Submission of a Correction Request

The corresponding author, on behalf of all authors, or any reader may submit a correction request to the journal's editorial office. The request should identify the article, preferably including its DOI, describe the error, provide the incorrect and corrected information, explain the cause of the error and its effect on the results, and include confirmation of co-author agreement when submitted by the authors.

Acknowledgement

The editorial office acknowledges receipt of the request and may assign a reference number to facilitate communication and follow-up.

Editorial Assessment

The editor assesses the significance of the reported error and its implications for the article's accuracy and conclusions. The editor may consult the authors, reviewers, editorial board members, or subject experts before deciding whether a correction, another editorial action, or no action is appropriate.

Preparation and Approval of the Notice

If a correction is approved, the journal prepares a clear, factual notice identifying the original article and explaining the error and its correction. The authors are given an opportunity to review the wording of a correction notice relating to their article.

Publication of the Correction

The approved correction notice is published through the journal. Where applicable and technically supported, it receives its own DOI and is linked to the original article. Any corrected file must be clearly identified, with a dated note explaining the correction.

Linking and Metadata Updates

The journal links the correction notice to the original article and updates the relevant publication metadata where applicable. The notice may also be included in the table of contents of a subsequent issue and communicated to relevant indexing services.

Initiation of the Retraction Process

The process may begin with a written request from the authors, findings from an institutional investigation, the outcome of the journal's research misconduct assessment, or credible information received from another journal, publisher, or concerned party. Requests should identify the article and explain the reasons and supporting evidence.

Editorial Assessment

The editorial team examines the available evidence and assesses whether retraction is warranted. The editor may consult the editorial board, independent experts, relevant institutions, or COPE guidance where appropriate. The assessment distinguishes honest error from research or publication misconduct.

Author Consultation

The authors are informed of the concerns and given an opportunity to respond and provide relevant evidence. Where practicable, the journal seeks a response within 30 days. If the authors do not respond or disagree with the proposed retraction, the editorial team may proceed based on the available evidence and document the authors' position in the notice, where appropriate.

Editorial Decision

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision based on the evidence, the seriousness of the issue, and the applicable publication ethics guidance. The rationale for the decision is documented by the journal.

Preparation and Publication of the Retraction Notice

The notice is titled "Retraction: [Article Title]" and includes the full citation of the affected article, the reason for retraction, the party initiating the request, and the authors' position where appropriate. The notice must be factual, transparent, and publicly accessible.

Identification of the Retracted Article

The original article remains accessible whenever possible, clearly marked as retracted and linked to the retraction notice. The PDF may carry a "RETRACTED" watermark on each page, and the article's metadata is updated to indicate its retracted status. Removal of the full text is reserved for exceptional circumstances, such as legal requirements or serious safety risks.

DOI Registration and Indexing

Where supported, the retraction notice receives its own DOI and is linked to the original article through the journal's metadata and relevant registration or indexing services. The notice may also be listed in a subsequent issue of the journal.

Communication and Case Closure

The journal communicates the decision to the authors and, where relevant, the person who raised the concern, the authors' institutions, and funding bodies. The case is documented and closed when the appropriate editorial actions and notifications have been completed.