Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

SCIENCE – International Journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and transparency of the scholarly record. The journal follows the recommendations and procedures of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including the COPE Retraction Guidelines, when addressing post-publication issues.

Corrections (Errata and Corrigenda)

Corrections are issued when a published article contains errors that affect the accuracy or clarity of the work but do not invalidate the overall findings or conclusions.

  • Corrections may address factual errors, typographical mistakes, author information, or minor data issues.

  • A correction notice is published, clearly linked to the original article, and describes the nature of the correction.

  • The original article remains part of the scholarly record, with a clear indication that a correction has been issued.

Retractions

Retractions are issued when there is clear evidence that the findings of a published article are unreliable due to serious errors or misconduct.

Grounds for retraction may include, but are not limited to:

  • data fabrication or falsification;

  • plagiarism or redundant publication;

  • unethical research practices;

  • major methodological errors that invalidate the conclusions.

  • Retraction notices are published promptly, are clearly identified as retractions, and are permanently linked to the retracted article.

  • The retracted article remains accessible to readers, clearly marked as retracted, in order to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

  • Retractions are issued in accordance with COPE guidelines and without defamatory language.

Expressions of Concern

An expression of concern may be issued when:

  • there is inconclusive evidence of research or publication misconduct;

  • an investigation is ongoing but not yet resolved;

  • there are serious doubts about the integrity of the work that require alerting readers.

Expressions of concern are clearly labeled, linked to the original article, and updated or replaced by a correction or retraction once the investigation is completed.

Editorial Responsibility and Transparency

  • All post-publication notices (corrections, retractions, expressions of concern) are issued by the editorial office following a fair and transparent investigation.

  • Notices are assigned a unique identifier where applicable and are permanently linked to the original article.

  • Updates to the publication record are communicated to readers through appropriate metadata updates and version control mechanisms.

Link to CrossMark

When applicable, post-publication changes are registered with Crossref and reflected through the CrossMark service, allowing readers to verify the current status of an article and access authoritative update information.

Final Statement

By issuing corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern in a transparent and responsible manner, SCIENCE – International Journal ensures the reliability of the scholarly record and upholds international standards of publication ethics.