The journal corrects the scholarly record when a published article contains an error or a serious integrity concern.
Corrections
A correction may be published when an error affects the interpretation, discoverability, author information, or reliability of part of an article but does not invalidate its main findings. The correction will be linked to the original article, and the original article will be clearly marked and linked to the correction.
Retractions
An article may be retracted when its findings are unreliable because of major error, fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, unethical research, unauthorized material, duplicate publication, compromised peer review, or another serious breach. The retraction notice will explain the reason, identify who is retracting the article, remain freely accessible, and be linked to the article. The article will normally remain online as part of the permanent scholarly record and will be clearly marked as retracted.
Expressions of concern
The journal may publish an expression of concern when credible serious concerns exist but an investigation is incomplete, inconclusive, delayed, or unable to produce reliable evidence.
Article removal
Published content will be removed only in exceptional circumstances, such as a binding legal requirement, a serious privacy or safety risk, or content that is unlawful. A notice explaining the removal will remain at the article’s location whenever legally possible.
Version control
Silent replacement of published articles is not permitted. Any post-publication change affecting the scholarly content will be documented, dated, and linked to the relevant article.
Editorial appeals
The appeal will be considered by the Editor-in-Chief or by an independent senior editor who was not involved in the original decision. Additional expert advice may be requested. One appeal is considered per manuscript, and the decision on the appeal is final.