Post-Publication corrections and retractions

Post‑Publication Discussions, Corrections, and Retractions Policy

1. Introduction & Scope

Al-Rafidain Dental Journal (RDENTJ) is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record. This policy outlines how the journal handles post-publication issues, including errors, misconduct, ethical concerns, and post-publication discussions.

This policy applies to:

  • All published articles in RDENTJ (online and print).

  • Corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, withdrawals, replacements, or removals.

  • Post-publication comments, letters, or concerns raised by authors, readers, or institutions.

RDENTJ follows the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other leading publication ethics standards.

2. Definitions

Term Definition
Erratum / Corrigendum Notice of a minor or major error that does not invalidate the overall conclusions of the article.
Addendum Additional information or clarification was added post-publication.
Expression of Concern Notice is issued when serious doubts exist about the integrity of an article, but the investigation is ongoing.
Retraction Formal notice indicating that an article’s findings are unreliable due to error or misconduct.
Withdrawal Removal of an article before formal publication.
Replacement Issuing a corrected version of an article that supersedes the original.
Removal Rare removal due to legal or ethical reasons (e.g., defamation, court order).
Minor Error Errors that do not affect conclusions (e.g., typos, minor data mislabeling).
Major Error Errors that affect interpretation, results, or conclusions (e.g., data errors, figure misrepresentation).

3. Raising Concerns / Post-Publication Discussion

  • Concerns about published content can be raised by:

  • Authors

  •  Readers

  • Institutions

  • Concerns should be submitted via:

  • Submissions must include:

    • Article details (title, authors, DOI)

    • Description of concern or error

    • Supporting evidence, if available

Confidentiality will be maintained during investigations unless disclosure is legally required.

4. Procedures & Responsibilities

  1. Acknowledgment

    • RDENTJ will acknowledge receipt of a concern within 5 business days.

  2. Investigation

    • The editorial team, in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief, editorial board, and/or external experts, will assess the concern.

    • Authors and, if appropriate, their institutions may be contacted to provide clarification.

    • Investigations are conducted impartially, thoroughly, and confidentially.

  3. Decision & Action

    • Decisions will result in one of the following:

      • Correction (minor or major)

      • Expression of Concern

      • Retraction

      • Withdrawal or replacement

      • Removal (rare)

    • The reason for the action, the party initiating it, and the date will be recorded.

  4. Timeline

    • Investigation duration varies with complexity, but major cases are typically resolved within 60–90 days.

    • Updates will be provided to complainants during long investigations.

5. Corrections

  • Minor corrections: Issued as an Erratum/Corrigendum.

  • Major corrections: Issued with detailed explanation, cross-linked to the original article.

  • Notices include:

    • Article title, authors, DOI, publication date

    • Nature of the correction

    • Whether conclusions remain valid

    • Date of notice and responsible party

  • Versioning: The original article remains accessible with a visible correction label, and a version history is maintained.

6. Retractions

  • Criteria: Fraud, serious error affecting conclusions, plagiarism, and ethical violations.

  • Notice content:

  • Full bibliographic metadata (title, authors, DOI, publication date)

  • Reason for retraction

  • Responsible party (author-requested, editor-initiated, institution-initiated)

  • Statement on the validity of findings

  • Date of retraction

  • Presentation:

  • The article is watermarked as “Retracted” in all formats (HTML, PDF)

  • Notice is bidirectionally linked with the original article

  • Retractions are open access and indexed in bibliographic databases

7. Expressions of Concern

  • Issued when serious doubts exist, but the investigation is ongoing.

  • Notice is publicly visible, indexed, and linked to the article.

  • Updated or replaced with a correction/retraction notice upon conclusion of the investigation.

8. Withdrawals, Replacements, and Removals

  • Withdrawal: Before formal publication, with explanation.

  • Replacement: Corrected article may be published as a replacement; original article remains accessible with notice.

  • Removal: Rare cases for legal or ethical reasons; full explanation provided in notice.

9. Transparency, Indexing, and Permanence

  • All notices (corrections, retractions, expressions of concern) are:

  • Assigned DOIs

  • Indexed in bibliographic databases
  • Linked bidirectionally to the article

  • The scholarly record is preserved; retracted or corrected articles remain permanently accessible in archives.

  • All changes are logged in a public audit trail to prevent silent corrections.

10. Contact & Reporting Mechanism

  • Email: [email protected]

  • Readers, authors, and institutions are encouraged to report suspected errors or ethical concerns.

11. Governance & Policy Review

  • RDENTJ adheres to COPE and ICMJE guidelines.

  • This policy is reviewed annually or as required to comply with evolving publication standards.

  • Last reviewed: December 2025