Corrections and Retractions

Corrections and Retractions

Procedures for correcting, updating, expressing concern about, retracting or removing published content while preserving the integrity and transparency of the scholarly record.

General Principles

Prismalia Journal is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent and reliable scholarly record.

Published content will not be altered, replaced, removed or retracted without a justified editorial reason and an appropriate public record of the action taken.

The journal distinguishes between minor presentation updates, formal corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, withdrawals and exceptional removals.

Changes must be proportional to the nature and seriousness of the identified problem. Silent alterations to the scientific content of a published article are not permitted.

Minor Administrative or Presentation Updates

Minor updates may be made when they do not affect the scientific meaning, interpretation, authorship or reliability of the article.

Examples may include:

  • Adding a missing license statement.
  • Correcting a broken link.
  • Improving file accessibility.
  • Replacing a damaged or technically defective PDF.
  • Correcting minor typographical or layout errors.
  • Updating metadata to match the published article.

When an update is visible or relevant to readers, the article page should indicate the date and purpose of the update.

Suggested notice: “The PDF was updated on [date] to correct a presentation or licensing issue. The scientific content and conclusions were not modified.”

Formal Corrections

A formal correction may be published when a verified error affects part of an article but does not invalidate its principal findings, conclusions or overall reliability.

Corrections may address:

  • Errors in data presentation.
  • Incorrect values that do not alter the central conclusions.
  • Errors in author names or affiliations.
  • Incorrect funding or conflict-of-interest information.
  • Missing acknowledgments.
  • Errors in figures, tables, captions or references.
  • Omitted methodological or reporting details.

The correction notice must identify the original article, describe the error and explain the correction clearly.

The original article should remain available and be linked to the correction notice. The article page should clearly indicate that a correction has been published.

Author-Initiated Corrections

Authors must notify the journal promptly when they identify a significant error or omission in a submitted, accepted or published manuscript.

A correction request should include:

  • The article title and DOI or permanent URL.
  • A precise description of the error.
  • The exact proposed correction.
  • An explanation of whether the conclusions are affected.
  • Supporting documentation when applicable.
  • Confirmation that all authors have been informed.

The editorial team may consult reviewers, editors, institutional representatives or independent specialists before deciding whether a formal correction is required.

Publisher or Production Corrections

A publisher correction may be issued when the error was introduced during copyediting, layout, metadata processing, online publication or another production stage.

Examples include:

  • Incorrect pagination or article numbering.
  • Missing or misplaced figures.
  • Incorrect DOI presentation.
  • Incorrect article type or publication date.
  • Formatting errors affecting interpretation.
  • Errors introduced into author names or affiliations.

Production errors should be corrected without changing the author's accepted scientific content.

Expressions of Concern

An expression of concern may be published when substantial doubts exist regarding the integrity or reliability of an article, but the available evidence is incomplete, disputed or under investigation.

An expression of concern may be appropriate when:

  • An institutional investigation is pending.
  • Evidence of possible misconduct is inconclusive.
  • Serious questions about data or methods remain unresolved.
  • Authors or institutions are unable to provide timely clarification.
  • There is concern that readers should be warned while an investigation continues.

The notice must identify the article, explain the reason for concern and state that the matter remains under assessment.

An expression of concern may later be replaced or supplemented by a correction, retraction or notice that the concern has been resolved.

Retractions

Retraction is used when the findings, methods, data or ethical basis of an article are no longer considered sufficiently reliable to remain part of the scholarly record without a prominent warning.

An article may be retracted when:

  • The findings are unreliable because of major error.
  • Data were fabricated, falsified or manipulated.
  • The article contains substantial plagiarism.
  • The work was published elsewhere without proper disclosure.
  • The peer-review process was manipulated.
  • Authorship was seriously misrepresented.
  • Required ethical approval or consent was absent or false.
  • The article reports unethical research.
  • Copyright, privacy or confidentiality violations substantially affect the publication.
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest materially affected the work.

A retraction may be initiated by the authors, editors, publisher or an institution, but the final decision is made by the journal after reviewing the available evidence.

Retraction Notice

The retraction notice must:

  • Clearly identify the retracted article.
  • State who initiated or agreed to the retraction.
  • Explain the reason for the retraction.
  • Distinguish error from misconduct when possible.
  • Remain permanently and freely accessible.
  • Be linked to the original article.

