Corrections and Retractions

Misconduct and Sanctions

Duplicate or Multiple Submission

Manuscripts must be original and exclusive to this journal. Submitting the same work to several journals, or resubmitting variants of previously published studies (literal copying, substantial overlap, or paraphrasing), is considered misconduct. Such papers are rejected immediately and may result in sanctions.

Citation Manipulation

Manuscripts containing references added solely to inflate citation counts, either for individual authors or for specific journals, are rejected without review.

Data Fabrication or Falsification

Detection of fabricated results, manipulated images, or falsified datasets results in immediate rejection. If discovered post-publication, this may lead to retraction. 

False Authorship and Identity Theft

Confirmed cases of misattributed authorship, use of another person’s identity or ORCID, or inclusion of authors without consent will result in retraction. 

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Undeclared use of AI tools to generate text, images, or data constitutes a serious violation. Authors must disclose such use transparently. Concealment may lead to retraction. The editorial board applies detection tools and expert review to identify improper AI involvement. 

Paper Mills and Mass Manipulation

If an article is linked to systematic fraudulent practices, including paper mills, it may be retracted along with associated publications. Retraction notices will explicitly state such connections.

Corrective Measures

When potential misconduct is suspected, the journal investigates in line with COPE guidance. Authors are contacted and given the opportunity to respond. Depending on the case, the following actions may be applied:

• Correction – issued when a significant factual or methodological error (e.g. miscalculation, experimental mistake) is identified.
• Erratum – published if the journal introduced an error during editing or production.
• Corrigendum – issued when a substantial error originates from the authors.

All corrections are approved by the editorial board, published as separate linked documents, and marked accordingly.

Retractions

Retraction is applied in cases such as:

• fabricated or unreliable data, including image manipulation;
• plagiarism or redundant publication;
• fraudulent authorship or compromised peer review;
• unethical research or violation of professional standards.

Retraction notices include:

• addition of a visible “Retracted Article” watermark;
• modification of the title to “Retracted Article: [Title]”;
• publication of a signed retraction declaration with DOI.

Authors may request withdrawal only before publication, with a formal signed letter from all contributors. Withdrawn manuscripts are removed from databases, with copyright reverting to the authors.

Expression of Concern

If serious doubts about an article arise but evidence is insufficient for retraction, the journal may issue an Expression of Concern. Such notices are linked to the article, assigned a DOI, and remain in place until the matter is resolved.

Timeliness

All corrective actions – corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern – are implemented without undue delay once violations are confirmed. Where authors do not cooperate, the journal reserves the right to proceed unilaterally to protect scholarly integrity.

Availability of Retracted Articles

Retracted papers remain accessible in the journal’s archives with clear labelling to ensure transparency. Complete removal occurs only in exceptional legal circumstances (e.g. copyright violation, court orders, personal data protection, or security reasons).