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

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

1. Policy Statement

Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan recognizes that authors make careful efforts to prepare and submit their manuscripts. The journal's editorial and peer-review processes are designed to maintain high standards of scientific quality, transparency, and publication ethics. However, published articles may occasionally require correction, retraction, removal, or replacement for academic, technical, ethical, or legal reasons. Such actions are taken only after careful consideration and appropriate evaluation.

Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan is committed to handling corrections, clarifications, retractions, and expressions of concern in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), where applicable. These procedures aim to preserve the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record and the journal's electronic archives.

2. Article Retraction

Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. An article may be retracted when there is clear evidence that its findings or content are unreliable or that serious publication ethics violations have occurred. Grounds for retraction may include:

  • Major scientific or methodological errors that invalidate the article's conclusions, whether caused by honest error or research misconduct, including data fabrication or falsification.

  • Redundant or duplicate publication without appropriate acknowledgment, cross-referencing, permission, or justification.

  • Serious ethical violations, including plagiarism, inappropriate authorship practices, undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the work, or other forms of research or publication misconduct.

  • Unethical research practices or other violations that substantially undermine the reliability or ethical acceptability of the published work.

To ensure fairness and transparency, Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan follows an appropriate retraction procedure:

  1. A potential retraction concern is reported to or identified by the Editor-in-Chief.

  2. The Editor-in-Chief conducts a preliminary assessment and, where appropriate, follows relevant COPE guidance. The authors may be asked to provide clarification, supporting documentation, or underlying research data.

  3. The authors are given a reasonable opportunity to respond. The journal may also contact the authors' affiliated institutions or relevant authorities when necessary.

  4. The Editorial Board reviews the available evidence and determines the appropriate action, taking into account the seriousness of the concern and the applicable publication ethics guidance.

  5. The final decision is communicated to the authors and, where appropriate, their affiliated institution or funding agency.

  6. If retraction is warranted, a formal retraction notice is published and linked to the original article. The notice explains the reason for retraction as clearly as possible and is assigned a DOI where applicable.

Retracted articles remain identifiable in the scholarly record. The original article is clearly marked as retracted, and its retraction notice is linked to the published version to ensure transparency and prevent readers from relying on invalid findings.

Retraction does not automatically imply author misconduct. The journal considers the circumstances of each case, including whether the problem resulted from honest error or intentional misconduct.

3. Article Withdrawal

Authors are strongly encouraged to carefully review their manuscripts before submission through the Online Journal System (OJS). Withdrawal requests should be made only for legitimate reasons and must be communicated formally to the Editor-in-Chief.

3.1 Withdrawal During Review

If authors wish to withdraw a manuscript while it is under editorial assessment or peer review, the corresponding author must submit a written request explaining the reason for withdrawal. The request should confirm that all co-authors have been informed and agree to the withdrawal.

The journal will review the request and provide written confirmation when the withdrawal has been processed. Authors must not submit the same manuscript to another journal while the withdrawal request remains unresolved.

3.2 Withdrawal After Acceptance

Withdrawal after acceptance is discouraged and will be considered only when there are legitimate grounds, such as a significant ethical concern or a fundamental problem with the manuscript. The corresponding author must provide a written explanation and confirmation of co-author agreement.

The Editor-in-Chief will assess the circumstances before making a decision. Any action taken will be proportionate to the circumstances and consistent with publication ethics principles.

3.3 Unethical Withdrawal Practices

Unjustified withdrawal requests, particularly after substantial editorial work or acceptance, may be reviewed as potential violations of publication ethics. The journal may take appropriate action in accordance with its publication policies and applicable institutional procedures.

Any restrictions on future submissions will be imposed only when justified by the circumstances, following a fair assessment and communication with the authors. Such restrictions will not be applied automatically.

3.4 Articles in Press

An article that has been made available online as an Article in Press may be withdrawn if a serious error, duplicate publication, ethical violation, or other significant concern is identified before formal issue publication.

In such cases, the journal will publish a withdrawal notice explaining the reason for the action. The notice will replace the article's full text where necessary and will retain an appropriate link to the article's bibliographic record.

4. Article Correction

Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan may publish a correction when a limited part of an otherwise reliable article contains an error that needs to be rectified. Corrections are appropriate when the error can be corrected without invalidating the overall findings or conclusions of the study.

Corrections may fall into the following categories:

4.1 Publisher Correction (Erratum)

A publisher correction is issued when an error is introduced during the editorial, production, or publication process. Examples include incorrect author affiliations, typographical errors, or errors in tables, figures, or other published information that affect the clarity or accuracy of the article.

4.2 Author Correction (Corrigendum)

An author correction is issued when the authors identify an important error in the published article. Examples may include an incorrectly labeled table or figure, a minor calculation error, an omitted funding statement, or missing contributor information, provided the error does not invalidate the main findings or conclusions.

4.3 Addendum

An addendum provides additional information that is necessary to clarify or supplement the original article. It may be published when relevant information was inadvertently omitted or when further explanation is required for readers to understand the published work accurately.

The Editor-in-Chief determines whether a correction, addendum, expression of concern, or retraction is appropriate based on the nature and significance of the issue. Authors may be contacted for clarification before a decision is made.

All published corrections are linked to the original article and clearly identify the changes made to preserve transparency and the integrity of the scholarly record.

5. Article Removal

In exceptional circumstances, Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan may remove the full text of a published article from its online platform. Removal is considered only when continued public access to the full text would create a serious legal, ethical, privacy, or safety concern.

Possible grounds for removal include:

  • The article contains material that is clearly defamatory or infringes third-party legal or intellectual property rights.

  • A valid court order or other applicable legal requirement necessitates removal.

  • The article contains information that presents a serious risk to personal privacy, public safety, or information security that cannot be adequately addressed through correction or another less restrictive measure.

Any removal decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Editorial Board and, where necessary, relevant legal or institutional authorities.

Where legally permissible, the article's bibliographic metadata, including its title, authors, publication details, and DOI, will be retained. The full text will be replaced with a notice explaining that the article has been removed and providing the reason to the extent permitted by law.

Article removal is an exceptional measure and is not used as a substitute for retraction when the primary concern is the reliability of the research or the integrity of the publication.

6. Article Replacement

In exceptional cases, a published article may contain a critical error that creates a substantial risk if its findings, methods, software, or recommendations are relied upon. Where appropriate, the authors may request that the article be corrected or replaced by a validated version.

The Editor-in-Chief evaluates the request to determine whether correction, retraction followed by republication, or another action is appropriate. Replacement is considered only when a reliable corrected version can be prepared and independently assessed as necessary.

If replacement is approved:

  1. The original article is handled in accordance with the journal's retraction policy.

  2. The corrected version undergoes appropriate editorial assessment and, where necessary, peer review.

  3. A clear notice explains the reason for replacement and links the original and corrected versions.

  4. The publication record includes a transparent description of the changes and the relationship between the versions.

The original publication history is retained to ensure that readers can identify the changes and understand the reasons for the replacement.

7. Transparency and Publication Ethics

All decisions concerning retraction, withdrawal, correction, removal, or replacement are made carefully, fairly, and transparently. Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan follows applicable publication ethics principles and relevant COPE guidance, taking into account the rights of authors, the interests of readers, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

The journal aims to ensure that all post-publication actions are documented appropriately, communicated to relevant parties, and reflected accurately in the online publication record.