Retraction, Correction & Withdrawal Policy

Retraction, Correction & Withdrawal Policy

How NJPST corrects the scholarly record — following COPE Retraction Guidelines and version control.

Effective 15 Sept 2026 — COPE https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines

1. What Stays in the Record

Published articles are the version of record and are permanently preserved (PKP PN / LOCKSS). They are never silently removed. Any change produces a new version with a clear notice.

2. Correction (Erratum / Corrigendum)

Issued when a published error does not invalidate findings but may confuse readers (e.g., typo in title, wrong affiliation, figure label, missed funding).

  • Author or reader reports the error to [email protected]
  • Editor verifies, consults authors, posts a Correction notice linked bidirectionally to the article, and updates the PDF with a correction date; the original PDF remains accessible
  • Metadata (Crossref, Zenodo) is updated; Crossref issues a new version DOI relation

3. Retraction

Issued when findings are unreliable, misconduct is proven, or the work should not have been published (duplicate, plagiarism, ethics breach).

  • Following COPE flowcharts, the Editor-in-Chief investigates, seeks author response, may consult institution and reviewers, and decides
  • Retraction notice is free to read, titled “Retraction: [Title]”, stating who retracts, reason, and evidence; it links to the original
  • Original article remains online with a red “RETRACTED” watermark on HTML + PDF and a link to the notice; it is not deleted from LOCKSS/PKP PN
  • Indexers (Crossref, DOAJ, Google Scholar) are notified and the DOI is updated to status “retracted”

4. Expression of Concern

Issued when an investigation is ongoing and readers need warning, but evidence is inconclusive. Converted to correction or retraction after resolution.

5. Withdrawal (pre-publication) & Removal (legal)

  • Withdrawal: Author may withdraw an unpublished submission before final decision by writing to the editor. Published articles cannot be withdrawn.
  • Removal: Only for legal order, court injunction, or proven privacy violation — article is replaced by a removal notice (metadata retained).

6. Versioning

OJS displays `updated: YYYY-MM-DD` and `version` history. Crossref relations (`isVersionOf`, `isCorrectedBy`) are set. DOI remains the same; the correction/retraction gets its own landing page.

7. How to Request

Email [email protected] with subject “Retraction / Correction — [Article DOI/title]” + details + supporting documents. We acknowledge within 7 days and aim to decide within 60 days.