Correction and Retraction

Jurnal Perkotaan is committed to maintaining the accuracy, reliability, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. When errors or serious concerns are identified after publication, the journal will take appropriate editorial action to correct the literature while preserving the transparency of the publication record. Post-publication actions may include a Correction, Retraction, or, where appropriate, another editorial notice such as an Expression of Concern. The purpose of these actions is to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record rather than to punish authors.

Corrections

A Correction may be issued when an error is identified in a published article but the error does not invalidate the main findings, conclusions, or overall reliability of the work.

Corrections may be initiated by:

  • the authors;
  • readers;
  • reviewers;
  • editors;
  • institutions; or
  • other parties who identify a substantive error.

Examples of errors that may warrant a correction include:

  • numerical or calculation errors that do not alter the main conclusions;
  • incorrect labels in figures or tables;
  • minor errors in statistical reporting;
  • incorrect author names or affiliations;
  • omissions or errors in funding information;
  • errors in references or citations;
  • incorrect methodological descriptions that require clarification;
  • typographical or production errors that affect interpretation;
  • incorrect data labels or units;
  • errors in supplementary material; or
  • other factual inaccuracies that materially affect part of the article but do not invalidate the overall work.

Minor typographical, grammatical, or stylistic errors that do not affect scientific meaning will not normally require a formal correction.

Author-Initiated Corrections

Authors who identify an error in their published article should contact the Editorial Office as soon as possible. The request should include:

  • the article title;
  • DOI or publication details;
  • a clear description of the error;
  • the exact location of the error;
  • the proposed corrected text, table, figure, or data; and
  • an explanation of whether the correction affects the interpretation or conclusions of the article.

The Editorial Team will assess whether a formal correction is necessary.

Editorial Assessment of Corrections

Before issuing a correction, the Editorial Team may:

  • request clarification from the authors;
  • ask for original data or supporting documentation;
  • consult an independent expert;
  • review the original manuscript and production files; or
  • determine whether the issue is more serious and requires further investigation.

If the error affects only part of the article and the principal findings remain reliable, a correction will normally be considered sufficient.

Publication of Corrections

A correction notice should:

  • clearly identify the original article;
  • explain what has been corrected;
  • state whether the conclusions are affected;
  • include the article DOI or permanent link;
  • be dated;
  • be freely accessible; and
  • be electronically linked to the original article.

Where technically possible, the original article may also be updated to indicate that a correction has been issued. The journal will not normally remove the original publication record.

Retractions

A Retraction may be issued when there is reliable evidence that a published article is substantially unreliable, seriously flawed, or affected by significant research or publication misconduct. Retraction is intended to alert readers that the article should no longer be regarded as a reliable part of the scientific or scholarly record.

Grounds for Retraction

An article may be retracted when there is evidence of, but not limited to:

  • fabrication of data, results, documents, or sources;
  • falsification or manipulation of data;
  • serious image, figure, or data manipulation;
  • substantial plagiarism;
  • duplicate or redundant publication;
  • publication of the same research in another journal without appropriate disclosure;
  • serious methodological or analytical errors that invalidate the findings;
  • unethical research involving human participants or animals;
  • absence of required ethical approval where approval was necessary;
  • serious violations of informed-consent requirements;
  • fraudulent authorship or serious authorship misconduct;
  • manipulation of the peer-review process;
  • fabricated reviewer identities;
  • use of falsified documents or ethical approvals;
  • serious undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the credibility of the work;
  • unauthorized use of confidential or copyrighted material;
  • legal findings that render the publication invalid or unlawful; or
  • other circumstances in which the findings or conclusions can no longer be considered reliable.

A retraction may also be appropriate where an honest but major error fundamentally invalidates the article's principal findings.

Retraction Process

When a potential reason for retraction is identified, the Editorial Team will normally:

  1. conduct an initial assessment of the concern;
  2. review the available evidence;
  3. contact the corresponding author and, where appropriate, all co-authors;
  4. provide the authors with an opportunity to respond;
  5. request relevant supporting documentation where necessary;
  6. seek independent expert advice if required;
  7. contact the authors' institution, ethics committee, funder, or other relevant authority where the issue requires formal investigation; and
  8. determine the appropriate editorial action based on the available evidence.

