Correction and Retraction

Correction of Manuscript

The journal should consider publishing a correction if: a small portion of an otherwise reliable publication reports flawed or proven misleading data, particularly if this is the result of an honest error. The author or contributor list is incorrect (e.g., a deserving author has been omitted or someone who does not meet the authorship criteria has been included). Corrections to peer-reviewed content fall into one of three categories:

• Publisher's Correction (Erratum): to notify readers of a critical error made by the publishing/journal staff (typically a production error) that negatively impacts the publication record, the manuscript's scientific integrity, or the reputation of the author or the journal.
• Author's Correction (Corrigendum): to notify readers of a significant error made by the Author that negatively impacts the publication record, the article's scientific integrity, or the reputation of the author or the journal.
• Addendum: a notification of an addition to an article by its author(s) to explain inconsistencies, to expand upon existing work, or to clarify or update information within the main work.

The decision of whether a correction should be issued is made by the journal Editor, sometimes with the advice of Reviewers or Editorial Board members. The Handling Editor will contact the authors of the manuscript in question with a request for clarification, but the final decision on whether a correction is necessary and what type it should be rests with the Editor.

Withdrawal of Manuscript

Authors are generally discouraged from withdrawing a manuscript that is under review, except in exceptional and well-justified circumstances, such as the identification of serious errors, ethical concerns, or other compelling reasons. Withdrawal at this stage may disrupt the peer-review process and require substantial time and effort from editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

Authors who wish to request a withdrawal must submit a signed Article Withdrawal Form, completed by all authors or by the corresponding author on behalf of all co-authors, clearly stating the reasons for the request. All withdrawal requests are subject to editorial review and are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

A manuscript will be considered formally withdrawn only after written confirmation has been issued by the Editorial Office. To obtain an Article Withdrawal Form, authors are advised to contact the editorial team listed in the Contact section of the journal website.

The journal does not impose withdrawal penalties; however, repeated or unjustified withdrawal requests may be taken into consideration in future editorial decisions in order to safeguard the integrity, fairness, and efficiency of the peer-review process.

Removal of Manuscript

In a very limited number of cases, it may be necessary to remove a published manuscript from our online platform. This will occur only if the manuscript is clearly defamatory, violates others' legal rights, or we have strong reason to believe it will become the subject of a court order, or if, if acted upon, it could pose a serious health risk.