Retraction and Correction

Journal of Religious, Social and Cultural

Journal of Religious, Social and Cultural is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record. The journal follows the principles of publication ethics and takes appropriate action when errors, ethical violations, or other issues affecting the integrity of a published article are identified.

1. Corrections

Corrections may be issued when errors are identified in a published article that do not invalidate its main findings, interpretations, or scholarly contributions. Such errors may include factual inaccuracies, typographical errors that affect meaning, incorrect author information, affiliation errors, or other mistakes that require formal correction.

Requests for corrections may be submitted by authors, readers, editors, or other relevant parties. All requests will be evaluated by the editorial team. If a correction is deemed necessary, the journal will publish a correction notice that clearly identifies the original article, describes the error, and provides the corrected information. The original article will remain available, with an appropriate link to the correction notice.

2. Retractions

Retraction may be considered when serious concerns arise regarding the validity, reliability, or ethical integrity of a published article. Grounds for retraction may include, but are not limited to:

• Fabrication or falsification of research data.

• Plagiarism or substantial unattributed use of others' work.

• Duplicate or redundant publication.

• Serious errors that invalidate the article's main findings or conclusions.

• Unethical research practices or violations of applicable ethical standards.

• Manipulation of the peer-review or publication process.

• Undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the integrity of the publication.

• Other forms of research or publication misconduct that substantially undermine the reliability of the scholarly record.

A retraction may be initiated by the authors, the editor-in-chief, or the editorial board. Before making a decision, the journal will assess the available evidence, seek clarification from the authors where appropriate, and follow a fair and transparent editorial process.

3. Retraction Procedure

When a potential need for retraction is identified, the editorial team will conduct an initial assessment of the concerns and relevant evidence. The authors and other relevant parties may be contacted to provide explanations or supporting documentation.

If the concerns are substantiated and retraction is considered necessary, the journal will publish a formal retraction notice stating the reason for retraction and identifying the affected article. The notice will be linked to the original publication and made freely accessible.

The original article will generally remain available in the journal's online archive to preserve the scholarly record, but it will be clearly marked as retracted. The retraction notice will distinguish between author-initiated and editor-initiated retractions where appropriate. The journal will avoid removing the original article unless removal is necessary for legal, privacy, or other exceptional reasons.

4. Expressions of Concern

If substantial concerns arise about a published article but the investigation is incomplete or a definitive decision cannot yet be reached, the journal may publish an Expression of Concern. This notice will inform readers of the nature of the concerns while the matter is being reviewed. The journal may subsequently publish a correction, a retraction, or another appropriate editorial notice, depending on the outcome.

5. Transparency and Editorial Responsibility

All decisions regarding corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern will be made independently and impartially, based on the available evidence and the seriousness of the identified issues. The journal will respect the rights of authors to respond to allegations and will protect confidential information where appropriate.

The journal is committed to handling all cases consistently and transparently, in accordance with recognized publication ethics principles and relevant guidelines, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

6. Contact and Reporting

Readers, authors, reviewers, and other stakeholders who identify potential errors or ethical concerns in published articles are encouraged to contact the editorial office of Journal of Religious, Social and Cultural. All reports will be reviewed carefully, and appropriate action will be taken when necessary to safeguard the integrity of the scholarly record.