Corrections and Retractions

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern Policy

The Andalasian International Journal of Agricultural and Natural Sciences (AIJANS) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, reliability, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. The journal recognizes that errors, ethical concerns, and questions about the reliability of published research may arise before or after publication. AIJANS addresses such matters through fair, evidence-based, and proportionate editorial procedures.

This policy establishes the procedures for corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, manuscript withdrawals, and other necessary post-publication actions. It is informed by the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, Version 5.0 (2026), developed by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME, and the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

The primary purpose of corrective editorial action is to preserve the integrity of the published scholarly record and provide readers with accurate information about the status and reliability of published work. Corrections and retractions are not intended primarily as punitive measures.

1. General Principles

AIJANS applies the following principles when addressing errors, ethical concerns, and allegations involving published research:

Accuracy: The journal will assess reported errors and concerns using available evidence and appropriate scholarly expertise.
Transparency: Significant changes to published articles will be documented through clearly identified public notices.
Fairness: Authors and other relevant parties will normally be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to concerns.
Editorial independence: Decisions concerning corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions are the responsibility of the journal's editors and must not be influenced by commercial, financial, institutional, or personal interests.
Preservation of the scholarly record: Published articles will ordinarily remain accessible, including when they are retracted, with clear identification of their current publication status.
Timeliness: The journal will act without unnecessary delay once sufficient evidence is available to justify an editorial action.
Proportionality: Editorial action will reflect the nature, extent, and consequences of the identified problem.

2. Corrections (Errata and Corrigenda)

2.1 Definition and Purpose

A correction is issued when an error or omission is identified in a published article but the principal findings and conclusions remain reliable. Corrections ensure that readers have access to an accurate record without unnecessarily retracting otherwise valid research.

AIJANS may use the terms Erratum or Corrigendum to identify a correction. Regardless of terminology, the correction notice must clearly describe the nature of the change.

2.2 Circumstances Requiring a Correction

Corrections may be appropriate for:

Errors in author names, affiliations, or contributor information.
Incorrect or incomplete acknowledgments, funding statements, or competing-interest declarations.
Errors in figures, tables, legends, or numerical values that do not invalidate the principal findings.
Errors in references, citations, or attribution that can be adequately remedied without undermining the integrity of the article.
Omissions or inaccuracies in methodological descriptions that require clarification but do not invalidate the results.
Other substantive errors that can be corrected while preserving the reliability of the published work.

Routine typographical or formatting errors that do not affect interpretation, attribution, or the accuracy of the scholarly record may be corrected without a separate formal notice when appropriate. Such changes must not be used to conceal substantive alterations.

2.3 Correction Procedure

Notification: Authors, readers, reviewers, editors, or other concerned parties may report a possible error to the editorial office.
Assessment: The editorial team evaluates the reported error and determines whether the article's principal findings and conclusions remain reliable.
Author consultation: Authors will normally be asked to explain the error and, where appropriate, propose corrected information or supporting evidence.
Editorial decision: The Editor-in-Chief or an appropriately delegated editor determines whether a formal correction is necessary.
Publication: An approved correction is published as a separate, clearly identified notice linked to the original article.
Metadata update: The journal updates the relevant article metadata and cross-references where technically supported.

2.4 Publication of Correction Notices

A formal correction notice should include:

The title of the affected article.
The names of the original authors.
The article's bibliographic information and DOI.
A clear explanation of the error.
The corrected information.
The publication date of the correction.
A link to the original article.

Where a corrected version of the original article is made available, the journal must ensure that readers can identify that a correction has occurred and locate the corresponding correction notice. Substantive changes must not be made silently.

3. Retractions

3.1 Definition and Purpose

A retraction is a formal editorial notice indicating that a published article, or a substantial part of its content, is unreliable or otherwise seriously compromised. Retraction alerts readers to significant problems in the scholarly record.

Retraction does not necessarily establish deliberate misconduct. Articles may require retraction because of honest errors, serious methodological problems, misconduct, or other circumstances that undermine their reliability.

