Policy of correction and retraction of published articles

The journal recognizes that despite the thoroughness of editorial and review control, in some exceptional cases, errors or inaccuracies may be found in publications. In order to maintain the authenticity of academic discourse, the journal adheres to a clear, transparent and fair procedure for amending already published materials, which is in line with the recommendations of the Committee on Ethics of Publications (COPE). In this case, changes to publications are made as quickly as possible and with the preservation of the historical transparency of the document.

Correction of the publication

There are three categories of corrections that can be made to already published articles:

Technical correction is a small change that does not require a separate public message - such as updating stylistics, clarifying the names of authors, adjusting formatting. Such changes are made directly to the electronic version of the article with the corresponding note at the end of the publication.

Public correction takes place in case of errors that do not change the essence of conclusions, but can mislead readers (for example, incorrectly signed tables, irrelevant data in graphs, errors in numbering or formulations). In such cases, a separate "corrective note" is published, which explains the changes made to the original text of the article, and a "Corrected" mark appears in the title of the article with a link to the note.

The editorial update takes place when there is a need for broader explanations or clarifications that arise after publication, for example, due to new data that specify the primary results. The editorial board initiates an editorial update of the article, accompanied by an extended comment. As in the previous case, it involves the publication of a separate "notice on editorial update", which explains the changes made to the original text of the article, and a mark "Corrected" appears in the title of the article with a link to such a message.

Retraction of the publication  

In the case when the published article reveals: (1) signs of violation of scientific or research ethics that are not obvious at the stage of publication of the article, (2) critical errors that neutralize the reliability of the main conclusions, (3) duplication of already published work (without appropriate reference or permission), (4) hidden conflict of interests that has affected the objectivity of conclusions, etc., the article is subject to retraction.

The procedure for retracting an article involves sending a request for retraction of the publication from the author, reviewer, reader or member of the editorial board. Based on the request received, the editorial board investigates the facts given in the request and establishes their compliance / non-compliance with the reality and requirements of the editorial policy of the journal. The decision to retract the article is made collegially by the editorial board of the journal at its meeting. The decision clearly states the reason for the retraction of the article. The notice on retraction indicates why the article was withdrawn and who initiated this process. Such a message is attached to the article itself, which remains available in the journal archive, but is clearly marked as "retracted" – a "Retracted" mark appears in the title of the article with a link to the corresponding message. It is possible to delete the entire text of the retracted article only in exceptional cases – for example, if there are legal grounds (defamation, copyright infringement, court decision). In such situations, bibliographic information remains on the site, along with an explanation of the reasons for the deletion.