Retractions and post-publication corrections

Retraction Guidelines

Retractions are a necessary part of maintaining the integrity and credibility of scientific publishing. The following guidelines outline when and how retractions are handled in the journal:

1. Grounds for Retraction

A manuscript may be retracted for the following reasons:

  • Scientific Misconduct: Evidence of plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or unethical research practices.
  • Errors in Data or Analysis: Significant errors that undermine the findings, conclusions, or reproducibility of the study.
  • Ethical Violations: Failure to obtain proper ethical approvals or violations of human/animal research guidelines.
  • Redundant or Duplicate Publication: Instances where the manuscript has been published in another journal or contains substantial overlap with another publication by the same authors without proper citation or permission.
  • Author Misconduct: Undisclosed conflicts of interest or authorship disputes that compromise the integrity of the manuscript.

2. Retraction Process

  1. Identification of Issues:

    • Concerns may be raised by authors, readers, editors, or reviewers.
    • The journal will conduct an initial investigation to determine the validity of the concern.

  2. Investigation:

    • The editorial board will review the allegations and may request explanations from the authors.
    • External experts may be consulted for an independent assessment.

  3. Decision:

    • If the concern is substantiated, the editorial board will decide whether a correction, retraction, or an expression of concern is warranted.

  4. Author Notification:

    • Authors will be informed of the decision and given an opportunity to respond. The journal will consider the authors' input but reserves the final decision-making authority.

  5. Public Retraction Notice:

    • A retraction notice will be published alongside the original article, indicating the reasons for the retraction.
    • The notice will be transparent, clearly stating the nature of the issues, and who initiated the retraction.
    • The original article will remain accessible online but marked as retracted to preserve the scientific record.

3. Retraction Notice Content

A retraction notice will include:

  • The title and authors of the original article.
  • The reason(s) for retraction (e.g., ethical violations, errors, or misconduct).
  • Details of the investigation process, where appropriate.
  • A disclaimer emphasizing that the article should no longer be cited.

4. Authority to Retract

  • Retractions are issued at the discretion of the editorial board.
  • Retractions can be requested by the authors, but the editorial board has the final authority.

5. Ethical Considerations

  • Retractions will follow the best practices outlined by international organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
  • Retractions are intended to correct the scientific record, not to punish authors.

6. Transparency and Accessibility

  • Retraction notices are freely accessible to ensure transparency.
  • Retractions will be indexed and linked to the original article in databases to prevent inadvertent citations of the retracted work.