Corrections and Retractions Policy

 

Corrections and Retractions Policy

Commitment to the Integrity of the Scholarly Record

Universitas: Journal of Global Research and Innovation (UJGRI) is committed to preserving the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. The journal recognizes that maintaining trust in published research requires timely correction of errors and appropriate action when published work is found to be unreliable or ethically compromised.

Post-publication updates are managed in accordance with internationally recognized publication ethics, including the recommendations and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Types of Post-Publication Updates

The journal may issue one or more of the following post-publication notices when appropriate.

Corrections (Errata or Corrigenda)

Corrections are published when errors are identified that affect the accuracy or clarity of a published article but do not invalidate its overall findings or conclusions.

Examples include:

  • typographical or formatting errors;

  • incorrect author information or affiliations;

  • mislabeled figures or tables;

  • citation or reference errors;

  • minor data presentation mistakes; or

  • other inaccuracies that do not compromise the scientific validity of the work.

Correction notices are permanently linked to the original article and become part of the official scholarly record.

Retractions

A retraction is issued when a published article is determined to be fundamentally unreliable or when serious breaches of publication ethics have occurred.

Grounds for retraction may include:

  • data fabrication or falsification;

  • plagiarism or extensive unattributed text overlap;

  • duplicate or redundant publication;

  • unethical research practices;

  • major methodological or analytical errors that invalidate the findings;

  • authorship misconduct; or

  • other serious violations of publication ethics.

Retraction notices clearly explain the reason for the retraction whenever possible while respecting legal and ethical obligations.

Expressions of Concern

The journal may publish an Expression of Concern when credible evidence suggests that significant problems may exist within a published article, but a formal investigation has not yet reached a conclusion.

Such notices inform readers that concerns have been raised while ensuring that due process is afforded to all parties involved.

Expressions of Concern may later be followed by a correction, retraction, or removal of the notice, depending on the outcome of the investigation.

Article Withdrawal (Pre-Publication)

Before formal publication, a manuscript may be withdrawn from the editorial process when:

  • the authors request withdrawal for legitimate reasons;

  • significant ethical or legal concerns are identified;

  • duplicate submission is confirmed; or

  • substantial errors are discovered that cannot reasonably be corrected during the review process.

Withdrawal requests are evaluated by the editorial office on a case-by-case basis.

2. Investigation Process

The journal carefully evaluates all allegations concerning published or submitted manuscripts.

Concerns may originate from authors, reviewers, editors, readers, research institutions, funding agencies, or other credible sources.

When an allegation is received, the editorial office will:

  1. conduct a preliminary assessment of the available evidence;

  2. communicate with the corresponding author and, where appropriate, co-authors;

  3. request explanations or supporting documentation when necessary;

  4. consult the Editorial Board or independent experts when appropriate; and

  5. make a decision based on the available evidence and applicable publication ethics guidelines.

Throughout the investigation, all parties are afforded an opportunity to respond before a final editorial decision is made.

The journal follows the relevant COPE Flowcharts and Core Practices when handling allegations of publication misconduct.

3. Preservation of the Scholarly Record

Universitas is committed to maintaining a transparent and permanent scholarly record.

As a general principle:

  • published articles remain part of the permanent academic record;

  • correction notices, retraction notices, and expressions of concern are permanently linked to the original publication;

  • retracted articles normally remain accessible to readers but are clearly identified as retracted to prevent inadvertent citation or use;

  • the original publication metadata, including the Digital Object Identifier (DOI), remains active whenever possible to preserve the integrity of scholarly citations; and

  • updates are communicated to relevant indexing and abstracting services where applicable.

The journal does not alter or remove published content except in exceptional circumstances involving legal obligations, public safety, or other extraordinary situations consistent with accepted publishing standards.

4. Author Responsibilities

Authors are expected to cooperate fully with investigations relating to their published work.

If authors discover a significant error in their published article, they are responsible for promptly notifying the editorial office and providing all information necessary to facilitate an appropriate correction or other editorial action.

Failure to cooperate during an investigation may influence the journal's editorial decisions and may result in notification of relevant institutions when warranted.

5. Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for ensuring that post-publication concerns are handled fairly, confidentially, and without bias.

Editorial decisions regarding corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, or withdrawals are based solely on:

  • the available evidence;

  • the reliability of the published research;

  • applicable ethical standards; and

  • internationally recognized publication ethics guidelines.

The journal seeks to resolve all cases promptly while ensuring procedural fairness for all parties involved.

6. Principles Governing Post-Publication Actions

The journal's post-publication policies are guided by the following principles:

Transparency

All editorial notices are published openly and permanently linked to the affected article whenever appropriate.

Accuracy

Editorial actions are intended to preserve the accuracy and reliability of the scholarly record.

Fairness

Authors and other involved parties are provided an opportunity to respond to concerns before final decisions are made, except where immediate action is legally required.

Evidence-Based Decision Making

Editorial decisions are based on documented evidence, professional judgment, and internationally recognized ethical standards rather than speculation or unsupported allegations.

Timeliness

The journal endeavors to investigate concerns and communicate editorial decisions as promptly as possible while ensuring a thorough and impartial review.

7. Compliance with International Standards

Universitas: Journal of Global Research and Innovation manages post-publication updates in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other internationally recognized best practices for scholarly publishing.

The journal remains committed to safeguarding the integrity, transparency, and permanence of the global scholarly record through responsible and ethical editorial management.

This revised policy is comprehensive, legally sound, and fully compatible with international publishing practices. It mirrors the structure commonly used by journals indexed in DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science, and Crossref, while remaining flexible enough to accommodate future developments in publication ethics and editorial workflows.