Corrections and Retractions

The journal is committed to maintaining an accurate, reliable, transparent, and permanent scientific record. When significant errors or integrity concerns are identified in published content, the journal will take appropriate post-publication action through Corrections, Expressions of Concern, Retractions, or other transparent notices.

Post-publication actions are intended to correct the scientific record and inform readers; they are not primarily punitive measures. Decisions are based on the nature of the problem, the reliability of the available evidence, and the extent to which the issue affects the article’s findings, interpretation, ethical acceptability, or integrity.

Corrections

A Correction may be published when an error or omission affects the accuracy, interpretation, attribution, or completeness of an article but does not invalidate the work as a whole.

Corrections may be appropriate for:

• factual or numerical errors;
• errors in tables, figures, legends, or supplementary material;
• errors in statistical calculations that do not invalidate the principal conclusions;
• inaccurate author names, affiliations, or contributorship information where properly documented;
• incomplete or inaccurate declarations concerning funding or conflicts of interest;
• errors in references or other information that materially affect understanding of the article;
• other substantive errors that can be corrected without retracting the publication.

Minor typographical, grammatical, or formatting errors that do not affect scientific meaning normally do not require a formal correction notice.

Where a formal correction is required, the journal will:

• publish a clearly labelled Correction notice;
• identify and cite the original article;
• explain what has been corrected;
• provide the date of the correction;
• link the correction notice and original article in both directions;
• update the online article where appropriate while maintaining a transparent record of the change.

Substantive corrections will not be made silently.

ICMJE recommends publication of a correction as soon as reasonably possible when factual errors are identified and requires transparent version control for substantive changes.

Retractions

A Retraction is used when the journal determines that the findings, conclusions, ethical basis, or integrity of a published article are seriously compromised and the article can no longer be relied upon as part of the scientific record.

Grounds for retraction may include:

• clear evidence that findings are unreliable because of major error, fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation;
• serious manipulation of research data, images, statistical analyses, code, or other research materials;
• plagiarism of a substantial nature;
• substantial duplicate or redundant publication without appropriate justification or disclosure;
• unethical research or serious failure to comply with applicable requirements for ethical approval, consent, or participant protection;
• fraudulent or seriously compromised peer review;
• fabricated authorship, data, documentation, or other information where this materially affects publication integrity;
• serious undisclosed conflicts of interest where they undermine the reliability or integrity of the published work;
• other circumstances in which the article is seriously misleading or unreliable.

Retraction may result from research misconduct or from a serious honest error. A finding of misconduct is therefore not required in every case where retraction is necessary.

An authorship dispute alone will normally not justify retraction when the scientific findings remain reliable; appropriate authorship changes may instead be addressed through a correction when supported by sufficient evidence.

Retraction Notices

A retraction notice will:

• be clearly identified as a Retraction;
• identify and provide a complete citation to the affected article;
• state the reason for the retraction sufficiently clearly to inform readers;
• indicate, where appropriate, whether the retraction results from error, misconduct, or another integrity concern;
• identify who is issuing or requesting the retraction where appropriate;
• be permanently available and linked electronically to the original article.

The original article will normally remain accessible as part of the scholarly record, but it will be prominently and clearly marked as retracted in its online versions. The retraction notice and the original article should be linked in both directions.

A retraction will not be delayed solely because one or more authors disagree with or refuse to approve it when the journal has sufficient evidence that retraction is necessary. The final responsibility for protecting the journal’s scientific record remains with the Editor-in-Chief or appropriately authorized independent editor. These principles are consistent with ICMJE and COPE guidance.

Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be published when serious and credible concerns exist about a published article but the available evidence is not yet sufficient to determine whether a correction or retraction is required.

It may be appropriate when:

• an institutional or regulatory investigation is ongoing;
• evidence concerning the reliability of the article is inconclusive or disputed;
• the institution responsible for investigating the concern has not completed its investigation;
• an investigation is substantially delayed;
• there are serious unresolved questions regarding data, research ethics, authorship, peer review, or other aspects of publication integrity.

The Expression of Concern will be clearly identified, explain the reason for concern, and be linked to the affected article.

When sufficient evidence becomes available, the journal will reassess the case and may issue a correction, retraction, or other notice confirming that the concerns have been resolved.

Retraction and Republication

In exceptional cases, retraction with republication may be considered when a major error substantially changes the results, interpretation, or conclusions but:

• the error is determined to be unintentional;
• the underlying research remains scientifically valid;
• the corrected work undergoes appropriate additional editorial and peer review;
• republication provides a more accurate and transparent scientific record.

The relationship between the retracted and republished versions must be clearly explained and linked. ICMJE recognizes this approach for appropriate cases involving major honest errors.

Author Requests

Authors who identify a significant error in their published article are expected to notify the journal promptly and cooperate in correcting the scientific record.

An author’s request to withdraw, retract, or remove a published article does not automatically determine the journal’s action. The editors will assess the scientific and ethical basis for the request and select the appropriate mechanism.

Likewise, a correction or retraction may proceed even when not all authors agree, provided that the decision is supported by appropriate evidence and fair editorial assessment.

Version Control

The journal will maintain transparent version control for substantive post-publication changes.

Where an article is formally corrected:

• the date and nature of the change will be recorded;
• the correction notice will be linked to the affected article;
• readers will be able to determine that the article has been modified;
• prior versions will be preserved or otherwise appropriately archived;
• the most current version will be clearly identifiable.

Previous versions should indicate that a more recent version exists. Where appropriate, associated DOI metadata and information supplied to indexing, archiving, or metadata services will be updated to reflect the current publication status.

ICMJE specifically recommends preserving previous versions, documenting the dates and nature of changes, and clearly identifying the most recent version.

Independence and Due Process

Decisions concerning corrections, Expressions of Concern, and retractions must be made independently, fairly, and without inappropriate conflicts of interest.

Where an article is authored by the Editor-in-Chief, an editor, or a member of the Editorial Board, the case will be handled by an independent editor or another suitably qualified person who was not involved in the article.

Authors will normally be informed of significant concerns and given an appropriate opportunity to respond. However, lack of response or disagreement by authors will not prevent the journal from correcting the scientific record when sufficient evidence is available.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and retractions will be issued as promptly as reasonably possible once the appropriate editorial action has been established.