Correction and Retraction

Informatics Management, Engineering and Information System Journal (IMEISJ) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. The journal recognizes that errors or concerns may occasionally be identified after an article has been published. Such matters will be handled promptly, fairly, and transparently in accordance with recognized publication ethics principles and applicable guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

IMEISJ distinguishes between corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions according to the nature, seriousness, and potential impact of the issue on the reliability of the published work.

1. Corrections

A correction may be issued when an error is identified in a published article and the error can be rectified without invalidating the principal findings, interpretations, or conclusions of the research.

Corrections may be considered for errors involving:

Author names, affiliations, or other publication metadata.
Typographical, formatting, or editorial mistakes that affect the clarity or accuracy of the article.
Errors in tables, figures, equations, or numerical values that do not invalidate the principal findings.
Inaccurate references, citations, or acknowledgments.
Incomplete funding disclosures or conflict-of-interest declarations.
Other factual errors that require formal clarification or amendment of the published record.

Requests for correction may be submitted by authors, readers, editors, or other individuals who identify a credible error in a published article.

The editorial team will assess the request and may consult the original authors or independent experts when necessary.

If a correction is justified, IMEISJ will publish a formal correction notice that identifies the affected article, describes the error, and explains the amendment made to the published record.

The correction notice will be linked to the original article whenever technically possible. The original article will remain accessible, with an appropriate indication that a correction has been issued.

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect the meaning, interpretation, or integrity of the article may be corrected without a separate correction notice, at the discretion of the editorial team and in accordance with the journal’s publication procedures.

2. Retraction

Retraction is a formal action taken to indicate that a published article contains serious problems that make its findings unreliable or that the publication violates fundamental standards of research or publication ethics.

IMEISJ may retract an article when there is sufficient evidence of serious concerns, including but not limited to:

Data Fabrication or Falsification: Research data, results, images, or other evidence have been fabricated, falsified, or manipulated in a manner that undermines the reliability of the findings.
Plagiarism: Substantial portions of another person’s work have been reproduced without appropriate acknowledgment or authorization where required.
Redundant or Duplicate Publication: The article substantially duplicates previously published work without appropriate justification or disclosure.
Serious Research Errors: Fundamental methodological, analytical, computational, or factual errors invalidate the principal findings or conclusions.
Unethical Research Practices: The research involved serious ethical violations that materially affect the legitimacy of the publication.
Copyright or Legal Violations: The article infringes applicable copyright or other legal rights in a manner that warrants removal or retraction.
Compromised Peer Review: The publication process was seriously manipulated or compromised, undermining confidence in the editorial evaluation.
Authorship or Publication Misconduct: Serious misconduct related to authorship, publication integrity, or the provenance of the research materially compromises the validity or legitimacy of the article.
Other Serious Ethical Concerns: Other substantiated circumstances that make the article unreliable or render its continued publication misleading.

Retraction will be considered on the basis of the available evidence, the seriousness of the concern, and the need to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Retraction is not intended as a punishment for honest mistakes or differences in scientific interpretation. Where a problem can be adequately corrected without undermining the article’s principal findings, a correction may be more appropriate.

3. Grounds and Initiation of Retraction

A retraction may be initiated following a concern raised by an author, reader, reviewer, editor, institution, publisher, or other party with relevant evidence.

Upon receiving a credible allegation, the editorial team will conduct a preliminary assessment and may request explanations, original data, research records, ethical approvals, or other supporting documentation from the relevant authors.

Where appropriate, IMEISJ may seek independent expert advice or contact the authors’ affiliated institution or another competent body to obtain further information.

Authors will ordinarily be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the concerns before a final editorial decision is made, unless exceptional circumstances require immediate action to protect the scholarly record.

The journal’s editorial investigation does not replace formal investigations conducted by research institutions or other competent authorities.

4. Expression of Concern

If substantial concerns arise about the reliability or ethical integrity of a published article but the available evidence is insufficient to reach a final decision, IMEISJ may publish an expression of concern.

An expression of concern may be appropriate when:

A credible investigation is ongoing.
Important supporting evidence remains unavailable.
The authors or relevant institution have not provided sufficient clarification.
Significant questions about the article remain unresolved.
Readers need to be informed of a material concern while further assessment is undertaken.

