Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

The Journal of Research in Agriculture and Food Sciences (JRAFS) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record. Published articles constitute the Version of Record and are intended to remain permanently accessible, accurate, and citable.

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and integrity of published content, errors or concerns may occasionally be identified after publication. JRAFS therefore maintains procedures for issuing corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, article withdrawals, article removals, and article replacements, as appropriate.

JRAFS follows the ethical principles and relevant guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when evaluating and resolving post-publication concerns.

1. Corrections

A correction may be issued when an error in a published article affects its accuracy, interpretation, completeness, or bibliographic information, but does not invalidate the overall findings or conclusions of the work.

Corrections may relate to, for example:

• factual or numerical errors;

• errors in tables, figures, or supplementary material;

• author names or affiliations;

• funding information;

• references or citation information;

• methodological descriptions;

• typographical or other errors that materially affect interpretation.

Depending on the circumstances, a correction may be initiated by the authors, editors, readers, or the publisher.

A correction notice will:

• clearly identify the original article;

• provide the article title, authors, DOI, and other relevant bibliographic information;

• describe the error and the corresponding correction;

• clearly indicate whether the correction affects the interpretation or conclusions of the article;

• be permanently linked to the original article.

The Version of Record will not be silently altered. When appropriate, the online article may be updated to incorporate the correction, provided that the changes are clearly identified and a permanent record of the correction is maintained.

Minor Errors

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect the scientific meaning, interpretation, or bibliographic accuracy of an article may not require a formal correction. The Editor-in-Chief will determine whether a formal correction notice is necessary.

Authors are given the opportunity to review and approve proofs before publication to minimize errors in the Version of Record.

2. Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be published when substantial concerns arise regarding the accuracy, integrity, ethical conduct, or reliability of a published article, but the available evidence is insufficient to justify an immediate correction or retraction, or when a relevant investigation is ongoing or inconclusive.

An Expression of Concern may be considered, for example, when:

• credible allegations of research misconduct are being investigated;

• the validity or reliability of data is seriously questioned;

• there are unresolved concerns regarding ethical approval or research conduct;

• an institutional investigation is delayed or unavailable;

• substantial evidence is available but a final determination has not yet been reached.

The Expression of Concern will be clearly linked to the affected article and will explain the nature of the concern, to the extent that this can be done without compromising confidentiality or an ongoing investigation.

Once sufficient information becomes available, JRAFS may issue a correction, retraction, or other appropriate notice, or may publish a notice indicating the resolution of the matter.

An Expression of Concern does not itself constitute a finding of misconduct.

3. Article Withdrawal

3.1 Withdrawal Before Acceptance

Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before acceptance without penalty, provided that the manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal or subject to an unresolved ethical investigation.

3.2 Withdrawal of Articles in Press

An accepted manuscript that has not yet been formally published as part of the journal's Version of Record may, in exceptional circumstances, be withdrawn if:

• a serious error is identified that cannot reasonably be corrected before publication;

• the manuscript was submitted or accepted in duplicate;

• serious ethical concerns are identified;

• plagiarism, duplicate submission, fabricated authorship, data fabrication, or other serious misconduct is identified;

• publication would create a significant legal or ethical problem.

Where an Article in Press is withdrawn, JRAFS may publish a withdrawal notice explaining the reason, where appropriate.

3.3 Published Articles

Once an article has been formally published as part of the Version of Record, it will not normally be withdrawn or deleted. Post-publication problems will generally be addressed through a correction, retraction, Expression of Concern, removal, or replacement, as appropriate.

4. Article Retraction

A retraction is issued when a published article is subsequently determined to contain sufficiently serious problems that its findings, conclusions, or reliability can no longer be considered part of the trustworthy scholarly record.

Retraction may be considered when, for example:

• the findings are based on fabricated or falsified data;

• serious methodological or analytical errors invalidate the conclusions;

• substantial plagiarism is identified;

• the article constitutes duplicate or redundant publication;

• there are serious ethical violations involving human or animal research;

• authorship or contributorship was fraudulently represented in a manner affecting the integrity of the publication;

• peer review or publication processes were manipulated;

• serious undisclosed conflicts of interest materially affect the reliability of the work;

• another serious problem is identified that fundamentally undermines the article.

Retraction does not necessarily imply misconduct by the authors. An article may be retracted because of an honest error or other circumstances that make the published findings unreliable.

Retraction Procedure

Before retracting an article, JRAFS will normally assess the available evidence and, where appropriate, seek explanations from the authors and/or relevant institutions or authorities. Authors may be given an opportunity to respond to the concerns.

However, retraction does not require the agreement or signature of all authors. If one or more authors disagree with a proposed retraction, JRAFS may proceed when the evidence supports retraction and will indicate the authors' position in the retraction notice where appropriate.

