Retraction, Corrections & Article Withdrawal Policy

Retraction, Corrections & Article Withdrawal Policy

The Yemeni Journal of Life Sciences is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record. When errors or ethical concerns arise in published content, the journal follows internationally recognized standards to correct, clarify, or retract articles when necessary.

This policy follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Purpose of This Policy

This policy defines how the journal handles:

  • Corrections (Errata or Corrigenda)
  • Retractions
  • Expressions of Concern
  • Article withdrawal (during review or pre-publication)
  • Replacement of articles (in exceptional cases)

2. Corrections (Errata & Corrigenda)

Corrections may be issued when:

  • Minor errors are discovered after publication
  • The mistakes do not affect the scientific validity of the article
  • Errors are typographical, formatting-related, or minor data clarification
  • Author names or affiliations need corrections

Procedure:

  • Authors notify the editorial office of the error
  • Editors verify the issue
  • A correction notice is published as a separate document
  • The original article remains unchanged, with a link to the correction notice

3. Retractions

Retraction is issued when:

  • Plagiarism is confirmed
  • Data fabrication or falsification is proven
  • Significant errors invalidate the results
  • The article was published based on unethical research
  • Duplicate or redundant publication is detected
  • Authors fail to disclose conflicts of interest that affect validity
  • Authorship manipulation or scientific fraud occurs

Procedure:

  • Editors conduct a formal investigation following COPE flowcharts
  • Authors are contacted for explanation
  • A retraction notice is published clearly stating:
    • Reason for retraction
    • Parties responsible (authors or editors)
  • The original article is not removed; instead, it is watermarked “Retracted”
  • Metadata remains accessible for transparency

4. Expressions of Concern

Issued when:

  • An investigation is ongoing
  • Evidence of misconduct is inconclusive
  • Institutions or authors fail to cooperate
  • Conflicting information prevents immediate decision

A notice is published until the issue is resolved, after which:

  • The article is corrected
  • Or retracted
  • Or the concern is removed

5. Article Withdrawal (Pre-Publication)

An article may be withdrawn by editors or authors before publication if:

  • Authors request withdrawal for valid reasons
  • Ethical concerns arise during peer review
  • Significant errors are detected
  • Authors fail to respond to editorial communication
  • Submission is found to be under review in another journal (ethical violation)

Important:

  • Withdrawal requests must be signed by all co-authors
  • If authors withdraw to submit elsewhere without permission, they may be blacklisted for up to 3 years

6. Article Replacement

Rare and used only when:

  • The article contains errors that compromise safety or public health
  • Authors provide a corrected versionEditors approve replacement

The original article is archived but marked as "Superseded".

7. Notice Format & Indexing

All correction, retraction, and concern notices include:

  • Title
  • Authors
  • DOI of the affected article
  • Reason for the action
  • Date of issue

Notices are:

  • Indexed in databases
  • Linked to the original article
  • Permanently accessible

8. Responsibility

  • The Editor-in-Chief oversees investigations
  • Final decisions follow COPE guidelines
  • Institutions may be contacted for serious misconduct

9. Transparency and Integrity

The journal ensures:

  • No article is removed from the website after publication
  • All actions are transparent and publicly accessible
  • Ethical corrections preserve the scholarly record