The journal may proceed with a retraction even if the authors do not agree, provided that sufficient evidence demonstrates that retraction is necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Retraction Notice

A retraction notice should:

  • clearly state that the article has been retracted;
  • identify the retracted article by title, author(s), year, volume, issue, pages or article number, and DOI;
  • explain the principal reason for retraction;
  • identify who initiated the retraction, where appropriate;
  • distinguish between misconduct and honest error where this can be established;
  • avoid unnecessarily defamatory or speculative language;
  • be dated;
  • remain permanently accessible; and
  • be linked electronically to the original article.

Treatment of the Retracted Article

Retracted articles should generally remain accessible as part of the scholarly record. The journal will normally:

  • retain the original article online;
  • clearly label it as RETRACTED;
  • link the article to the retraction notice; and
  • ensure that readers can easily identify its retracted status.

The article should not normally be completely deleted because maintaining the publication record supports transparency and prevents confusion about the article's history.

Removal of Published Content

Complete removal of published content will be considered only in exceptional circumstances. These may include situations where publication:

  • violates a court order;
  • creates a serious legal risk;
  • discloses confidential or personally identifiable information unlawfully;
  • creates an immediate and serious risk to public safety; or
  • contains material that cannot legally remain publicly available.

Where content must be removed, the bibliographic record should remain accessible where possible, together with an explanation of the reason for removal.

Partial Retraction

A partial retraction will generally be avoided when it could create ambiguity about the reliability of the article. If a specific component of the article is erroneous but the remainder remains reliable, a Correction may be more appropriate. If the error substantially affects the validity of the article's main findings, the entire article may require retraction.

Author Agreement

Where possible, authors will be consulted and invited to agree to a correction or retraction. However, author agreement is not required when the Editorial Team determines that action is necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record. If some authors agree with a retraction and others do not, this may be stated in the retraction notice where relevant.

Retraction Due to Honest Error

Retraction may be appropriate even when there is no evidence of misconduct if:

  • a major calculation error invalidates the results;
  • incorrect data were analyzed;
  • fundamental methodological errors are discovered;
  • an essential assumption proves incorrect; or
  • the authors themselves determine that the conclusions are no longer reliable.

The notice should clearly indicate when the retraction results from an honest error rather than misconduct.

Correction Following Retraction

A retracted article will not normally be restored simply by issuing a later correction if the original article was fundamentally unreliable. If authors wish to publish substantially revised work based on corrected methods or data, it should normally be submitted as a new manuscript and undergo a new editorial and peer-review process. The new manuscript should transparently disclose its relationship to the retracted work.

Institutional Investigations

When concerns involve possible research misconduct, Jurnal Perkotaan may refer the matter to:

  • the authors' institution;
  • research-integrity offices;
  • ethics committees;
  • funding organizations;
  • regulatory authorities; or
  • other appropriate organizations.

The journal may defer a final decision while an institutional investigation is underway, particularly where the relevant evidence is not available to the Editorial Team.

Expressions of Concern

When serious concerns exist but available evidence is insufficient to justify correction or retraction, the journal may publish an Expression of Concern.

This may occur when:

  • an investigation is ongoing;
  • the evidence is inconclusive;
  • an institution has not yet completed its assessment;
  • there is reason to question the reliability of the work but insufficient information for a final decision; or
  • substantial concerns cannot be resolved within a reasonable period.

An Expression of Concern may later be replaced by a correction, retraction, or other notice when additional evidence becomes available.

Citation of Retracted Articles

Retracted articles should not normally be cited as reliable evidence. If a retracted article is cited for historical, methodological, or research-integrity purposes, the citation should clearly indicate that the article has been retracted.

Appeals

Authors may appeal a correction or retraction decision if they believe that:

  • significant evidence was overlooked;
  • a material factual error occurred;
  • the editorial procedure was substantially flawed; or
  • new evidence materially changes the basis for the decision.

Appeals should be supported by clear documentation. The Editorial Team may seek independent advice when evaluating an appeal. Submission of an appeal does not automatically suspend a correction or retraction that has already been issued.

Responsibility for the Scholarly Record

Jurnal Perkotaan considers maintenance of the published record a continuing editorial responsibility. The journal will take proportionate action whenever reliable evidence demonstrates that published content requires clarification, correction, or retraction.