A retraction will:

• be clearly identified as a “Retraction”;

• include the title, authors, DOI, and full citation of the affected article;

• explain the reason(s) for the retraction;

• identify whether the retraction concerns the entire article or specific findings;

• be permanently linked to the original article;

• be clearly indexed and discoverable as a retraction;

• preserve the bibliographic record of the original publication.

The original article will normally remain accessible as part of the scholarly record, but it will be clearly marked on the article page and PDF with a prominent “RETRACTED” notice or watermark. The article should not be presented as valid evidence without the accompanying retraction status.

JRAFS will not ordinarily replace a retracted article with a version from which the original content has been removed, because preserving the publication history is essential for transparency and scholarly integrity.

5. Article Removal

Complete removal of a published article from the online scholarly record is an exceptional measure and will generally be considered only when continued public access would create a serious legal, ethical, or public-interest problem.

Article removal may be considered when:

• a court or other competent legal authority requires removal;

• the article contains defamatory or unlawful material;

• the article violates legal rights or creates a serious legal risk;

• continued availability of the article poses a demonstrable and serious risk to public health or safety;

• removal is necessary to comply with applicable legal or regulatory requirements.

Where an article must be removed, JRAFS will preserve as much of the bibliographic record as possible. The article metadata, including the title, authors, DOI, publication information, and reason for removal, will normally remain available.

A clear notice will explain that the article has been removed and, where legally permissible, will provide the reason for the removal.

Article removal is distinct from retraction. A retracted article normally remains part of the scholarly record, whereas removal involves restricting or eliminating access to the article itself because of exceptional legal, ethical, or public-interest considerations.

6. Article Replacement

In exceptional circumstances, a published article may be replaced by a corrected version when leaving the original article available would create a serious risk to public health or safety or when a critical error requires substantial correction that cannot appropriately be addressed through a conventional correction notice.

Article replacement will be undertaken only after careful editorial assessment and, where appropriate, consultation with the authors and relevant experts or institutions.

When an article is replaced:

1. The original article will be retracted.

2. A clear retraction notice will explain why the article was retracted and replaced.

3. The corrected version will be clearly identified as a replacement article.

4. The relationship between the original and replacement versions will be permanently documented.

5. The correction history will be clearly described.

6. The DOI and bibliographic relationships between the original, retraction notice, and replacement article will be maintained whenever technically possible.

7. The original version will be preserved where legally and ethically possible, so that the publication history remains transparent.

Article replacement is intended to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record while ensuring that readers have access to an accurate version of the research.

7. Corrections to Article Metadata

Errors in bibliographic or metadata information may also be corrected after publication. These may include:

• author names;

• affiliations;

• ORCID information;

• funding statements;

• acknowledgements;

• article title;

• references;

• publication dates;

• DOI or other bibliographic information.

Where a metadata correction materially affects the published record, JRAFS will maintain an appropriate correction history and ensure that the corrected information is communicated to relevant indexing and abstracting services where technically possible.

8. Post-Publication Concerns and Investigations

Concerns regarding a published article may be raised by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions, or other relevant parties.

JRAFS will assess credible concerns in a fair, impartial, and confidential manner. Depending on the nature of the concern, the journal may:

• request clarification or supporting documentation from the authors;

• consult independent experts;

• request information from the authors' institution or relevant authority;

• conduct an editorial investigation;

• publish an Expression of Concern;

• issue a correction;

• retract the article;

• remove the article in exceptional circumstances; or

• take another appropriate action.

Where an investigation concerns potential research misconduct, JRAFS may refer the matter to the relevant institution or competent authority, particularly when the journal is not in a position to determine the facts independently.

Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent reasonably possible, particularly while an investigation is ongoing.

9. Editorial Independence and Fairness

Decisions concerning corrections, Expressions of Concern, retractions, withdrawals, removals, and replacements will be based on the integrity and reliability of the scholarly record, not on commercial considerations, citation impact, authors' status, institutional affiliation, or other non-scientific factors.

The Editor-in-Chief may seek independent editorial or expert advice when a conflict of interest exists or when additional expertise is required.

10. Preservation of the Scholarly Record

JRAFS considers preservation of the scholarly record a fundamental editorial responsibility. Post-publication actions will therefore be designed to provide transparency, traceability, and a permanent publication history.

Corrections, retractions, Expressions of Concern, withdrawals, removals, and replacement notices will be clearly identified and linked to the relevant publication whenever technically possible.

JRAFS will also communicate significant post-publication changes to relevant indexing and abstracting services where appropriate and technically feasible.

11. Compliance with Ethical Standards

JRAFS follows the principles and relevant guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when handling corrections, retractions, Expressions of Concern, and other post-publication issues.

The journal may update these procedures when recognized publication-ethics standards or scholarly publishing practices evolve.

The primary objective of all post-publication actions is to protect the integrity, accuracy, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record while treating authors and other parties fairly and responsibly.