At the International Council for Medical Education Research and Development (ICMERD), we uphold the highest standards of research integrity and transparency. To ensure the accuracy and credibility of published research, we have a clear policy on retractions, corrections, and post-publication updates.
Our policy is guided by Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) recommendations and aims to address errors, ethical concerns, and data integrity issues responsibly.
1. Retraction Policy
A retraction is issued when a published article is found to contain serious flaws, ethical violations, or research misconduct that compromises its validity. Retractions may be requested by authors, editors, institutions, or third-party reviewers if the following issues are identified:
Reasons for Retraction
✔ Plagiarism – Significant portions of the manuscript have been copied from another source without attribution.
✔ Data Fabrication/Falsification – Manipulated, false, or misleading data have been presented.
✔ Ethical Violations – Issues such as lack of informed consent, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or failure to obtain ethical approval.
✔ Duplicate Publication – The article has been published elsewhere without proper disclosure.
✔ Honest Errors – Unintentional mistakes in data collection, analysis, or conclusions that affect the validity of findings.
✔ Authorship Disputes – Proven cases where authorship claims are fraudulent or improperly assigned.
Retraction Process
- Investigation – The editorial board conducts a formal investigation upon receiving a retraction request.
- Author Notification – Authors are given an opportunity to respond to the concerns raised.
- Decision Making – Based on the findings, the editorial board decides whether retraction is necessary.
- Retraction Notice – If retracted, the original article remains available with a clear retraction notice explaining the reason.
- Indexing Updates – The article’s status is updated in databases, with a notice stating the reason for retraction to maintain transparency.
???? Retraction notices remain permanently linked to the article and cannot be removed.
2. Post-Publication Corrections
ICMERD acknowledges that errors in published articles may sometimes be discovered after publication. Depending on the nature of the issue, corrections are classified as:
A. Minor Corrections (Erratum or Corrigendum)
✔ Spelling, formatting, or minor data errors that do not impact the study’s conclusions.
✔ Incorrect author affiliations, acknowledgments, or missing references.
✔ Author-initiated corrections to non-critical factual inaccuracies.
Published as an "Erratum" (if the journal made the error) or "Corrigendum" (if the author made the error).
B. Major Corrections (Substantial Revisions or Addendums)
✔ Errors in data analysis, methodology, or interpretations that may affect the study’s reliability.
✔ Additional clarifications that significantly alter how the research is understood.
✔ Omissions that impact the study’s conclusions.
Published as a "Correction Notice" or an "Addendum," linked to the original article.
3. Expression of Concern
When an article is under investigation for possible retraction but final conclusions are pending, the journal may issue an Expression of Concern to:
✔ Alert readers that the validity of the article is in question.
✔ Indicate that an investigation is ongoing.
✔ Provide transparency while the matter is being resolved.
If no serious issue is confirmed, the Expression of Concern is removed; if major flaws are verified, the article may be corrected or retracted.
4. Appeals and Author Rights
Authors who disagree with a correction or retraction decision can submit an appeal by providing:
✔ A formal explanation justifying their stance.
✔ Supporting evidence refuting the claims made against their work.
The appeal will be reviewed by an independent editorial panel, and a final decision will be communicated within 4-6 weeks.
5. Ethical Standards and Compliance
ICMERD follows the COPE Retraction Guidelines and works closely with authors, reviewers, and institutions to ensure ethical publishing.
- All corrections and retractions are indexed in major databases (e.g., PubMed, Scopus).
- Retraction notices include the reason for transparency.
- Authors are informed throughout the process.
Contact Us
For inquiries regarding retractions or post-publication corrections, please contact:
Email: editor.icmerd@gmail.com / editor@icmerd.com
Website: ICMERD Official Site
