Correction and Retraction Policies

Policies on Article Correction, Retraction, and Withdrawal

Prenada Journal of Communication Studies is committed to upholding the integrity of the academic record. We adhere closely to the guidelines provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding the correction and retraction of articles.

It is our policy not to alter or remove the published scientific record unless there are exceptional circumstances. However, when errors or ethical misconduct are identified, we are dedicated to correcting the literature in a transparent and timely manner.

  1. Corrections (Errata and Corrigenda)

Corrections are issued for published articles when errors are detected that do not significantly affect the scientific validity of the results or the conclusion of the paper.

  • Erratum: Issued when a significant error is introduced by the journal during the production process (e.g., missing figures, formatting errors that alter meaning).
  • Corrigendum: Issued when a significant error is made by the authors (e.g., errors in data labelling, missing funding acknowledgement, author list corrections).

Procedure:

  • A separate correction notice is published and linked to the original article.
  • The original article remains accessible, but a note is added to indicate that a correction exists.
  • Minor errors (e.g., spelling mistakes) that do not affect the understanding of the paper are generally not corrected post-publication.
  1. Retractions

Retractions are reserved for articles with serious flaws that invalidate the findings or for cases of research misconduct. The purpose of retraction is to correct the literature and ensure its integrity, not to punish the authors.

Grounds for Retraction (based on COPE guidelines):

We will consider retracting a publication if:

  • There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either as a result of major error (e.g., miscalculation or experimental error) or as a result of fabrication (e.g., of data) or falsification (e.g., image manipulation).
  • It constitutes plagiarism.
  • The findings have previously been published elsewhere without proper cross-referencing, permission, or justification (i.e., redundant publication).
  • It contains material or data without authorization for use.
  • Copyright has been infringed or there is some other serious legal issue (e.g., libel, privacy).
  • It reports unethical research.
  • It has been published solely on the basis of a compromised or manipulated peer review process.

Procedure:

  • A retraction notice signed by the authors and/or the editor is published.
  • The notice will clearly state the reason for the retraction and who is retracting the article.
  • The retraction notice is linked to the original article.
  • The original article is not removed from the online system. However, it will be clearly marked as "RETRACTED" (e.g., via a watermark on the PDF and a banner on the HTML version) to ensure transparency for future readers.
  1. Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued by the Editors if:

  • They receive inconclusive evidence of research or publication misconduct by the authors.
  • There is evidence that the findings are unreliable but the authors’ institution will not investigate the case.
  • They believe that an investigation into alleged misconduct related to the publication either has not been, or would not be, fair and impartial or properly conclusive.
  • An investigation is underway but a judgement will not be available for a considerable time.

Once the investigation is concluded, the Expression of Concern will be replaced by a Retraction, a Correction, or an exoneration statement.

  1. Article Withdrawal (Pre-publication)

Withdrawal is generally reserved for Articles in Press (articles that have been accepted but not yet formally published with volume/issue numbers).

  • Author-initiated withdrawal: Authors may request to withdraw their manuscript before publication. However, if the peer review process has been completed, PJCS reserves the right to request a valid explanation to prevent wasting academic resource1s.
  • Editor-initiated withdrawal: The editors may withdraw a manuscript if it violates ethical guidelines (e.g., multiple submission, plagiarism) or if the authors fail to respond to communication for an extended period.
  1. Article Removal: Legal Limitations

In extremely rare cases, it may be necessary to completely remove an article from the online database. This will only occur if the article is:

  • Clearly defamatory.
  • Infringes on legal rights.
  • The subject of a court order.
  • Might pose a serious health risk if acted upon.

In these circumstances, the metadata (Title and Authors) will remain, but the text will be replaced with a screen indicating the article has been removed for legal reasons.