Corrections and Retractions

We stand for compliance with the COPE principles, against all possible offences. Particular attention is paid to checking works for originality and avoiding cases of plagiarism.

Multiple submission

Authors should submit manuscripts that are unique and should not be submitted to any other journal (except in some unusual circumstances and only with the approval of the reviewer). Sometimes authors may ignore this requirement by submitting the same paper to multiple journals or by submitting multiple papers based on the same research. As in the case of plagiarism, resubmission can take many forms: literal copying, partial but substantial copying, or even paraphrasing of a study. Violation of this policy will result in immediate rejection along with possible sanctions against the authors.

Manipulation with citations

Submitted manuscripts that contain citations whose main purpose is to increase the number of references to the work of a given author or articles published in a particular journal will be immediately rejected, and sanctions against the authors are possible.

Data falsification

If falsified or fabricated data of experimental results (including image manipulation) are found in the submitted article, this will lead to immediate rejection and possible sanctions against the authors.

In the case of suspected misconduct or fraud, the journal will conduct an investigation in accordance with COPE guidelines. If, after the investigation, reasonable concerns arise, the authors involved will be contacted via their email addresses and given the opportunity to resolve the issue. Depending on the situation, this may result in the journal taking the following actions, including but not limited to:

  1. If the manuscript is still under consideration, it may be rejected and returned to the author.
  2. If the article has already been published online, depending on the nature and severity of the violation.

Corrections

A correction may be published with the article if a fundamental error or mistake (for example, an experimental error or miscalculation) is found,

Erratum

Erratum will be used if we have made a material error in the preparation of a journal article, including errors of omission, such as failure to correct factual evidence requested by the authors within the timeframe set by the journal and within the journal's policy. A significant error is one that affects the scientific record, the scientific integrity of the article, the reputation of the authors or the journal.

Corrigendum

Corrigendum is a notification of a significant error made by the authors of the article. All corrections are approved by the editorial board.

Procedure for making corrections

  1. Corrections can be initiated by authors, editors or readers.
  2. The editorial team evaluates the request and, if necessary, consults with the authors.
  3. After approval, the corrections are published as a separate document linked to the original article and marked "Corrections".

Retraction

In some cases, the Editorial Board may decide to retract an article.

Reasons for potential retraction of a paper:

  • there is clear evidence that the results are not reliable, regardless of whether they are the result of misconduct (e.g., fabricated data and image manipulation);
  • the results of the study have been previously published elsewhere without proper citation, licence or justification (e.g. in cases of redundant or duplicate publication);
  • the research is plagiarised;
  • there is evidence of fraudulent authorship;
  • the peer review process has been proven to have been compromised;
  • there is evidence of unethical research and violation of professional ethical codes.

Retraction requests can be submitted by authors, editors or third parties. The editorial board conducts an investigation with the involvement of the authors and, if necessary, external experts. The decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or his/her deputy.

Once the decision to retract an article has been made:

  • the watermark "Retracted article'" will be added to the published version of the article’s record;
  • the article’s title will be headed by "Retracted article: [Title of the article]";
  • a separate declaration of retraction will be published, titled "Retraction: [Title of the article]". The editors of the journal will sign this note;
  • the declaration of retraction will be paginated and have a DOI assigned.

In some cases, the authors of the article considered by the journal may ask to withdraw their article. A withdrawal may be initiated only before the article is published. To withdraw an article, the authors must write a clear and concise letter with an in-depth explanation as to why the manuscript needs to be withdrawn. The letter must be signed by all authors. A withdrawn manuscript is removed from the publisher’s database altogether, and copyrights remain with the authors of the withdrawn manuscript.