Corrections Policy
Journal of Dental Sciences and Education (JDSE) and MediHealth Academy are committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record.
When errors, omissions, ethical concerns, or other issues affecting a published article are identified, JDSE will take appropriate post-publication action in accordance with recognized publication ethics principles and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Post-publication notices may include Corrections, Errata, Corrigenda, Addenda, Expressions of Concern, Retractions, or, in exceptional circumstances, Article Removal.
1. General Principles
Post-publication changes will be made transparently and in a manner that preserves the integrity of the scholarly record.
Where applicable, post-publication notices will:
- Be clearly identified and labeled;
- State the reason for the notice;
- Be electronically linked to the original article;
- Identify the article concerned, including title, authors, citation details, and DOI where available;
- Be freely accessible;
- Be citable and assigned appropriate bibliographic information where applicable; and
- Be communicated to relevant indexing and abstracting services when necessary.
The original publication record will normally be preserved rather than silently replaced or removed.
2. Correction
A Correction may be published when an error or omission affects the accuracy, interpretation, indexing, or understanding of an article but does not invalidate the overall findings or conclusions.
Examples may include:
- Incorrect numerical values;
- Errors in tables, figures, or figure legends;
- Incorrect author or affiliation information;
- Errors in methodological descriptions;
- Omitted acknowledgments or funding information;
- Incorrect references; or
- Other substantive errors that do not render the article unreliable.
Minor typographical or grammatical errors that do not affect meaning or interpretation may be corrected without a formal correction notice at the discretion of the Journal.
3. Erratum
An Erratum is issued when a significant error was introduced by the Journal, Publisher, production team, typesetting process, or another post-acceptance stage.
Examples may include:
- Production-related errors in tables or figures;
- Incorrect author information introduced during typesetting;
- Missing text resulting from production;
- Incorrect pagination, formatting, or metadata; or
- Other publisher-introduced errors affecting the published record.
Where appropriate, the Erratum will be linked to the original article and the online article may also be updated with a clear indication that a correction has been made.
4. Corrigendum
A Corrigendum is issued when a significant error originated with the author(s) and was present in the accepted manuscript.
A Corrigendum may be appropriate when the error affects part of the published record but does not invalidate the main results or conclusions.
Authors who identify an error after publication should promptly notify the JDSE Editorial Office and provide:
- A clear description of the error;
- The proposed correction;
- An explanation of how the error occurred; and
- An assessment of whether the error affects the study results, interpretation, or conclusions.
The Editorial Board may request additional documentation or independent expert review before issuing a Corrigendum.
5. Addendum
An Addendum may be published when additional information is necessary to clarify, expand, or supplement an article after publication without correcting an error that materially affects the original work.
Addenda should not be used to introduce substantial new results that would normally require publication as a separate article.
The decision to publish an Addendum is made by the Editorial Board.
6. Expression of Concern
An Expression of Concern may be issued when serious concerns have been raised regarding the reliability, integrity, ethical conduct, or validity of a published article, but the available evidence is not yet sufficient to justify a Correction or Retraction.
Examples may include situations in which:
- An investigation into suspected research or publication misconduct is ongoing;
- There is inconclusive evidence regarding the reliability of data or results;
- An institution has initiated an investigation but its outcome is pending;
- There are unresolved concerns regarding ethics approval, consent, authorship, peer review, or data integrity; or
- An investigation has been delayed or cannot be completed within a reasonable period.
An Expression of Concern is not a lesser form of Retraction. Its purpose is to alert readers that unresolved concerns exist while further investigation is undertaken.
The notice will be clearly linked to the article and will describe the nature of the concern to the extent appropriate.
Once sufficient evidence becomes available, the Expression of Concern may be followed by:
- A Correction;
- A Retraction;
- A statement resolving or removing the concern; or
- Another appropriate editorial action.
