Concern Policy

Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Expressions of Concern Policy

Corrections may be initiated by authors, readers, or editors who identify significant errors or omissions that could affect the interpretation of an article’s content. All correction requests must be substantiated with evidence.
The editorial office will review all claims thoroughly. This process may involve consultation with peer reviewers, external experts, and the authors of the original paper.
Corrections may address errors in data, methodology descriptions, authorship, or other critical aspects of the publication. Minor typographical errors that do not affect the readability or scientific accuracy of the paper may be corrected without a formal notice, at the discretion of the editors.
If a correction is warranted, a formal correction notice will be published both online and in the next available print issue. The notice will link back to the original article, which will be amended if feasible.

Grounds for retraction: Articles may be retracted due to significant errors, fraudulent data, ethical breaches such as plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other factors that undermine the integrity of the article.
Investigation process: Retractions are considered after a thorough review by the editorial board and, if necessary, consultation with external experts and institutions involved. The process is documented meticulously to ensure fairness and accuracy.
Execution of retractions: Retraction notices will be clearly identified, published openly, and linked to the original article. The original article will be watermarked as “Retracted” but will remain accessible to maintain the historical record.
Notification: All co-authors, their affiliated institutions, and relevant funding agencies will be notified of the retraction and its reasons.

When errors affect only part of a publication but not enough to warrant a full retraction, a partial retraction will be issued. This will specify the section of the text that is impacted.
A partial retraction notice will be linked to the text in question, and stakeholders will be informed as in full retractions.

Expressions of concern may be issued when credible evidence of misconduct is presented, but a conclusive investigation is not yet feasible.
Such expressions are temporary measures and will be reviewed periodically until a final resolution is reached, at which point they may lead to a correction, retraction, or removal of the expression of concern.
Expressions of concern will be prominently displayed and accessible alongside the original article.

Comments critiquing or discussing a significant aspect of a published work must be constructive and focused on scientific arguments. The editorial team will oversee the discourse to ensure it remains professional and productive.
Both comments and replies undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure they meet the journal’s standards for publication.

Authors are expected to cooperate fully with the editorial processes for corrections and retractions and to provide all necessary documentation or data that the journal may require to evaluate the case.
Non-compliance with this policy, failure to cooperate with investigations, or refusal to correct or retract the work may lead to sanctions against authors, including barring from future submissions and notification to affiliated institutions.

All communications and documents related to corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern will be securely archived by the journal to ensure a clear audit trail.
The editorial board will review this policy annually and update it to incorporate new ethical standards, legal requirements, and community best practices.