Article Retraction & Withdrawal Policy

Article Retraction

In the world of academic publishing, integrity and transparency are of utmost importance. Retraction of articles occurs when serious violations of professional conduct are identified, which can undermine the reliability of published research. Journal Editors should consider retracting a publication if:

Infringements of Professional Ethical Codes: This includes actions such as:
- Multiple submissions of the same manuscript to different journals.
- Bogus claims of authorship, where an individual is listed as an author without having made a significant contribution.
- Plagiarism, where content from another source is used without proper citation.
- Fraudulent use of data, which includes the fabrication or falsification of research results.
Major Errors: Retraction should also be considered if the publication contains significant errors, such as:
- Miscalculations or experimental errors that could change the interpretation of the results.
- New evidence that emerges which fundamentally challenges the conclusions of the study, especially if the authors were unaware of this evidence at the time of publication.

To determine whether a retraction is necessary, Journal Editors will conduct a thorough investigation. Should a retraction be warranted, the following measures, following COPE's Retraction Guidelines, will be taken:

A retraction note titled “Retraction: [Article Title]” will be published in a subsequent issue of the journal and will be clearly listed in the table of contents.
In the electronic version of the journal, a link will be provided that directs readers to the original article.
The original article will be preceded by a screen displaying the retraction note to inform readers before they access the article itself.
The original article will remain unchanged aside from a watermark on each page of the PDF that indicates it has been “retracted.”
The HTML version of the article will be removed to prevent further access.

It’s important to note that holding copyright of an article does not grant authors the automatic right to retract it after publication; the scientific record's integrity remains paramount, and COPE’s Retraction Guidelines will still apply.

Article Correction

In instances where a publication contains minor flaws that do not warrant a full retraction, Journal Editors may consider issuing a correction. Corrections are more suitable for:

Flawed Data: If a small part of an otherwise reliable publication contains misleading data, especially due to honest errors.
Incorrect Author or Contributor List: If a deserving author has been omitted or someone who does not meet authorship criteria has been included.

Corrections can be categorized as follows:

Publisher Correction (Erratum): This relates to significant errors made by publishing or journal staff that negatively affect the article’s scientific integrity and the reputation of the authors or journal.
Author Correction (Corrigendum): This addresses mistakes made by the authors that impact the publication’s credibility.
Addendum: An addition that authors make to explain inconsistencies, expand upon the work, or otherwise clarify information in the original publication.
Retraction: As discussed earlier, this is reserved for flawed publications where findings or conclusions cannot be trusted.

It is crucial to avoid partial retractions, as they can lead to confusion regarding the reliability of the article. Instead, corrections should be made where possible, particularly when a small section of the work has been compromised, such as isolated instances of plagiarism.

Article Withdrawal

Withdrawal of articles is discouraged and is primarily reserved for exceptional circumstances, particularly for early version articles that have been accepted for publication but not yet formally published (“articles in press”). Such circumstances might include:

Articles that contain significant errors.
Duplicate submissions that were submitted in error.
Violations of the journal’s publishing ethics, including plagiarism or fraudulent data.

In situations where there may be legal or ethical violations, it may be necessary to withdraw early versions of an article to prevent potential harm. The withdrawal process involves:

Removing the article from the electronic platform (both HTML and PDF versions).
Replacing these with a page detailing the reason for withdrawal.

Importantly, retaining copyright does not grant authors the automatic right to withdraw their work post-publication; maintaining the integrity of the scientific record remains critical.

Article Removal

In extremely rare cases, it may be necessary to remove a published article from the online platform. Such a removal will be considered under the following circumstances:

The article is clearly defamatory.
The article infringes upon others’ legal rights.
There is a court order regarding the article.
If the publication poses a serious health risk if acted upon.

In these cases:

The metadata of the article, including title and author information, will be retained.
The article’s text will be replaced with a notification that it has been removed for legal reasons.

Article Replacement

Should an original paper present a serious health risk if acted upon, authors may choose to retract the flawed version and replace it with a corrected edition. This ensures that the scientific community has access to updated and accurate information while maintaining academic integrity.

In summary, the policies surrounding article retraction, correction, withdrawal, removal, and replacement are critical components of maintaining trust in academic publishing. By adhering to strict ethical guidelines and established procedures, journals can uphold the integrity of the scientific record and ensure that published research is reliable and credible. Each of these processes plays a vital role in ensuring that the academic community is protected from misleading or erroneous content and that the development of knowledge continues in a responsible manner.