The original article will normally remain accessible but must be clearly marked as retracted on the article page and in the PDF.

Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record, not to punish authors. The wording of the notice should be factual, evidence-based and non-defamatory.

Article Withdrawal Before Final Publication

Withdrawal generally applies to manuscripts that have been submitted or accepted but have not yet been formally published as part of the scholarly record.

A manuscript may be withdrawn when:

  • The authors provide a justified request before publication.
  • A duplicate submission is identified.
  • Serious ethical or legal concerns arise.
  • The article was published online accidentally or prematurely.
  • Essential publication requirements cannot be satisfied before final release.

Withdrawal after acceptance must be requested in writing and requires editorial approval. Authors should not withdraw a manuscript solely to avoid responding to legitimate editorial or ethical concerns.

Exceptional Article Removal

Complete removal of a published article is reserved for exceptional circumstances in which continued public availability would create a serious legal, privacy, safety or ethical risk.

Removal may be considered when:

  • A valid legal order requires removal.
  • The article contains unlawfully disclosed personal information.
  • Publication creates a serious and immediate risk to individuals or the public.
  • Copyright infringement cannot be resolved by correction.
  • The article contains confidential or protected material that should not have been published.

Whenever possible, the article landing page and bibliographic metadata will remain available with a notice explaining why the full text has been removed.

Removal must not be used merely to conceal error, criticism, controversy or misconduct.

Metadata, Versions and PDF Updates

When a correction, expression of concern, retraction or removal is issued, Prismalia Journal will update the relevant article page and metadata as appropriate.

Actions may include:

  • Adding a visible notice to the article page.
  • Linking the original article and the editorial notice.
  • Updating the PDF with a correction or retraction watermark.
  • Publishing a new article version when technically necessary.
  • Updating DOI-related metadata when supported.
  • Notifying indexing, preservation or discovery services.
  • Recording the date and nature of the change.

Scientific changes must not be made by silently replacing the published PDF. A new version or formal notice must be provided when the change affects interpretation, results or conclusions.

Purely technical updates may be made without a separate correction article, but should be documented when they are relevant to readers.

Submitting a Correction or Retraction Request

Authors, readers, reviewers, institutions or other interested parties may report a concern through the journal's official editorial contact.

A request should include:

  • Title of the article.
  • DOI or permanent article URL.
  • A clear description of the alleged error or concern.
  • Supporting evidence or documentation.
  • Name and contact information of the person submitting the request.
  • Information about any related institutional or legal investigation.

Reports may be sent to: info@chaskigroup.org .

Concerns should be submitted in good faith. The journal may close complaints that are clearly abusive, defamatory, repetitive or unsupported by relevant information.

Editorial Assessment Procedure

The journal will assess correction and retraction matters according to the seriousness of the concern and the evidence available.

The procedure may include:

  1. Acknowledgment and preliminary review of the request.
  2. Verification of the article and the reported concern.
  3. Requesting an explanation from the authors.
  4. Requesting data, files, approvals or supporting documents.
  5. Consulting independent editors or subject specialists.
  6. Contacting the relevant institution, ethics committee or authority when appropriate.
  7. Assessing whether readers face an immediate risk.
  8. Determining the proportionate editorial action.
  9. Publishing and linking the corresponding notice.

The journal will seek to handle concerns impartially, confidentially and within a reasonable period. Complex cases may require additional time, particularly when an external investigation is involved.

Responsibilities

Authors

Authors are responsible for:

  • Reporting significant errors promptly.
  • Providing accurate explanations and supporting evidence.
  • Cooperating with editorial inquiries.
  • Informing all coauthors of the correction process.
  • Reviewing and approving correction notices when requested.

Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  • Assessing concerns impartially.
  • Managing conflicts of interest.
  • Seeking independent advice when necessary.
  • Selecting a proportionate editorial response.
  • Protecting confidential information.
  • Maintaining a transparent scholarly record.

Publisher

Chaski Group is responsible for:

  • Supporting the implementation of editorial decisions.
  • Maintaining correction and retraction notices online.
  • Updating files and metadata when required.
  • Preserving access to the scholarly record.
  • Preventing commercial or institutional interests from interfering with legitimate corrections or retractions.

This policy should be read together with the journal's: