Correction Retraction & Withdrawal

Sentralisasi is committed to maintaining the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. The journal handles corrections, retractions, and manuscript withdrawals in accordance with the principles of publication ethics and relevant guidance issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), particularly its Retraction Guidelines and Core Practices.

The journal assesses each case individually, considers the available evidence, communicates with the relevant parties, and takes proportionate action to protect readers and preserve the reliability of the scholarly record. Editorial decisions are based on the evidence and publication ethics considerations rather than solely on the wishes of authors or other interested parties, consistent with COPE guidance on editorial decisions concerning retractions.

1. Corrections

A correction may be issued when an error, omission, or inaccuracy is identified in a published article and the principal findings and conclusions remain reliable. Examples include errors in author names or affiliations, acknowledgements, funding information, tables, figures, references, or factual statements that can be corrected without invalidating the main findings. This approach is consistent with COPE guidance that correction may be preferable when the main findings remain reliable and the problem can be adequately addressed through an amendment (COPE Retraction Guidelines).

Authors who identify a significant error in their published work should promptly notify the Editor-in-Chief and provide a clear explanation of the error, its impact, and the proposed correction. Readers, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties may also report suspected errors to the editorial office.

The editorial team will assess the reported error and determine whether a correction notice is appropriate. When necessary, the journal may consult the authors, reviewers, relevant experts, or the authors' institution. The journal may request supporting documents or corrected files before making a decision.

An approved correction notice should identify the affected article, describe the correction clearly, explain its significance where necessary, and identify the relationship between the notice and the original publication. The notice should be linked to the original article so that readers can identify the corrected scholarly record. The handling of corrections follows COPE's principles for maintaining the reliability and transparency of published research (COPE Core Practices).

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect the interpretation of the article may be corrected during production or through routine metadata updates, where appropriate. Substantive post-publication changes must be documented transparently and must not mislead readers about the article's publication history.

2. Retractions

A retraction may be considered when there is clear evidence that a published article is seriously flawed, unreliable, or compromised to such an extent that its findings or conclusions should no longer be relied upon. The purpose of retraction is to correct the scholarly record and protect its integrity, not to punish authors (COPE Retraction Guidelines).

Grounds for considering retraction include, but are not limited to: major errors in data, analysis, or interpretation; fabrication or falsification of data or images; plagiarism; redundant or duplicate publication without appropriate disclosure or justification; unauthorised use of material or data; serious copyright or legal violations; unethical research; manipulation or compromise of peer review; fictitious or materially misrepresented authorship; and undisclosed competing interests that significantly affect the interpretation or recommendations of the work. These grounds are based on the circumstances described in the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

Retraction is not normally appropriate when the principal findings remain reliable and the problem can be adequately resolved through a correction, or when the available evidence is insufficient to justify retraction. Where concerns are serious but an investigation is inconclusive or ongoing, the journal may consider publishing an expression of concern, where appropriate, in accordance with COPE's Expressions of Concern guidance.

When a potential retraction is identified, the Editor-in-Chief will assess the available evidence and may request an explanation from the authors, supporting data, research records, ethics approval documents, or information from the relevant institution. Authors will normally be given an opportunity to respond to the concerns. However, an author's failure to respond or disagreement with the proposed action does not, by itself, prevent the journal from proceeding when the evidence supports retraction.

The journal may communicate with the authors' institution, research funder, publisher, or another relevant journal when necessary to establish the facts and protect the scholarly record. Such communication should be handled responsibly and in accordance with applicable confidentiality requirements and COPE guidance on cooperation between research institutions and journals.

A retraction notice will clearly identify the retracted article, including its title and authors; state that the article has been retracted; identify who is issuing the retraction; explain the reasons and evidential basis for the decision; and provide a link to the original article. The notice must be objective, factual, promptly published when the decision is made, and freely accessible to readers. These requirements follow the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

The original article will normally remain accessible with a clear retracted status and a prominent link to the retraction notice, subject to applicable legal requirements and technical limitations. The journal will not silently remove or replace the scholarly record in a manner that conceals the article's publication history. Relevant metadata and links will be updated where technically feasible.

3. Withdrawal of Submitted Manuscripts

Withdrawal applies primarily to manuscripts that have not yet been formally published. An author who wishes to withdraw a submission should send a written request to the editorial office explaining the reason for withdrawal. Where a manuscript has multiple authors, the journal may request confirmation from all co-authors or an explanation of any disagreement before approving the request.

A manuscript may be withdrawn before publication when the request is legitimate and no unresolved ethical or publication-integrity concern requires further action. Authors should not submit the same manuscript to another journal while it remains under active consideration by Sentralisasi. If simultaneous submission, duplicate submission, or another potential breach is suspected, the journal may investigate the matter in accordance with its publication ethics procedures and relevant COPE guidance, including the COPE guidance on redundant publication in submitted manuscripts.

A withdrawal request does not automatically terminate an investigation into suspected plagiarism, fabricated data, authorship disputes, duplicate submission, unethical research, or other serious concerns. The journal may seek clarification and retain relevant editorial records as necessary to document the handling of the case and protect publication integrity.

Once withdrawal is approved, the editorial office will confirm the decision in writing and update the manuscript's editorial status. Authors must not treat a manuscript as withdrawn until the journal has confirmed the withdrawal.

4. Withdrawal After Acceptance or Online Publication

After acceptance but before formal publication, a withdrawal request will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief. The journal may request a written explanation and confirmation from all authors. If production has already started, the journal will document the decision and take appropriate steps to prevent confusion about the manuscript's status.

If the article has already been formally published online or in an issue, the case will generally be assessed under the correction, retraction, or other applicable post-publication procedures rather than treated as an ordinary withdrawal of a submitted manuscript. COPE's Retraction Guidelines explain that published content must be handled in a way that transparently corrects the scholarly record and alerts readers to serious reliability concerns.

In exceptional circumstances, such as a court order, a serious legal risk, or a substantiated threat to an individual's safety or privacy, the journal may restrict access to specific content while assessing the appropriate action. Any removal or restriction will be limited to what is necessary, documented, and accompanied by an explanatory notice where legally permissible. The journal will seek appropriate advice when required and will not use withdrawal to conceal a substantiated publication-integrity problem.

5. Reporting Concerns and Editorial Investigation

Concerns about a published article or submitted manuscript may be reported to the Editor-in-Chief or editorial office by authors, readers, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties. Reports should provide sufficient information to identify the manuscript or article, describe the concern, and include supporting evidence where available.

The journal will assess allegations fairly, confidentially, and without prejudging the outcome. The editorial team may request additional evidence, invite responses from the relevant authors, consult independent experts, or contact an appropriate institution. Investigations and editorial decisions will follow the journal's procedures and the applicable COPE Core Practices.

Where an institutional investigation is relevant, the journal may cooperate with the institution to clarify the facts and determine the appropriate response. COPE recommends effective communication between journals and research institutions in cases involving research integrity and publication misconduct (COPE cooperation guidance).

If the evidence remains inconclusive while a serious concern persists, the journal may publish an expression of concern when justified. The journal may subsequently publish a correction, retraction, or other appropriate notice based on the evidence and the outcome of further review, consistent with the COPE Expressions of Concern guidance.

6. Editorial Responsibility and Transparency

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for making the final editorial decision on corrections and retractions, except where a conflict of interest or other circumstance compromises the editor's independence. The publisher may support the investigation and implementation of the decision, but editorial action must be based on the evidence and the integrity of the scholarly record. This approach is consistent with the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

Sentralisasi will communicate decisions to the relevant parties and publish notices in a timely and transparent manner. The journal will preserve appropriate editorial documentation and update article records and metadata where feasible. Corrections, retractions, and withdrawal decisions will be distinguished clearly so that readers can understand the status of the manuscript or published article.