3.2 Grounds for Retraction

AIJANS may retract a published article when sufficient evidence establishes one or more of the following:

Unreliable findings: The findings or conclusions are substantially unreliable because of major errors, methodological problems, or invalid research data.
Fabrication or falsification: Research data, results, observations, images, or other evidence have been fabricated or materially falsified.
Substantial plagiarism: Significant portions of another person's work or intellectual contributions have been presented without appropriate acknowledgment.
Redundant or duplicate publication: Substantially the same findings have been published elsewhere without adequate disclosure or justification, in circumstances that materially mislead readers.
Compromised peer review: The editorial or peer-review process has been manipulated or compromised in a way that undermines confidence in the publication.
Serious research ethics violations: Research has involved significant violations of applicable ethical requirements, including serious failures concerning informed consent, participant protection, or necessary ethical approval.
Misleading use of artificial intelligence: The use of AI-generated or AI-manipulated research content has resulted in fabricated evidence, materially unreliable findings, or serious misrepresentation of the research.
Other serious integrity concerns: Substantial violations involving intellectual property, authorship, research integrity, or publication ethics make continued publication without a retraction notice inappropriate.

Retraction will not ordinarily be used solely to address minor errors, differences in scientific interpretation, or authorship disputes when the findings remain reliable and the matter can be resolved through an appropriate correction or other editorial action.

3.3 Retraction Investigation and Decision

When credible information suggests that an article may require retraction, AIJANS will follow a documented editorial assessment process.

Initial assessment: The editorial team examines the allegation, identifies the relevant evidence, and evaluates its potential impact on the published article.
Author notification: The corresponding author and, where appropriate, other authors will normally be informed of the concern and invited to provide an explanation and relevant documentation.
Independent assessment: The Editor-in-Chief may seek advice from independent subject experts, research-integrity specialists, the publisher, or the authors' institutions.
Institutional cooperation: When the concern requires investigation beyond the journal's authority or expertise, AIJANS may contact the relevant research institution or other appropriate body.
Editorial decision: The Editor-in-Chief, or an independent editor appointed when the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest, makes the final editorial decision on whether retraction is warranted.
Notification: Relevant authors will be informed of the decision and, where appropriate, given an opportunity to comment on the factual accuracy of the proposed notice.
Publication: The journal publishes a formal retraction notice and updates the publication record.

A retraction may proceed without the agreement of all authors when the editor has sufficient evidence that the published article requires retraction. The journal will not unnecessarily delay a justified retraction solely because authors do not respond or refuse to cooperate.

An institutional finding of misconduct is not always required before an editorial retraction can be issued. The journal's responsibility is to assess the reliability and integrity of the published record, while institutions may separately investigate individual responsibility or misconduct.

3.4 Retraction Notices

A retraction notice must be publicly accessible and clearly identified as a retraction.

The notice should:

Identify the retracted article and provide its complete citation.
Include a link to the original article and its DOI.
Clearly explain the reason for the retraction.
Identify whether the retraction was initiated by the authors, editors, or another authorized party.
Distinguish established facts from allegations or unresolved matters.
State the publication date of the notice.
Identify the parties issuing the retraction.
Provide information about author agreement or disagreement where relevant and appropriate.

Retraction notices must be factual, objective, and proportionate. They should explain why the scholarly record requires correction without making unsupported accusations concerning individual intent or misconduct.

3.5 Availability of Retracted Articles

Retracted articles will ordinarily remain available on the AIJANS website to preserve the transparency and continuity of the scholarly record.

The original article must be clearly identified as RETRACTED. The retraction notice and original article must be linked to each other.

Where technically feasible, the retracted status should also appear on the article landing page, PDF, HTML full text, and relevant bibliographic metadata.

The journal will seek to communicate the retraction status through appropriate metadata registration and indexing services, including Crossref where applicable.

3.6 Exceptional Removal of Published Content

Complete removal of a published article is an exceptional measure and is distinct from retraction.

Removal may be necessary when continued public availability would create serious legal, privacy, safety, or other compelling risks, such as:

A binding court order requiring removal.
Serious violations of personal privacy or confidentiality.
Defamatory material that cannot appropriately remain accessible.
Information presenting a serious and immediate public health or safety risk.

Whenever possible, AIJANS will retain the article's bibliographic metadata and publish a notice explaining why the full text is unavailable.

