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Correction and Retraction Policy
Journal of Pharmacy and Halal Studies (JPHS) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. Post-publication changes are made only under the circumstances described below and are implemented in a way that is clear to readers and to indexing services. This policy follows widely accepted editorial standards for corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions in scholarly publishing.
1) Core Principles
- Transparency: Substantive post-publication changes will not be made “silently.” When a change affects the interpretation, reliability, or integrity of the work, JPHS will issue a formal, citable notice (e.g., Correction, Expression of Concern, or Retraction) and link it to the original article.
- Scholarly record preservation: Published articles normally remain accessible. When an article is retracted, the article is not removed; it is clearly labeled as retracted and linked to the retraction notice.
- Patient/public safety sensitivity: Because JPHS publishes pharmacy- and health-related research, matters that may affect clinical decision-making, medicine safety, product quality, or halal assurance may be handled with priority and may require rapid editorial action.
2) Types of Post-Publication Notices
2.1 Correction (Erratum/Corrigendum)
A Correction is published when an honest error is identified that does not invalidate the main findings but requires clarification or amendment (e.g., minor data/labeling errors, author details, affiliations, references, figure/table labeling, or methodological clarifications). If the error affects interpretation, results, or conclusions, the impact will be stated explicitly in the correction notice.
- The original article remains available.
- A Correction Notice is published, is freely accessible, and is bidirectionally linked with the corrected article.
- Where applicable, JPHS may post an updated article version while preserving prior versions and indicating the date and nature of changes.
2.2 Publisher’s Note
A Publisher’s Note is issued when an error introduced during production or publication affects article metadata or reader comprehension (e.g., title, author list, byline, pagination/elocation, or formatting that alters meaning). The Publisher’s Note describes what was corrected and when.
2.3 Expression of Concern
An Expression of Concern may be issued when serious concerns have been raised about the reliability or integrity of an article, but an investigation is ongoing or evidence is not yet conclusive. The notice will explain the nature of the concern and will be updated or replaced by a final notice (Correction or Retraction) when appropriate.
2.4 Retraction
A Retraction is published when there is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable or the work is fundamentally flawed, whether due to honest error (e.g., major miscalculation, contamination, incorrect dataset) or misconduct (e.g., fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, unethical research, undisclosed conflicts that materially affect interpretation, or duplicate/redundant publication without appropriate disclosure).
- The retracted article is not removed from the journal site; it is clearly marked as “Retracted” (HTML and PDF) and remains accessible to preserve the scholarly record.
- The Retraction Notice is freely accessible, prominently labeled, and linked to the original article (and vice versa).
- The notice states: (i) the reason(s) for retraction (distinguishing honest error from misconduct when possible), and (ii) who is retracting the article (authors, editor, publisher, or institution, as applicable).
- If not all authors agree to the retraction, the notice will indicate this.
2.5 Rare Cases: Article Removal/Redaction
In exceptional circumstances (e.g., legal infringement, court order, serious privacy violation, or defamation risk), JPHS may restrict access to content or redact specific elements. In such cases, the bibliographic record and the reason for removal/redaction will be retained as transparently as legally possible.
3) How JPHS Handles Reports and Decisions
- Who may report: authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions, or other stakeholders may raise concerns or request corrections.
- Initial assessment: the editorial office performs a preliminary review and may request supporting documentation (raw data, ethical approvals, trial registration, halal certification evidence where relevant, etc.).
- Investigation: JPHS may consult independent reviewers, the editorial board, or institutional/funder research integrity offices. Where appropriate, JPHS may follow structured ethics workflows for handling allegations of misconduct.
- Decision authority: final decisions on issuing a Correction, Expression of Concern, or Retraction are made by the Editor-in-Chief (and Publisher when required), based on evidence and in the interest of protecting the integrity of the scholarly record.
4) Format, Linking, and Indexing of Notices
- Notices are citable publications (with clear titles such as “Correction: [Article Title]” or “Retraction: [Article Title]”).
- Notices appear in the journal’s table of contents and are openly accessible.
- Notices and original articles are bidirectionally linked to support discoverability.
- JPHS updates article metadata and works to ensure that indexing/abstracting services can identify and link notices to the original publication.
5) Guidance Consistency
This policy is designed to be consistent with internationally recognized editorial guidance on correcting the literature (including practices for corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions) and with common expectations for linked records in indexing systems.
