Corrections, Retractions & Withdrawals

Scopapers is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. When a published article contains an error or is found to be unreliable, we correct or retract it following the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). This policy explains when and how we do so.

Corrections

Where a published article contains an error that affects its meaning but does not undermine its central findings, we issue a correction. A correction is a separate, citable notice linked to the original article; the original article remains available, and the notice explains what was changed. Minor typographical errors that do not affect meaning may be corrected without a formal notice.

Retractions

Retraction is reserved for articles whose findings are seriously unreliable, whether as a result of misconduct such as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism, or as a result of honest error, as well as for cases of redundant publication, unethical research, or a failure to disclose a major competing interest. A retraction is published as a clearly labelled notice, linked in both directions to the original article, and the reason for the retraction is stated.

Tombstone notices and permanence

Retracted articles are not removed from the platform. The original article remains accessible and is prominently marked as retracted, and its permanent identifier continues to resolve, so that the corrected record and its citations remain transparent and verifiable. In the rare circumstances where content must be removed entirely, for legal reasons or because it presents a serious risk, we replace it with a tombstone notice that preserves the metadata and records that the content was removed and why. This ensures that links and citations do not break.

Expressions of concern

Where there is well-founded concern about an article but an investigation is not yet complete, an editor may publish an expression of concern linked to the article to alert readers while the matter is resolved.

Requesting a correction or retraction

Authors who identify an error in their own published work should contact the editorial office promptly. Readers who have concerns about a published article may raise them through our Complaints & Appeals procedure or by writing to [email protected]. All requests are assessed against COPE guidance.