7. Retraction
An article may be retracted when its findings, data, conclusions, or publication history are no longer considered sufficiently reliable to remain part of the scientific record without a clear warning.
Grounds for Retraction may include, but are not limited to:
- Clear evidence that findings are unreliable as a result of major error, fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation;
- Plagiarism;
- Redundant or duplicate publication without appropriate justification or disclosure;
- Serious ethical violations;
- Manipulation or compromise of the peer-review process;
- Unauthorized use of data or material;
- Major undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect interpretation of the work;
- Evidence that the research was conducted without required ethical approval or consent where this substantially affects the validity or ethical acceptability of the work; or
- Other circumstances in which the article is seriously misleading or unreliable.
Retraction is intended to correct the scientific literature and alert readers to unreliable content. It is not primarily intended as a punishment of authors.
A Retraction notice will, as far as possible:
- Clearly identify the retracted article;
- Explain the reason for Retraction;
- Distinguish between honest error and misconduct where sufficient information is available;
- Identify who is issuing the Retraction;
- Be linked electronically to the original article; and
- Be freely accessible.
The original article will normally remain available online but will be clearly and prominently marked as retracted.
A Retraction may be issued even if one or more authors do not agree with the decision.
8. Partial Correction Versus Retraction
Where only a limited part of an article is affected and the main findings and conclusions remain reliable, JDSE will generally consider a Correction rather than Retraction.
Where the errors or concerns undermine the reliability of the article as a whole, Retraction may be required.
The decision will be based on the effect of the issue on the reliability and integrity of the scientific record rather than solely on whether the error was intentional.
9. Retraction and Republication
In exceptional circumstances, an article that contains major but correctable problems may be retracted and replaced by a substantially corrected version.
Where Retraction and Republication is considered appropriate:
- The original article will remain part of the publication record and be clearly marked as retracted;
- The new version will be published as a separate article;
- The two records will be clearly linked; and
- The reason for Retraction and Republication will be transparently explained.
10. Article Removal
Complete removal of a published article from the Journal's website will occur only in exceptional circumstances.
Article Removal may be considered when continued publication of the full article would:
- Violate a court order or legal requirement;
- Constitute serious defamation;
- Violate personal privacy or confidentiality in a manner that cannot be adequately corrected;
- Infringe legal rights in a manner requiring removal; or
- Pose a serious and immediate risk to public health or safety.
Where an article is removed, its bibliographic metadata should normally remain available.
The article content will be replaced by a notice explaining why the material has been removed, to the extent legally and ethically permissible.
Article Removal will not be used merely because an article contains errors or has been retracted.
11. Investigation and Decision-Making
Concerns about published articles may be raised by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions, research integrity offices, or other parties.
JDSE may:
- Contact the authors for clarification;
- Request original data, images, ethics documentation, protocols, or other supporting materials;
- Consult independent experts;
- Contact relevant institutions or research integrity offices;
- Consult other journals or publishers where related publications are involved; and
- Take other reasonable steps necessary to determine the reliability of the published record.
Authors will normally be given an opportunity to respond to concerns before a final post-publication decision is made, except where urgent action is necessary to protect patients, participants, the public, or the scientific record.
The Editor-in-Chief, or an independent editor where a conflict of interest exists, is responsible for the final editorial decision regarding Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions.
12. Author Disagreement
The Journal may issue a Correction, Expression of Concern, or Retraction even when one or more authors disagree with the decision.
Where relevant, the notice may indicate which authors agree or disagree with the action.
Author non-cooperation will not prevent JDSE from taking necessary action to protect the integrity of the scientific record.
13. Requests for Post-Publication Changes
Requests relating to published articles should be sent to:
JDSE Editorial Office
E-mail: [email protected]
Requests should clearly identify the publication concerned and provide sufficient supporting information or documentation to allow the Journal to evaluate the matter.
All post-publication actions will be considered in accordance with JDSE's Research and Publication Ethics policies and applicable COPE guidance.
