked to and from the original article;
- Clearly mark the article as retracted in both HTML and PDF formats using a watermark;
- Provide a detailed explanation for the retraction;
- Identify the party requesting the retraction (e.g., the authors or editor).
It is important to emphasize that retractions are issued to correct the academic record—not to penalize the authors. The journal generally does not issue retractions to resolve authorship disputes; instead, such cases may be addressed through a Corrigendum, if appropriately supported by all authors and their institutions.
To reduce the impact of misleading content, the journal aims to issue retractions promptly. In cases where significant concerns have been raised but a full investigation is pending or inconclusive, an Expression of Concern may be published. This allows the journal to alert readers while maintaining a neutral stance until the matter is resolved. If necessary, a retraction or correction may follow once the investigation concludes. All related notices will remain permanently accessible as part of the published record.
In extremely rare and exceptional situations such as when an article contains defamatory content, breaches legal rights, or is subject to a legal order a Removal Notice may be issued. In these cases, the article will be withdrawn from online access, and a formal notice of removal will be published in its place to explain the action taken.
