General Principles

Post-publication actions are intended to preserve the reliability and transparency of the scholarly record rather than to punish authors. Editorial action will be proportionate to the nature, severity, and effect of the identified problem.

The journal's approach is informed by the COPE Retraction Guidelines and other relevant COPE guidance.

Decisions concerning corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, or related notices are made by the Editor-in-Chief or an authorized editor, with appropriate consultation where necessary.

Types of Post-Publication Action

Corrections

A correction may be issued when an error does not invalidate the article as a whole but requires formal amendment to ensure that readers have an accurate scholarly record.

Examples may include:

• errors in data presentation, calculations, tables, figures, references, or descriptive information that do not invalidate the principal conclusions;
• factual or typographical errors that materially affect interpretation;
• omitted or incorrect acknowledgements, funding information, competing-interest disclosures, or other publication metadata;
• errors in author information or contributorship that can be corrected without raising concerns regarding the validity of the research; and
• other limited errors where the published article remains substantially reliable.

A correction notice should clearly identify the article concerned, describe what has been corrected, and remain linked to the published article.

Expression of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued when credible and potentially serious concerns exist regarding a published article but there is insufficient evidence to justify immediate correction or retraction.

An Expression of Concern may be considered when:

• an investigation into alleged misconduct or research integrity concerns is ongoing;
• available evidence is inconclusive;
• a relevant institution has not yet completed an investigation;
• the journal has serious concerns regarding the reliability of the article but cannot yet determine the appropriate final action; or
• an investigation is expected to require a substantial period before a reliable conclusion can be reached.

The Expression of Concern may later be replaced or supplemented by a correction, retraction, or other notice when sufficient evidence becomes available.

Retraction

Retraction may be considered when there is clear evidence that a published article is seriously unreliable, unethical, redundant, unlawfully published, or affected by publication misconduct in a manner that compromises the integrity of the scholarly record.

Circumstances that may justify retraction include:

• clear evidence that findings are unreliable because of major error, fabrication, falsification, or serious manipulation;
• substantial plagiarism;
• redundant or duplicate publication without appropriate disclosure, attribution, permission, or scholarly justification;
• use of material, data, images, or other content without authorization where such use materially affects the publication;
• serious copyright, privacy, legal, or confidentiality violations;
• research that was conducted or reported in serious violation of applicable ethical requirements;
• publication resulting from a compromised or manipulated peer-review process;
• a major undisclosed competing interest that materially affected the interpretation or editorial evaluation of the work; or
• another serious integrity issue that renders the publication unreliable or misleading.

The existence of an honest error does not automatically imply misconduct. Retraction may nevertheless be necessary when an error is sufficiently serious to invalidate the reliability of the published findings.

Assessment and Investigation

When a credible post-publication concern is received, the journal will conduct an initial editorial assessment and determine whether further clarification or investigation is required.

The process may include:

• reviewing the published article and supporting records;
• requesting an explanation or documentation from the authors;
• consulting reviewers, editorial board members, statistical or methodological experts, where appropriate;
• requesting supporting data, ethics documentation, permissions, or other relevant evidence;
• contacting an author's institution, ethics committee, research integrity office, funder, or other competent authority when a matter requires institutional investigation; and
• consulting relevant COPE guidance when determining an appropriate editorial response.

Authors and other relevant parties should normally be given an opportunity to respond to material concerns before a final editorial action is taken, except where urgent action is necessary to protect readers or the integrity of the scholarly record.

Retraction Notices

When an article is retracted, DEMETER will publish a formal retraction notice that, where practicable:

• is clearly identified as a Retraction;
• clearly identifies and links to the article being retracted;
• states who is retracting the article, such as the authors, editor, publisher, or a combination thereof;
• states the principal reason for the retraction;
• distinguishes, where reasonably possible, between honest error and misconduct;
• uses objective, factual, and non-inflammatory language;
• is published promptly once a decision has been reached; and
• remains freely accessible to readers.

Preservation of the Published Record

Retraction does not normally result in deletion of the published article from the journal website or scholarly record.

The article should remain accessible with a clear indication that it has been retracted, together with a link to the corresponding retraction notice. This approach preserves the transparency and traceability of the scholarly record.

Removal of article content will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as serious legal requirements, significant privacy or confidentiality risks, court orders, or circumstances where continued availability could cause substantial harm.

Metadata and Indexing Updates

Where technically possible and applicable, DEMETER will update article metadata and relevant journal records to indicate a correction, expression of concern, or retraction.

Appropriate updates may also be communicated through DOI metadata, indexing services, preservation systems, and other scholarly infrastructure used by the journal.