The expression of concern will identify the affected article and describe the nature of the unresolved issue to the extent appropriate and legally permissible.

Where possible, the notice will be linked to the original article and updated when the matter is resolved.

An expression of concern does not, by itself, establish that misconduct has occurred.

5. Retraction Procedure

When retraction is considered necessary, IMEISJ will follow a documented editorial procedure.

The procedure may include:

Reviewing the evidence and identifying the specific concerns affecting the article.
Requesting an explanation or response from the corresponding author and other relevant authors.
Consulting independent experts or the authors’ affiliated institution when appropriate.
Evaluating the evidence and determining whether correction, expression of concern, or retraction is the most appropriate action.
Documenting the editorial rationale for the decision.
Preparing and publishing a formal retraction notice.
Linking the retraction notice to the original article and updating relevant publication metadata where technically possible.

The decision to retract an article rests with the journal’s authorized editorial leadership, acting independently and in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics policies.

Where the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest, the matter will be handled by an independent editor or another appropriate authority.

6. Publication of Retraction Notices

A retraction notice will clearly identify the retracted article and explain the reason for retraction to the extent supported by the evidence and permitted by applicable legal and ethical requirements.

The notice should include, where available:

The title of the affected article.
The names of the authors.
The original publication details and DOI.
The date of the retraction notice.
The reason for retraction.
A statement identifying the party or parties initiating the retraction, where appropriate.

The retraction notice will be published separately and linked to the original article whenever technically possible.

The original article will ordinarily remain accessible in the journal’s archive, clearly marked as retracted, to preserve the transparency and traceability of the scholarly record.

The article’s PDF and landing page should display an appropriate retraction statement or watermark where technically feasible. The article should not be silently removed or altered in a way that conceals the retraction, except where removal is legally required or necessary under exceptional circumstances.

7. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to notify IMEISJ promptly if they identify a significant error or ethical concern affecting their published article.

Authors should cooperate with reasonable editorial inquiries and provide relevant supporting information when requested.

If the authors agree that a published article contains a serious error or ethical problem, they may request a correction or retraction and provide a clear explanation of the issue.

Disagreement among authors does not automatically prevent the journal from issuing a correction, expression of concern, or retraction when the evidence and circumstances justify editorial action.

The journal will assess the available evidence independently and document its decision.

8. Responsibilities of Editors

The editorial team is responsible for evaluating post-publication concerns objectively and determining the appropriate editorial response.

Editors must:

Assess concerns fairly and without inappropriate personal or institutional bias.
Request clarification or supporting evidence when necessary.
Protect the confidentiality of the process where appropriate.
Disclose and manage relevant conflicts of interest.
Document significant decisions and their rationale.
Ensure that correction and retraction notices are accurate and transparent.
Preserve the traceability of the published record.

Editors must not delay necessary corrective action solely to protect the reputation of the journal, publisher, institution, or authors.

9. Appeals and Reconsideration

Authors or other directly affected parties may request reconsideration of a correction or retraction decision if they provide substantive new evidence, identify a material procedural error, or demonstrate that relevant information was not adequately considered.

Requests must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief or the designated independent editorial authority.

The journal will review the request impartially and determine whether further assessment is warranted.

An appeal does not automatically suspend a correction, expression of concern, or retraction notice when publication of the notice is necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

10. Record Preservation and Transparency

IMEISJ is committed to preserving an accurate and traceable scholarly record.

Correction notices, expressions of concern, and retraction notices will be maintained as part of the journal’s publication archive and linked to the affected articles whenever technically possible.

Relevant publication metadata will be updated where appropriate to ensure that readers, indexing services, and other scholarly information systems can identify the current status of the article.

The journal will maintain appropriate records of significant post-publication decisions in accordance with its editorial procedures and applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements.

11. Policy Compliance and Review

IMEISJ periodically reviews its correction and retraction procedures to ensure that they remain consistent with recognized publication ethics principles and developments in scholarly publishing.

The journal is committed to handling post-publication issues transparently, proportionately, and consistently to protect the reliability of published research and maintain public trust in scholarly communication.