Correction & Retraction

Post-Publication Integrity

Correction & Retraction

Policy and procedures for correcting, withdrawing, retracting, and maintaining the scholarly integrity of published articles.

1. Policy Statement

Journal of Information Technology and Systems Engineering (JITSE) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, reliability, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record.

When a published article contains an error, omission, ethical concern, or other issue that materially affects the scholarly record, JITSE may publish an appropriate post-publication notice or take other corrective action.

2. Post-Publication Actions

Correction

Used when a published article contains an error that can be corrected without invalidating the overall scholarly findings or conclusions.

Retraction

Used when the reliability or integrity of a published article is seriously compromised and the article should no longer be regarded as part of the reliable scholarly record.

Expression of Concern

May be issued when there is a significant unresolved concern about a publication but the available evidence is not yet sufficient to justify retraction.

Withdrawal

May apply to an article before or during publication when withdrawal is justified under the journal's editorial procedures.

3. Correction Policy

A correction may be considered when an error is identified after publication and the correction is necessary to maintain the accuracy of the published record.

Examples may include:

  • Incorrect author information or affiliation.
  • Typographical or factual errors that affect interpretation.
  • Errors in tables, figures, captions, or supplementary information.
  • Incorrect bibliographic or publication information.
  • Other substantive errors that can be corrected without invalidating the article.

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect the meaning or interpretation of the article may be corrected without issuing a formal correction notice, at the discretion of the editorial team.

4. Retraction Policy

Retraction may be considered when there is clear evidence that the published article contains serious problems that materially undermine its reliability, integrity, or ethical acceptability.

Possible grounds for retraction include:

Research Misconduct

Fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or other serious research misconduct.

Plagiarism

Substantial plagiarism or other serious violations of originality and attribution.

Duplicate Publication

Significant duplicate or redundant publication that materially compromises the scholarly record.

Invalid Findings

Major errors that invalidate the principal findings or conclusions.

Ethical Violations

Serious violations involving research ethics, consent, conflicts of interest, or other ethical requirements.

Unauthorized Publication

Serious issues concerning authorship, permissions, or publication rights.

5. Expression of Concern

JITSE may publish an Expression of Concern when a substantial concern has been raised about a published article but the editorial investigation is incomplete or the available evidence does not yet support a final decision.

An Expression of Concern does not by itself constitute a finding of misconduct. The notice may remain associated with the article until the matter is resolved.

6. Correction and Retraction Procedure

01

Report

A concern may be raised by an author, reader, reviewer, editor, institution, or other relevant party.

02

Assessment

The editorial team assesses the concern and available evidence.

03

Author Contact

Where appropriate, the authors may be asked to provide clarification or supporting documentation.

04

Decision

The editor determines the appropriate action based on the evidence and applicable publication-ethics principles.

05

Notice

Where required, a correction, retraction, or concern notice is published and linked to the affected article.

7. Maintaining the Published Record

JITSE aims to preserve the integrity and traceability of the scholarly record. Published articles should not be silently removed or altered when a formal post-publication action is required.

  • The original article remains identifiable through its bibliographic record.
  • A formal correction or retraction notice should clearly identify the affected article.
  • The relationship between the notice and the original article should be clearly visible.
  • The article's DOI and bibliographic information should remain traceable where technically possible.
  • Post-publication notices should contain sufficient information to explain the reason for the action.

8. Retracted Articles

When an article is retracted, JITSE will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the article is clearly identified as RETRACTED and that a retraction notice explains the reason for the action.

Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record and does not necessarily imply misconduct by every author. The reason for retraction and the available evidence will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Editorial Principle: A retraction should be transparent, traceable, and appropriately linked to the affected publication rather than silently deleting the scholarly record.

9. Requests for Correction or Retraction

Authors who identify a significant error in their published article should promptly notify the editorial office and provide sufficient information to support evaluation of the issue.

Requests should include, where applicable:

  • Article title.
  • Author name(s).
  • DOI or article identification.
  • Description of the suspected error or concern.
  • Evidence or supporting documentation.
  • Proposed correction, where appropriate.

Submission of a request does not automatically result in correction or retraction. The final decision remains an editorial responsibility based on evidence and applicable publication-ethics principles.

10. Fairness, Confidentiality, and Due Process

JITSE will handle post-publication concerns fairly, objectively, and confidentially to the extent reasonably possible.

Parties involved in an investigation may be given an appropriate opportunity to respond to substantive allegations. Editorial decisions will be based on available evidence rather than unsupported accusations.

11. Ethical Framework

JITSE follows recognized principles of publication ethics and scholarly integrity when handling corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions. Where appropriate, the journal may consult relevant institutional, ethical, or publishing-standards guidance when evaluating complex cases.

The objective of every post-publication action is to maintain an accurate, transparent, and trustworthy scholarly record.

JITSE — Journal of Information Technology and Systems Engineering
Correction & Retraction • Post-Publication Integrity • Scholarly Record