Purpose of retraction. A retraction alerts readers to published work that can no longer be relied upon. The journal follows the COPE Retraction Guidelines and links the notice to the affected article.

The primary purpose of a retraction is to maintain the integrity of academic literature. It is an administrative action taken to ensure readers are alerted to unreliable data or unethical conduct.

1. Criteria for Retraction

In alignment with international standards, the journal will retract a publication if:

• There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either as a result of research misconduct (data fabrication/falsification) or major honest error.
• The work constitutes plagiarism, redundant publication, or was published without proper legal/ethical authorization.
• The peer review process was found to be compromised or manipulated.
• Authors failed to disclose major conflicts of interest that would have invalidated the evaluation.
• The research is found to be based on unethical protocols.

2. Implementation and Metadata

The retraction is recorded through a linked notice and updated article metadata:

• A separate Retraction Notice will be published with a unique DOI and linked bi-directionally to the original article.
• The original article (PDF and HTML) is not removed from the site but is prominently watermarked with "RETRACTED" on every page.
• The metadata of the article will be updated to include the retraction status to prevent further uncorrected citations.

3. Editorial Expressions of Concern (EEoC)

The Editor-in-Chief may issue an Expression of Concern if an investigation into a highly suspicious article is prolonged or if there is inconclusive evidence but strong suspicion of misconduct. This serves as an interim warning to the scholarly community while full due process is observed.

A concern should identify the publication and the specific evidence in question. The editor considers the nature and extent of the problem, the authors’ response and any relevant independent information; a correction may be more appropriate where the article remains reliable.

4. Investigation Process

Investigations may be initiated by editors, authors, or external whistleblowers. The Editor-in-Chief will lead the investigation, often in consultation with the Editorial Board or the authors' home institutions. Retractions will not be issued without providing the authors a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations.

Global Trust in Research

Retraction notices explain the reason for the action and preserve a transparent record of the publication.