Corrections, Retractions, Withdrawals, and Expressions of Concern Policy
This policy outlines the principles and procedures for maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and completeness of the scholarly record in JPGA.
Contents
- 1. Overview
- 2. Corrections and Minor Changes
- 3. Retractions and Retraction Notices
- 4. Expressions of Concern
- 5. Manuscript Withdrawals
- 6. Article Removal
- 7. Investigation and Decision Process
1. Overview
Journal of Politics, Governance, and Administration (JPGA) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and completeness of the scholarly record. When a material error, ethical concern, or publication-integrity problem is identified, the journal will take proportionate and transparent action.
Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, JPGA may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction. A manuscript that has not yet been published may be withdrawn in accordance with the provisions below.
2. Corrections and Minor Changes
A correction may be issued when an error affects the accuracy, interpretation, attribution, or completeness of a published article but does not invalidate its principal findings or conclusions.
Corrections may address:
- Factual, numerical, typographical, or production errors that materially affect interpretation;
- Incorrect or incomplete author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, or funding information;
- Errors in tables, figures, labels, quotations, references, or supplementary materials;
- Incomplete conflict-of-interest, data-availability, or ethical declarations; or
- Other errors that can be corrected without invalidating the article as a whole.
A correction notice will identify the affected article, explain the change, and remain permanently linked to the article. The original article may be updated when necessary, with the date and nature of the change recorded transparently.
3. Retractions and Retraction Notices
Retraction is used when the findings, conclusions, integrity, or legitimacy of a published article are seriously compromised and cannot be adequately addressed through a correction.
An article may be retracted when there is credible evidence of:
- Unreliable findings resulting from fabrication, falsification, manipulation, miscalculation, or major methodological error;
- Plagiarism or substantial unattributed use of another work;
- Duplicate, redundant, or unauthorized publication;
- Unethical research or absence of required participant protection;
- Unauthorized or unlawful use of data, images, documents, or copyrighted material; or
- Manipulation or serious compromise of the peer-review or editorial process.
Retraction Notice Standards: A retraction notice will be clearly identified, state the reason for retraction, identify who is retracting the article (authors, editor, or publisher), distinguish honest error from misconduct, and remain permanently and freely accessible. The retracted article will normally remain accessible to preserve the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as retracted on the article page and PDF.
4. Expressions of Concern
An expression of concern may be published when serious questions have been raised about an article, but the available evidence is inconclusive or a fair investigation has not yet been completed.
An expression of concern may be appropriate when:
- An investigation is ongoing and may take a substantial period to complete;
- Evidence of possible misconduct is credible but not yet conclusive;
- The authors’ institution is unable or unwilling to investigate; or
- Readers should be alerted to a potentially material risk while further information is being obtained.
5. Manuscript Withdrawals
Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before publication by submitting a written explanation through the OJS system or official journal email. The request must be approved by all authors.
A withdrawal request made during editorial screening or peer review will normally be accepted after the journal confirms the request and closes the submission record. When requested after formal acceptance or during production, the journal may first verify whether the request involves an authorship dispute, duplicate submission, ethical concern, or legal issue.
Published Articles: An article that has been formally published online as the Version of Record (including Articles in Press with a DOI) cannot be withdrawn as an unpublished manuscript; concerns will be addressed via correction, expression of concern, or retraction.
6. Article Removal
Complete removal of a published article is reserved for exceptional circumstances in which continued public access would create a serious legal, privacy, security, or safety risk that cannot be managed through correction, anonymization, or retraction (e.g., final court order or grave privacy breach).
Where removal is necessary, the article content may be replaced by a notice explaining the reason to the extent legally possible, while preserving the DOI and basic bibliographic metadata.
7. Investigation and Decision Process
- Initial assessment of reported errors or concerns is conducted by the editorial team.
- Authors and relevant parties are invited to respond and provide supporting evidence.
- The journal may consult reviewers, independent experts, ethics committees, or institutions.
- Conflicts of interest are managed; independent editors are assigned if an editor is implicated.
- The Editor-in-Chief makes final decisions regarding corrections, retractions, or notices.
Related policies
Policy ownership: The Editor-in-Chief and publisher are responsible for implementation. Material revisions will be identified by a new version number and effective date.
Questions or ethical concerns regarding published articles may be submitted directly to jpga@lakaspia.org or through the journal's official contact page.
