Correction and Retraction

The Journal is committed to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and completeness of the scholarly record. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published manuscripts through rigorous peer review and editorial oversight, errors or ethical concerns may occasionally arise post-publication.

This policy outlines the principles and procedures applied when amending or retracting published work.

1. General Principles

  • Permanent Record: Published articles constitute a permanent scientific record. Under no circumstances will an article be completely removed, altered secretly, or deleted from our digital archives, except under extraordinary legal circumstances (e.g., court orders or severe privacy violations).

  • Transparency: All changes to published articles will be explicitly documented through formal notices (Corrigenda, Errata, Retractions, or Addenda) linked bidirectionally to the original paper.

  • COPE Compliance: The journal adheres strictly to the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding retractions and corrections.

2. Types of Amendments

A. Publisher Correction (Erratum)

An Erratum is published when a significant error was introduced by the publisher or journal staff during the editing, typesetting, or production process that affects the clarity, accuracy, or integrity of the article (e.g., corrupted table data, omitted author names, broken figures).

B. Author Correction (Corrigendum)

A Corrigendum is published when a significant error was made by the author(s) prior to publication.

  • Applicability: Used for inadvertent errors in data, figures, mathematical formulas, or textual errors that do not compromise the overall scientific conclusions of the study.

  • Process: Authors must contact the Editorial Office with a detailed explanation of the error and proposed corrections. The Editor-in-Chief evaluates the request and determines whether a Corrigendum is warranted.

C. Addendum

An Addendum is published if additional information or context is required to clarify a specific point in the paper without changing its original conclusions. This may include missing conflict of interest declarations, supplementary context, or omitted acknowledgements.

D. Retraction

A Retraction is reserved for articles where the scientific findings, data, or main conclusions are no longer reliable, valid, or ethically sound.

Criteria for Retraction:

  • Clear evidence of scientific misconduct (e.g., data fabrication, falsification, or image manipulation).

  • Unintentional major scientific or calculation errors that completely invalidate the core conclusions.

  • Evidence of severe ethical violations, including major plagiarism, redundant/duplicate publication without proper acknowledgment, or unethical research practices.

  • Copyright infringement or other legal disputes.

Retraction Procedure:

  1. Investigation: The Editor-in-Chief conducts an investigation, consulting with reviewers, editorial board members, or institutional ethics bodies as necessary.

  2. Notice Publication: A formal Retraction Notice will be published, authored by the Editor-in-Chief, authors, or publisher.

  3. Transparency: The notice will state who is retracting the article and why.

  4. PDF Handling: The original article PDF will remain accessible on the website, but will be prominently stamped on each page with a watermark stating "RETRACTED".

E. Expression of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued by the Editor-in-Chief if:

  • There is strong, credible evidence of misconduct or major error, but an institutional investigation is ongoing, inconclusive, or unduly delayed.

  • Concerns are raised regarding the validity of the research, but insufficient evidence is currently available to justify a full retraction.

3. Reporting Errors and Concerns

Readers, reviewers, or authors who identify errors or potential ethical violations in a published article are encouraged to contact the Editorial Office directly.

Required Information for Submission:

  1. Full article title and DOI.

  2. Clear description of the specific error or concern.

  3. Relevant evidence, data, or supporting documentation backing the claim.

All reports will be handled confidentially and investigated impartially in accordance with COPE flowcharts.