Retraction, Withdrawal, and Correction (R-W-C) Policy
The Journal of Educational Innovation and Research (JEIR), published by DnA Horizon Press, is committed to preserving the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of its published scholarly record. While all parties—authors, editors, and reviewers—strive to ensure that every article is accurate and of high quality, in rare circumstances, it may be necessary to retract, withdraw, or correct an article.
Such actions are taken only under exceptional circumstances and follow the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including the COPE Retraction Guidelines and COPE Flowcharts. Our priority is to maintain transparency, safeguard academic integrity, and protect the trust of readers, researchers, and librarians.
1. General Principles
· Reports of potential retractions, withdrawals, or corrections can be submitted by any party (authors, readers, editors, reviewers, institutions, or other stakeholders) and must be supported by credible evidence.
· All reports are handled confidentially and investigated promptly.
· All cases will be acknowledged within 5 working days, and the editorial office aims to reach a final decision within 60 days, depending on complexity.
· All retraction, withdrawal, and correction notices will be:
o Assigned their own DOI.
o Permanently linked to the original article.
o Freely accessible to all readers.
o Accompanied by clear explanations and the reason for action.
· Even when an article is removed, its metadata (title, authors, DOI) will be preserved for archival purposes.
2. Retraction
An article will be considered for retraction if:
· There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable due to misconduct (e.g., data fabrication, falsification) or honest error (e.g., miscalculation, flawed experiment).
· The article has been previously published elsewhere without proper cross-referencing, permission, or justification (redundant publication).
· The article constitutes plagiarism.
· The research was conducted unethically or without appropriate ethical approval.
Retraction Process:
1. Concerns are submitted to the Editor-in-Chief by any party, internal or external.
2. The Editor-in-Chief follows COPE flowcharts to investigate, including requesting a formal response from the authors.
3. If appropriate, the matter may be referred to the author’s institution or other relevant bodies.
4. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision, with advice from the editorial board if necessary.
5. A retraction notice (with its own DOI) is posted online and in the next available issue, linked to the original article.
6. The PDF and HTML versions of the article will be clearly watermarked “Retracted” but will remain accessible to preserve the scholarly record.
Self-Retraction:
Authors may request retraction if they discover major errors in their work. These requests are processed according to the same procedure but are not considered misconduct if not related to ethical breaches.
Reference: COPE Retraction Guidelines – https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines
COPE Flowcharts – https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Flowcharts
3. Withdrawal
Pre-Publication Withdrawal:
· Authors may request withdrawal before the article is formally published and before a DOI is assigned.
· The request must be submitted as a formal letter signed by all authors and endorsed by the institutional head/director of the first author.
· No withdrawal fees apply before publication.
Post-Publication Withdrawal:
· If the article has been published and DOI activated, withdrawal is not permitted; instead, a retraction must be requested.
Withdrawal Process:
When an article is withdrawn, the PDF and HTML versions will be replaced with a notice stating that the article has been withdrawn in accordance with JEIR policy, along with a link to this policy.
4. Correction
A correction will be issued if:
· A minor part of an otherwise reliable publication proves to be misleading or incorrect due to honest error.
· The authorship list is incorrect (e.g., missing a contributor or including an ineligible person).
Types of Corrections:
· Publisher Correction (Erratum): For errors introduced by the journal during production.
· Author Correction (Corrigendum): For significant errors made by authors that affect interpretation or credibility.
· Addendum: For updates, clarifications, or expansions to the original article content.
Correction Process:
1. The Editor-in-Chief reviews the request or identifies the issue.
2. If necessary, input is sought from reviewers or the editorial board.
3. Once agreed, a correction notice (with its own DOI) is posted online, linked to the original article, and published in the next available issue.
4. The updated article will be marked as “Corrected” and the previous version will remain accessible for transparency.
5. Editorial Note
An Editorial Note may be issued if there are unresolved concerns about an article under investigation. Examples include:
· Ongoing investigations into research or publication misconduct.
· Disputes between authors or between authors and third parties.
This note remains linked to the article until a permanent resolution (correction or retraction) is made.
6. Expression of Concern
An Expression of Concern may be published when:
· There is inconclusive evidence of misconduct.
· There is credible evidence of issues, but the author’s institution refuses to investigate.
· An investigation is found to be unfair, biased, or inconclusive.
This statement is linked to the original article and updated once the case is resolved.
7. Version of Record Policy
JEIR follows the principle of maintaining a clear version of record for all published works:
· Retractions, corrections, and addenda are linked to the original publication.
· Previous versions remain accessible where relevant, ensuring transparency in the scholarly record.
References
· COPE Retraction Guidelines: https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines
· COPE Flowcharts: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Flowcharts
