Retraction Policy for Published Articles
The procedure for retracting published articles is based on the Retraction Guidelines developed by the international organization Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
The purpose of retraction is to correct publication errors and ensure compliance with the principles of publication ethics rather than to punish authors.
The Editorial Board may decide to retract a publication if it no longer has confidence in the results and conclusions presented in the article.
Grounds for the retraction of a published article may include:
- the presence, after publication, of clear evidence of textual borrowing (plagiarism), significant errors, inconsistencies in data or images, or any form of misrepresentation (for example, fraud, identity theft, fictitious authorship, or concealment of the use of artificial intelligence contrary to the journal’s policy), which calls into question the reliability of the scientific results;
- publication of research results in another publication without proper reference, permission, or justification, or if materials or data were used without appropriate authorization;
- violations of publication ethics, manipulation or falsification of peer review, or undeclared conflicts of interest that may bias the interpretation of the work or the recommendations of reviewers.
Initiators of the retraction may include the article’s author(s), reviewers, readers, members of the editorial board, or educational and research institutions.
A request (complaint) for retraction should be submitted to the editorial office via email, indicating the relevant facts and supporting evidence.
The Editor-in-Chief, together with the Editorial Board, conducts a preliminary review of the request and, if necessary, involves independent experts to assess the situation.
The author(s), if they agree, may provide a written explanation for consideration by the Editorial Board.
After reviewing and analyzing the facts, the Editorial Board may make one of the following decisions:
- “reject the complaint as unfounded”;
- “correct the article through the publication of a correction notice”; or
- “formally retract the article with a published retraction notice.”
The retraction notice must include a reference to the retracted article, clearly indicate its title and authors, and must be published promptly and remain freely accessible to all readers.
The author(s) receive written notification explaining the reasons for and consequences of the retraction. The complainant, if not the author, receives a response informing them of the Editorial Board’s decision.
The author(s) have the right to submit an appeal within 30 days after receiving notification of the retraction. The appeal is considered by the Editor-in-Chief and independent experts, whose decision is final.
