Effective Date: August 2026
Purpose and Scope
Scientific Publications is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record.
This policy establishes publisher-wide principles for the correction, retraction, and publication of editorial expressions of concern relating to articles and other scholarly content published by journals of Scientific Publications.
Individual journals may maintain additional procedures according to their discipline, article types, and editorial requirements.
Corrections
A correction may be issued when a published article contains an error or omission that affects the accuracy, clarity, completeness, or understanding of the published record but does not invalidate the overall findings or conclusions of the work.
Corrections may include, where appropriate:
- factual or typographical errors;
- author information errors;
- affiliation errors;
- citation or reference errors;
- figure, table, or formatting errors;
- errors in published metadata; and
- other substantive mistakes that can be corrected without retracting the article.
Corrections should clearly identify the original article and describe the nature of the correction where appropriate.
Author-Initiated Corrections
Authors may notify the relevant journal of a suspected error in a published article.
The editorial team will assess the reported issue and determine whether a correction, retraction, or other action is appropriate.
Submission of a correction request does not guarantee that a correction will be published.
Editorial Corrections
The journal or publisher may initiate a correction when an error is identified independently by editors, reviewers, readers, or other reliable sources.
Corrections should be issued promptly after verification of the relevant information.
Retractions
Retraction may be considered when a published article is found to be sufficiently unreliable or seriously compromised that the scholarly record should no longer be relied upon as published.
Reasons for retraction may include:
- major errors that invalidate the findings or conclusions;
- fabricated or falsified data;
- serious research misconduct;
- plagiarism or substantial unauthorized duplication;
- unethical research or serious failure to meet applicable ethical requirements;
- fraudulent or manipulated peer review;
- duplicate or redundant publication where the circumstances warrant retraction;
- serious undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the publication;
- substantial concerns regarding authorship or provenance; or
- other circumstances that materially compromise the reliability or integrity of the published work.
Retraction decisions should be based on the available evidence and handled objectively.
Retraction Notice
Where an article is retracted, the journal should publish a clear retraction notice identifying the affected article.
The notice should, where appropriate, provide:
- the article title;
- the authors;
- publication information;
- the reason or reasons for retraction; and
- the relationship between the notice and the original article.
The original article should remain part of the scholarly record where technically and legally appropriate, with the retracted status clearly identified.
Editorial Expressions of Concern
An editorial expression of concern may be issued when there are substantial and credible concerns regarding the reliability, integrity, ethics, or other aspects of a published article, but the investigation has not yet reached a conclusion.
An expression of concern may be appropriate when:
- an investigation is ongoing;
- relevant evidence is incomplete;
- an institutional or regulatory review has been initiated;
- serious concerns cannot yet be resolved; or
- further information is required before a final editorial decision can be made.
An expression of concern does not by itself constitute a retraction.
Relationship Between Corrections and Retractions
Corrections should be used for errors that can be appropriately addressed without invalidating the article as a whole.
Retraction should be considered when the reliability or integrity of the published work is materially compromised.
The appropriate action will depend on the nature, seriousness, and evidence relating to the issue.
Ethical and Research Misconduct
Where concerns involve research or publication misconduct, the relevant journal and Scientific Publications may conduct or request an appropriate investigation.
Where appropriate, the publisher may communicate with authors, institutions, ethics committees, funders, or other relevant parties.
The publisher may take appropriate action based on the findings and available evidence.
Post-Publication Concerns
Readers, authors, reviewers, editors, institutions, and other relevant parties may raise concerns regarding published content.
Reports should provide sufficient information to allow the concern to be assessed.
Scientific Publications encourages concerns to be reported promptly when there are reasonable grounds to question the accuracy, integrity, or ethical basis of published work.
Editorial Assessment
Reports of potential errors or integrity concerns will be evaluated by the relevant editorial team and, where appropriate, by the publisher.
The assessment may include review of:
- the published article and submission history;
- peer-review records;
- authors’ explanations;
- supporting data or documentation;
- relevant ethical approvals;
- institutional findings; and
- other reliable evidence.
The process may vary according to the nature and seriousness of the concern.
Transparency and Scholarly Record
Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern should be clearly identified and linked to the affected publication wherever technically possible.
The publisher aims to maintain an accurate and transparent scholarly record rather than silently removing substantive published content.
Where appropriate, notices should remain permanently accessible with the original publication.
Independence of the Process
Decisions concerning corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern must be based on scholarly, ethical, and evidentiary considerations.
Commercial interests, publication charges, advertising relationships, sponsorship, or other financial considerations must not determine whether an article is corrected, retracted, or subject to an expression of concern.
Appeals and Reconsideration
Authors or other relevant parties may provide additional evidence or request reconsideration where appropriate.
Requests for reconsideration should identify the basis for the request and provide relevant supporting information.
The final decision should be made according to the applicable journal and publisher procedures.
Policy Review
Scientific Publications may periodically review and update this policy to reflect developments in responsible scholarly publishing, ethical standards, applicable requirements, and best practices.
The current version of this policy will be maintained on the Scientific Publications website.
Contact
Scientific Publications
Email: publisher@scientificpublications.org
Website: https://scientificpublications.org/
Last Updated: August 2026