4. Expressions of Concern

4.1 Purpose

An Expression of Concern is a formal editorial notice informing readers that credible and potentially significant questions have been raised about the reliability or integrity of a published article, but the available evidence does not yet support a definitive correction or retraction.

An Expression of Concern is not a substitute for an appropriate retraction and must not be used merely as a less severe form of disciplinary action.

4.2 Circumstances for Issuing an Expression of Concern

AIJANS may issue an Expression of Concern when:

There is credible evidence suggesting a serious problem with a published article, but further investigation is needed.
An institutional investigation is ongoing and its findings may materially affect the reliability of the article.
Available evidence is inconclusive or conflicting.
Relevant parties are unable or unwilling to provide necessary information within a reasonable period.
An investigation is substantially delayed, while readers need to be informed about unresolved concerns.
A serious question about research data, image integrity, research ethics, or publication practices remains unresolved.

4.3 Publication and Content of an Expression of Concern

An Expression of Concern should:

Identify the article concerned.
Explain the nature of the concern without presenting unverified allegations as established facts.
Indicate whether an investigation or assessment is ongoing, when disclosure is appropriate.
Identify the issuing editor or editorial authority.
Provide a publication date.
Link directly to the original article.

The original article will normally remain accessible. The article landing page should clearly indicate that an Expression of Concern has been issued.

4.4 Follow-up and Resolution

AIJANS will review outstanding Expressions of Concern when significant new information becomes available.

Depending on the outcome, the journal may:

Publish a correction.
Retract the article.
Publish a notice explaining that the concern has been resolved.
Maintain the Expression of Concern while material questions remain unresolved.

Any subsequent notice should be linked to the original Expression of Concern and the affected article. The history of the editorial action should remain transparent.

5. Manuscript Withdrawal Before Publication

5.1 Definition

Manuscript withdrawal refers to discontinuation of the editorial consideration or publication process before an article has been formally published.

Withdrawal before publication must be distinguished from retraction, which applies to already published work.

5.2 Author-Initiated Withdrawal

Authors seeking to withdraw a submitted manuscript must notify the editorial office through the journal's submission system or official contact channel.

A withdrawal request should include:

The manuscript title and submission identification number.
The reason for withdrawal.
Confirmation that the corresponding author has consulted the co-authors.
Any information necessary to resolve outstanding ethical or editorial concerns.

The editorial office will evaluate and document the request and confirm when consideration of the manuscript has ended. Authors should not assume that the manuscript has been withdrawn until the journal has communicated confirmation.

Acceptance of a withdrawal request does not prevent the journal from pursuing credible allegations of research or publication misconduct or communicating relevant concerns to appropriate institutions.

5.3 Editor-Initiated Discontinuation

AIJANS may discontinue consideration of a manuscript before publication when serious ethical, legal, scientific, or procedural problems make further processing inappropriate.

The editorial office will communicate the decision and its relevant grounds to the corresponding author, subject to confidentiality and legal requirements.

5.4 Articles Published Online

An article that has already been formally published online forms part of the scholarly record, even if it has not yet been assigned to a journal issue.

Such an article cannot be treated as an unpublished manuscript merely because issue assignment is pending. Any necessary corrective action must follow the post-publication procedures in this policy.

6. Research and Publication Misconduct

AIJANS takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously, including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, compromised peer review, citation manipulation, misrepresented authorship, and serious ethical violations.

The journal distinguishes between:

Honest errors: Unintentional mistakes that may require correction or, when sufficiently serious, retraction.
Questionable research or publication practices: Conduct requiring clarification, correction, further investigation, or other proportionate action.
Established misconduct: Serious violations supported by sufficient evidence or relevant institutional findings.

Editorial action will be based primarily on the integrity and reliability of the scholarly record rather than solely on a determination of individual intent.

7. Reporting Concerns and Post-Publication Discussion

Authors, readers, reviewers, researchers, and other concerned parties may submit evidence-based concerns about published articles to the AIJANS editorial office.

Reports may be submitted through the official AIJANS contact page.

A report should, where possible, include:

The title and DOI of the article concerned.
A clear description of the alleged error or concern.
Supporting evidence or relevant documentation.
References to potentially affected data, figures, tables, or text.
Contact information for follow-up communication, where available.

