đĢ Retraction Policy
GSC Advanced Research and Reviews (GSCARR) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of the scholarly record. Although every effort is made during editorial assessment and Peer Review to ensure the quality of published research, exceptional circumstances may arise after publication that require an article to be formally retracted.
This Retraction Policy explains the circumstances under which published articles may be retracted, the procedures followed by the journal, and the responsibilities of authors, editors, and the publisher in maintaining the integrity of scholarly communication. The purpose of retraction is to correct the scientific record and inform readers when published findings can no longer be considered reliable.
đ¯ Purpose of the Retraction Policy
The purpose of this policy is to establish a transparent and consistent framework for managing article retractions while preserving confidence in the scholarly record. Retractions are intended to protect readers, researchers, institutions, and the wider academic community by clearly identifying articles that contain serious errors, ethical concerns, or research misconduct.
Retraction should not be regarded as a disciplinary action but as an editorial mechanism to maintain the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of published scholarly literature.
đ What Is a Retraction?
A retraction is a formal editorial action taken after publication to indicate that a published article should no longer be regarded as part of the reliable scientific literature. Rather than removing the published article from the journal website, GSCARR normally preserves the scholarly record by maintaining the article online together with a clearly identified Retraction Notice explaining the reason for the retraction.
Maintaining access to retracted articles helps preserve the integrity of the publication record, prevents confusion arising from missing publications, and enables readers to understand the reason for the editorial action.
â ī¸ Circumstances That May Lead to Retraction
Retraction may be considered where reliable evidence indicates that the published article contains significant problems affecting its validity, integrity, or ethical compliance. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- đĄī¸ Plagiarism or extensive unattributed copying.
- đ Fabrication or falsification of research data.
- đ Duplicate or redundant publication.
- đĨ Serious authorship disputes or fraudulent authorship.
- âī¸ Significant violations of publication ethics.
- đŦ Unethical research involving human participants or animals.
- Šī¸ Copyright infringement or unauthorized use of protected material.
- đ¨ Major errors that invalidate the principal findings or conclusions.
- đ¤ Deliberate misuse of Artificial Intelligence resulting in research misconduct.
đ Investigation Before Retraction
Before making a decision to retract an article, GSCARR will conduct an appropriate editorial assessment of the available evidence. Where necessary, the editorial office may communicate with the corresponding author, co-authors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties to obtain clarification and supporting information.
Every investigation will be handled fairly, confidentially, and objectively while respecting the rights of all parties involved. Editorial decisions will be based on the available evidence, publication ethics, and the need to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.
đ¨ââī¸ Editorial Decision
Following completion of the editorial assessment, the Editor-in-Chief or authorized editorial representatives will determine the most appropriate course of action. Depending on the nature and seriousness of the issue, the journal may decide to publish a correction, issue an expression of concern, retract the article, or take another appropriate editorial action.
Retraction decisions are made independently in the interests of scholarly integrity and may proceed even if all authors do not agree with the editorial decision.
đ Protecting the Integrity of the Scholarly Record
GSCARR is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent, and trustworthy scholarly record by investigating publication concerns fairly and taking appropriate editorial action whenever reliable evidence demonstrates that published research is no longer dependable.
đĸ Publication of a Retraction Notice
When an article is retracted, GSCARR will publish a formal Retraction Notice explaining the reason for the retraction. The notice will remain permanently available as part of the scholarly record and will be electronically linked to the original article wherever possible.
The original published article will normally remain accessible for the purpose of maintaining the integrity and transparency of the scholarly record. The article may be clearly identified as "Retracted" through an appropriate watermark, heading, or other visible notice so that readers can readily recognize its publication status.
đ° Retraction Notice Publication Charges
Where an article is retracted due to author-related reasons, including but not limited to plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, authorship misconduct, copyright infringement, unethical research practices, or other violations of the journal's editorial and publication policies, GSCARR reserves the right to recover the administrative and publication costs associated with investigating the matter and publishing the Retraction Notice from the corresponding author.
These costs may include editorial investigation, preparation and publication of the Retraction Notice, updating article metadata, Crossref DOI record updates where applicable, production work, website maintenance, and other reasonable administrative expenses incurred in preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.
Retraction Notice publication charges will normally not apply where the retraction results solely from a verified editorial, production, or publisher error for which the authors are not responsible.
đ Effect of Retraction
A retracted article should not be regarded as reliable scientific evidence and should not be cited in support of scientific findings except where discussion of the retraction itself is academically relevant. Readers are encouraged to consult the published Retraction Notice to understand the reasons for the editorial action.
Retraction does not automatically invalidate every aspect of the published work; however, it indicates that the journal no longer considers the article suitable to remain part of the reliable scholarly literature without appropriate qualification.
â ī¸ Author Cooperation
Authors are expected to cooperate fully during any investigation relating to potential retraction by responding promptly to editorial correspondence and providing requested explanations or supporting documentation. Failure to respond within a reasonable period may result in the editorial office proceeding with an independent decision based on the available evidence.
The journal may also communicate with the authors' affiliated institutions, funding organizations, or other relevant parties where appropriate to facilitate the investigation of serious publication ethics concerns.
đ Indexing and Metadata Updates
Following publication of a Retraction Notice, GSCARR may update article metadata, Crossref DOI records, indexing information, and journal databases to ensure that readers, indexing services, and citation systems accurately reflect the article's retracted status.
These updates help preserve the accuracy of scholarly databases while maintaining transparency regarding the publication history of the article.
đ Related Editorial Policies
This Retraction Policy should be read together with the journal's related Editorial and Publication Policies governing manuscript submission, publication ethics, and post-publication editorial actions.
- đ Open Access Policy
- Šī¸ Copyright Policy
- đ Licensing Policy
- đĨ Authorship Policy
- đ¤ AI Usage Policy
- đ Data Sharing Policy
- đ Author Self-Archiving Policy
- đĄī¸ Plagiarism Policy
- âī¸ Publication Ethics
- đ¨ââī¸ Peer Review Policy
- đ Article Withdrawal Policy
- đĢ Retraction Policy
- âī¸ Corrections Policy
- đ CrossMark Policy
- đ Editorial & Publication Policies
â Frequently Asked Questions About the Retraction Policy
1. What is a retracted article?
A retracted article is a published article that the journal has determined should no longer be considered part of the reliable scholarly literature because of significant errors, research misconduct, publication ethics concerns, or other serious issues.
2. Will a retracted article be removed from the journal website?
Generally, no. To preserve the integrity of the scholarly record, the original article normally remains available together with a clearly identified Retraction Notice and an appropriate "Retracted" watermark or status indicator.
3. Can the journal retract an article without the authors' agreement?
Yes. Where sufficient evidence exists, GSCARR may retract an article to protect the integrity of the scholarly record even if all authors do not agree with the editorial decision.
4. Can Retraction Notice publication charges be recovered from the corresponding author?
Yes. Where an article is retracted due to author-related misconduct or violations of the journal's editorial and publication policies, GSCARR reserves the right to recover the reasonable administrative and publication costs associated with investigating the matter and publishing the Retraction Notice from the corresponding author.
5. Will indexing records be updated after retraction?
Yes. Where applicable, GSCARR may update Crossref DOI records, article metadata, and indexing information so that databases accurately reflect the article's retracted status.
6. Can authors respond during a retraction investigation?
Yes. Authors are normally given an opportunity to provide explanations or supporting documentation before a final editorial decision is made. However, the journal may proceed with a decision based on the available evidence where necessary to protect the scholarly record.