Publishing Policies · Full policy

Corrections, Retractions and Withdrawals

Published scholarship sometimes needs to be corrected or taken back. This policy says what each action means, when we use it, and how readers can tell what happened.

Version 1.0 · October 2026 · This is the full text. The summary on the policies page applies to every journal, book and proceedings volume.

Principles

A published article is part of the scholarly record. We do not quietly change or delete it. When something has to change, the change is made openly, is linked to the original, and says what was changed and why. We follow COPE's retraction guidelines.

The actions we use

Correction: Used when a published article contains an error that does not invalidate its findings, for example a wrong citation, a missing author, an incorrect figure caption, or a typographical error that affects meaning. It is called an erratum when the error was the publisher's and a corrigendum when it was the author's. A correction notice is published and linked to the article, and, if the error is in the production process and the change is minor, the article itself may be updated with a note recording the change.
Expression of concern: Used when a serious concern has been raised about an article, the investigation is not finished, and readers should be told in the meantime. The notice is linked to the article and replaced by a correction or retraction, or withdrawn, once the matter is settled.
Retraction: Used when an article cannot be relied on: for example, major error that invalidates the findings, fabricated or falsified data or sources, plagiarism, redundant publication without disclosure, unethical research, undeclared conflicts that change how the work should be read, or authorship misconduct. A retraction notice is published and linked, the article remains available and is marked as retracted, and the reasons are stated.
Withdrawal of a submission: An author who wishes to withdraw a manuscript that is still under review should contact the editorial team as early as possible, through the journal's submission system. Requests are evaluated case by case. A manuscript cannot be withdrawn while a misconduct investigation about it is open.
Withdrawal of a published article: Used for an article that has been accepted or published online as a "forthcoming" or provisional version but not yet issued, when it contains an error, or has been duplicated, or has been published by mistake. A withdrawn article is replaced by a notice that gives the reason.
Removal: An exceptional action, used only when an article is clearly defamatory, infringes someone's legal rights, is the subject of a court order, or poses a serious risk to health or safety, or contains information that must not be published. A notice records that the content was removed and why. Metadata stays on record.
Replacement: Used when an article is replaced by a corrected version because the correction is too extensive to describe in a notice. The earlier version is retained and linked, and the change is explained.

How a decision is made

A concern is raised by a reader, author, reviewer, editor or institution. See the Publication Ethics procedure.
The editor-in-chief assesses it with the publisher and, where needed, outside experts, and the authors are given the opportunity to respond.
A decision is made on the evidence. Where the authors acted in good faith and the error is honest, a correction is preferred to a retraction. Authors who discover an honest error in their own work and report it promptly will not be penalised for doing so.
The notice is published and linked to the article, with a DOI of its own once the journal registers DOIs, and the metadata sent to indexing services is updated.

Authors of a retracted article are told in writing before the notice is published, and may submit a written response, which may be published with the notice if the editor judges it appropriate.

What a notice contains

The title, authors and publication details of the article it concerns, linked to it.
Who is acting (the editor, the publisher, the authors or their institution) and the date.
The reason, stated plainly and without defamatory language.
For a retraction, whether the findings are considered unreliable, and, where it is relevant and has been established, whether the cause was an honest error or misconduct.

Availability and indexing

Retracted articles are not deleted. The article stays on the journal's website, marked clearly as retracted on every version, so that the record of the retraction travels with it and so that those who have cited it can see what happened. Where the publisher deposits metadata with indexing services or archives, it tells them about the change.

Author requests

An author may ask for a correction or withdrawal. A request to remove an article from the record because the author has changed their mind, or for reasons of career or reputation, is normally refused, because the record must be kept. Requests based on safety, privacy or legal grounds are considered individually, and the publisher will consult the editor-in-chief.

Name changes: an author who has changed their name (for example after a change in gender identity or religion) can ask for their name to be updated on published articles and metadata, without a notice, and in confidence.