AIJANS will assess concerns on their merits. The journal will not dismiss a credible concern solely because it was submitted by someone outside the author group.

The journal may facilitate scholarly discussion after publication through correspondence, letters to the editor, or other appropriate editorial mechanisms. Substantive critiques affecting the reliability of an article will be assessed independently of whether the critique itself is selected for publication.

Where concerns are credible, the editorial team will document the evidence, assess the need for independent expertise, and determine the appropriate response. Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent consistent with fair assessment and necessary cooperation with relevant parties.

8. Cooperation with Research Institutions and Other Journals

When allegations require investigation beyond the journal's editorial expertise or authority, AIJANS may cooperate with research institutions, publishers, other journals, and relevant research-integrity bodies.

Such cooperation may include:

Requesting clarification concerning research methods or data.
Seeking information about institutional research-integrity investigations.
Investigating suspected duplicate or redundant publication across journals.
Confirming the authenticity or provenance of research materials.
Coordinating appropriate correction or retraction notices.

The journal will share information proportionately and responsibly, taking account of confidentiality, privacy, and applicable legal requirements.

AIJANS retains editorial responsibility for decisions concerning the status of articles published in the journal. Such decisions need not always await or duplicate the conclusions of institutional proceedings.

9. Editorial Independence and Conflicts of Interest

Decisions concerning corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern must be based on the evidence and the integrity of the scholarly record.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by:

The nationality, institutional affiliation, or reputation of the authors.
Personal or professional relationships.
Commercial or financial interests.
Article processing charges or other publication payments.
Undue pressure from authors, institutions, sponsors, or other parties.

Editors with significant conflicts of interest concerning a particular case must disclose those conflicts and withdraw from the relevant decision-making process.

Where the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest, an appropriately qualified and independent editor should be appointed to manage the case.

10. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of their published research and must cooperate with reasonable editorial inquiries concerning errors or ethical concerns.

Authors who discover a significant error in their published work must notify the AIJANS editorial office promptly and provide sufficient information to assess the appropriate corrective action.

Authors should:

Provide accurate and complete explanations.
Make relevant underlying data or documentation available when appropriate and ethically permissible.
Cooperate in preparing necessary correction or retraction notices.
Inform co-authors of significant post-publication concerns.
Refrain from concealing errors or interfering with legitimate investigations.

A disagreement among authors does not automatically prevent AIJANS from taking necessary editorial action to preserve the scholarly record.

11. Article Metadata, DOI, and Publication Record

AIJANS recognizes the importance of maintaining an accurate and traceable record of corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions.

For formal post-publication notices, the journal will:

Publish the notice as a distinct, identifiable scholarly record.
Provide a persistent URL and assign a DOI where appropriate and technically supported.
Link the notice to the original article.
Update the original article's landing page to display its current status.
Update relevant bibliographic metadata and relationships where supported.
Preserve the original publication and its correction history, except in exceptional removal cases.

Where supported by the journal's publishing infrastructure, AIJANS will register appropriate relationships between the original article and the subsequent editorial notice through Crossref or other relevant metadata services.

A retraction notice must be clearly distinguishable from the original research article and must not be presented as a new research contribution.

12. Review and Appeal of Editorial Actions

Authors may request reconsideration of a correction, expression of concern, or retraction decision when they can provide relevant new evidence or identify a material factual or procedural error.

Requests should be submitted in writing to the editorial office with supporting documentation.

Where practicable, the reconsideration should be conducted by an editor who was not responsible for the original contested decision.

An appeal does not automatically suspend an editorial action necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

AIJANS will document the outcome and communicate the decision to the relevant parties.

13. Policy Implementation and Review

AIJANS will apply this policy to all published content, including original research articles, review articles, short communications, and other scholarly contributions.

Where special issues, supplementary content, or conference-related publications are accepted by the journal, the same principles of transparency and publication integrity will apply.

The editorial team will review this policy periodically to maintain consistency with developments in publication ethics and relevant international guidance.

14. References and Ethical Guidelines

The following authoritative resources inform this policy:

COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME. Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, Version 5.0 (2026).
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Retraction Guidelines.
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Cooperation Between Research Institutions and Journals on Research Integrity and Publication Misconduct Cases.
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Publication Ethics Guidance and Flowcharts.