Corrections, Retractions, Expressions of Concern, and Withdrawal Policy

Corrections, Retractions, Expressions of Concern, and Withdrawal Policy

Genius Journal of Nursing (GJN)

Genius Journal of Nursing (GJN) ensures that all published articles follow the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals issued by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the ethical guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. When significant errors, misleading statements, or ethical concerns are identified in published or submitted work, the journal will take appropriate editorial action in accordance with international publication ethics standards.

Corrections

A correction is an editorial action taken to address minor errors in a published article that do not affect the validity of the study or the reliability of its conclusions.

These errors are typically technical or administrative in nature and may include:

  • Typographical mistakes
  • Author affiliations
  • Table or figure labels
  • Minor inaccuracies that may cause confusion but do not affect the scientific results

A corrigendum may be issued when authors identify an error after publication. If the correction is considered necessary, the Editor-in-Chief will publish the correction (corrigendum or erratum) as a separate document in a subsequent issue of the journal.

The original article will remain unchanged; however, a notice will be added on the first page of the article stating:

“Corrigendum available: [link to the corrigendum]”

This ensures that readers can easily access the correction and understand the nature of the amendment.

Withdrawal Policy

Article withdrawal refers to the removal of an article from the editorial or publication process before or shortly after online publication when serious issues are identified that make the article unsuitable for publication but have not yet reached the stage of formal retraction.

Articles may be withdrawn for reasons including:

  • Evidence that research findings are unreliable due to major errors or data fabrication
  • Duplicate publication without proper citation or permission
  • Plagiarism or copyright infringement
  • Unethical research practices, including violations of participant rights
  • Legal concerns or significant public health risks

Editorial Action

If withdrawal is required, the journal will issue an official withdrawal notice in the form of an announcement, editorial note, or short article in the next journal issue. The notice will include:

  • Title of the withdrawn article
  • Author names
  • Reason for withdrawal
  • Date of withdrawal

The original article will remain accessible for transparency but will contain a notice on the first page stating:

“This article has been withdrawn from publication.”

Retractions

A retraction is a formal editorial action used to withdraw a published article when serious problems are identified that invalidate the research findings or significantly compromise the integrity of the publication.

Retraction aims to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record and maintain transparency in academic publishing.

Criteria for Retraction

Articles may be retracted when:

  • Research findings are proven unreliable due to serious methodological errors or data fabrication
  • Significant plagiarism or duplicate publication is identified
  • Research involves unethical practices affecting the validity of results
  • Legal or regulatory violations occur
  • Errors substantially affect the interpretation or conclusions of the research

Editorial Action

  1. Publish an official retraction notice including title, authors, reason, and date.
  2. Maintain the original article online while clearly marking it as retracted.

A statement will be added on the first page:

“RETRACTED: This article has been retracted from publication. See the retraction notice for details.”

The PDF version will include a “Retracted” watermark.

Author Sanctions

In cases involving serious ethical violations, the journal may impose sanctions, including:

  • Written warnings
  • Temporary submission ban (e.g., one year)
  • Notification to affiliated institutions

For unintentional errors, corrective actions may be applied without sanctions.

Article Deletion (Legal Restrictions)

Deletion may occur only in limited circumstances:

  • Defamation or legal violations
  • Court orders
  • Serious health risks

Metadata will remain, and a removal notice will be displayed.

Article Substitution

In rare cases, authors may replace an article if public health risks are identified.

A replacement article will be published with linked retraction history.

Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued when doubts exist but evidence is inconclusive.

  • Ongoing investigation
  • Inconclusive misconduct evidence
  • Unverified concerns

The notice will be formally published and linked to the article.

All procedures follow COPE Retraction Guidelines:

https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines

Through these policies, the journal seeks to uphold transparency, accountability, and the integrity of scholarly publishing.