Retraction and Correction Policy

Retraction and Correction Policy

The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Knowledge (IJIK) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record. The journal follows established principles of publication ethics and takes appropriate action when errors, misconduct, or other issues are identified in a published article.

1. Corrections

A correction may be issued when an article contains an error that does not invalidate the main findings, interpretation, or scholarly contribution of the work.

Corrections may include, but are not limited to:

·  Author name, affiliation, or ORCID errors

·  Minor errors in tables, figures, or captions

·  Typographical or formatting errors that affect understanding

·  Errors in references or bibliographic information

·  Factual or methodological errors that can be corrected without invalidating the article's main conclusions

When a correction is necessary, IJIK will publish a Correction Notice linked to the original article. The notice will clearly identify the error and describe the correction. The original article will normally remain available, with an appropriate editorial note or link to the correction.

2. Retraction

Retraction is considered when the published article is found to contain substantial problems that make the scholarly record unreliable or when serious publication-ethics concerns arise.

Possible reasons for retraction include:

·  Fabrication or falsification of research data

·  Major plagiarism or substantial unattributed copying

·  Duplicate or redundant publication

·  Serious ethical violations involving research participants

·  Manipulation or unreliable presentation of research data

·  Major errors that invalidate the findings or conclusions

·  Fraudulent authorship or significant authorship misconduct

·  Undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the research

·  Manipulation of the peer-review process

·  Evidence that the article was published on the basis of seriously compromised research or editorial processes

Retraction does not necessarily imply misconduct by the authors. An article may be retracted because of an honest but fundamental error that makes its findings unreliable.

3. Retraction Procedure

When a concern is raised about a published article, the Editor-in-Chief will conduct an initial assessment.

Where appropriate, the journal may:

1.     Review the article and available evidence.

2.     Contact the corresponding author for clarification.

3.     Request relevant data, documents, ethical approvals, or other supporting information.

4.     Consult members of the editorial board or independent experts.

5.     Contact the author's institution or relevant authority when serious research-integrity concerns require institutional investigation.

6.     Consider whether a correction, expression of concern, or retraction is appropriate.

7.     Document the editorial decision and its supporting reasons.

Authors will normally be given an opportunity to respond to concerns before a final editorial decision is made. However, the journal may proceed with an editorial action when sufficient evidence is available or when delaying action could compromise the integrity of the scholarly record.

4. Retraction Notice

If an article is retracted, IJIK will publish a separate Retraction Notice that:

·  Identifies the article and its authors;

·  Provides the article title, journal details, DOI, and publication information;

·  Clearly states that the article has been retracted;

·  Explains the reason or reasons for the retraction;

·  Identifies whether the retraction resulted from an author request, editorial investigation, institutional finding, or other documented evidence, where appropriate;

·  Provides a permanent link to the original article.

The retraction notice will remain permanently accessible and will be linked to the original article.

5. Treatment of the Original Article

A retracted article will normally remain available in the journal archive for transparency and preservation of the scholarly record. The article's PDF and HTML versions will be clearly marked as RETRACTED, and a prominent link to the retraction notice will be provided.

The journal will not ordinarily remove a retracted article from the scholarly record unless there are exceptional legal or ethical reasons requiring removal.

6. Expression of Concern

If there is a serious unresolved concern about an article but insufficient evidence is currently available to justify correction or retraction, IJIK may publish an Expression of Concern.

An Expression of Concern may be issued while the journal or an author's institution investigates suspected:

·  Research misconduct;

·  Data reliability problems;

·  Ethical violations;

·  Serious undisclosed conflicts of interest; or

·  Other issues that may affect the reliability of the published work.

The Expression of Concern will be linked to the relevant article and updated when the investigation reaches a documented conclusion.

7. Author Requests for Correction or Retraction

Authors may contact the Editor-in-Chief to request a correction or retraction. Such requests must include:

·  Article title;

·  DOI;

·  Description of the problem;

·  Explanation of why a correction or retraction is necessary; and

·  Supporting evidence, where applicable.

A request for retraction will be evaluated independently by the journal. Publication of a retraction will not be automatic merely because an author requests it.

8. Post-Publication Changes

IJIK will not alter or remove published scholarly content simply because an author disagrees with the published article, changes affiliation, or wishes to withdraw an article after publication.

Post-publication changes will be made only when justified by scholarly, ethical, legal, or publication-integrity considerations.

9. Editorial Independence

Retraction and correction decisions are made independently by the journal's editorial team according to publication-ethics principles. Authors, reviewers, sponsors, advertisers, and other external parties must not improperly influence editorial decisions.

10. Transparency and Record Keeping

IJIK will maintain records of corrections, retractions, Expressions of Concern, and related editorial investigations. Notices will be dated, clearly identified, permanently linked to the affected article, and made publicly accessible.

The journal may update a correction, retraction, or Expression of Concern when new verified information becomes available.

11. Ethical Framework

IJIK follows recognized principles of publication ethics and research integrity, including relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Where a situation is not specifically addressed in this policy, the journal may refer to applicable COPE guidance and accepted scholarly publishing practices.

Policy applies to all articles published by IJIK, including research articles, review articles, case studies, and other scholarly contributions.