Retraction, Withdrawal, & Correction (R-W-C) Policy

Policy Statement

We understand that authors have worked carefully in preparing manuscripts, and we have carried out peer-review processes. However, there is sometimes the potential for published articles to be withdrawn or even deleted for scientific reasons. This should not be done lightly and can only occur under extraordinary circumstances. Therefore, corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when needed will be carried out with strict standards to maintain confidence in the authority of our electronic archives. It is our commitment and policy to maintain the integrity and completeness of important scientific records for researchers and librarians.

Article Retraction

ASCI Journal is committed to playing its part in maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record; therefore, on occasion, it is necessary to retract articles. Articles may be retracted if:

There is a major scientific error that would invalidate the conclusions of the article — for example, clear evidence that findings are unreliable due to misconduct (e.g. data fabrication) or honest error (e.g. miscalculation or experimental error).
The findings have previously been published elsewhere without proper cross-referencing, permission, or justification (i.e. cases of redundant publication).
There are ethical issues such as plagiarism (appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit, including those obtained through confidential review of others' manuscripts) or inappropriate authorship.

To ensure retractions are handled according to publication best practice, and in accordance with COPE retraction guidelines, ASCI Journal adopts the following retraction process:

  1. An article requiring potential retraction is brought to the attention of the journal editor.
  2. The journal editor follows the step-by-step guidelines according to the COPE flowcharts, including evaluating a response from the author of the article in question.
  3. Before any action is taken, the editor's findings are sent to the Ethics Advisory Board, to ensure a consistent approach in accordance with industry best practices.
  4. The final decision on whether to retract is communicated to the author and, if necessary, to other relevant bodies such as the author's institution.
  5. The retraction statement is posted online and published in the next available issue of the journal.

Note: if authors retain copyright for an article, this does not mean they automatically have the right to retract it after publication. The integrity of the published scientific record is of paramount importance, and COPE's Retraction Guidelines still apply in such cases.

Article Withdrawal

Authors are not allowed to withdraw submitted manuscripts, as withdrawal wastes valuable resources that editors and referees have spent processing the manuscript, as well as work invested by the publisher. Before submission through our OJS, the author is obliged to approve the checklist we provide.

During peer review

Withdrawal requested while the manuscript is still under review: $200 USD per manuscript.

After acceptance

Withdrawal after the manuscript is accepted for publication: $250 USD per manuscript.

Article in Press

If an "Article in Press" is withdrawn due to errors, duplication, or ethics violations (e.g. multiple submissions, bogus authorship claims, plagiarism, fraudulent data): $300 USD per manuscript. The content is deleted and replaced with a notice stating the article has been withdrawn.

If the author does not agree to pay the penalty, the author and their affiliation will be blacklisted from publication in this journal for 3 years.

To request a withdrawal, an official letter signed by the corresponding author and the agency leader must be sent to the Editor-in-Chief.

Article Correction

ASCI Journal should consider issuing a correction if:

  • A small part of an otherwise reliable publication reports flawed data or proves to be misleading, especially if this results from honest error.
  • The author or contributor list is incorrect (e.g. a deserving author has been omitted, or someone who does not meet authorship criteria has been included).

Corrections to peer-reviewed content fall into one of three categories:

Publisher correction (erratum)

Notifies readers of an important error made by publishing/journal staff (usually a production error) that negatively impacts the publication record, scientific integrity, or reputation of the authors or journal.

Author correction (corrigendum)

Notifies readers of an important error made by the authors that negatively impacts the publication record, scientific integrity, or reputation of the authors or journal.

Addendum

An addition to the article by its authors to explain inconsistencies, expand the existing work, or otherwise explain or update information in the main work.

The decision on whether a correction should be issued is made by the editor(s) of the journal, sometimes with advice from reviewers or editorial board members. Handling editors will contact the authors with a request for clarification, but the final decision on whether a correction is required, and of which type, rests with the editors.

Article Removal

In an extremely limited number of cases, it may be necessary to remove a published article from our online platform. This will only happen if an article is clearly defamatory, infringes others' legal rights, is or is expected to be the subject of a court order, or if the article, if acted upon, may pose a serious health risk. In such circumstances, the metadata (title and author information) is retained, but the text is replaced with a notice indicating that the article has been removed for legal reasons.

Article Replacement

In cases where an article, if acted upon, may pose a serious health risk, the authors of the original paper may wish to retract the flawed original and replace it with a corrected version. Under such circumstances, the retraction procedures above will be followed, with the difference that the retraction notice will contain a link to the corrected, re-published article, together with a history of the document.