Corrections, Retractions & Withdrawals

Corrections, Retractions & Withdrawals Policy

The Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Human Sciences (YZIB) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record.

When errors, ethical concerns, or other significant issues are identified before or after publication, YZIB will take appropriate editorial action in accordance with internationally recognized principles of publication ethics.

Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, such action may include a Correction, Retraction, Withdrawal, Expression of Concern, or, in exceptional circumstances, Removal.

1. Corrections

A correction may be issued when an error or omission is identified in a published article but the error does not invalidate the main findings or conclusions of the work.

Examples may include:

  • factual errors that do not alter the overall conclusions;

  • errors in tables, figures, labels, or numerical values;

  • incorrect or incomplete author information;

  • errors in affiliations or acknowledgments;

  • errors in references;

  • omissions or inaccuracies that require clarification; or

  • production errors introduced during the publication process.

Authors, readers, reviewers, and editors are encouraged to notify the journal when they identify a significant error in a published article.

Requests for correction will be evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriately designated editor. Additional documentation or peer review may be requested when necessary.

Where a correction is warranted, YZIB will publish a clearly identified Correction Notice that:

  • identifies the original article;

  • explains the nature of the correction;

  • is linked to the original publication; and

  • becomes part of the permanent scholarly record.

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect the scientific meaning, interpretation, indexing, or understanding of an article may not require a formal correction notice.

2. Publisher Errors

Errors introduced by the journal or publisher during production, typesetting, formatting, or publication may be corrected through an Erratum or equivalent correction notice.

Such corrections will be clearly linked to the original article where appropriate.

3. Retractions

Retraction is used to alert readers that a published article contains findings, data, content, or ethical problems sufficiently serious that the article, or substantial parts of it, should no longer be relied upon as part of the scientific record.

YZIB may consider retracting an article when there is clear evidence of one or more of the following:

  • findings that are unreliable as a result of major error, miscalculation, methodological error, fabrication, or falsification;

  • fabrication or manipulation of research data, images, figures, or results;

  • plagiarism or substantial unattributed overlap;

  • redundant, duplicate, or unauthorized publication;

  • publication of material or data without appropriate authorization;

  • serious copyright infringement or other significant legal concerns;

  • research conducted or reported in violation of applicable ethical standards;

  • serious violations concerning informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, or research ethics;

  • compromised, fabricated, or manipulated peer review;

  • systematic manipulation of the submission, peer-review, or publication process;

  • fictitious, purchased, unverifiable, or seriously misrepresented authorship;

  • significant citation manipulation;

  • failure to disclose a major conflict of interest that materially affects the interpretation or evaluation of the work;

  • serious undisclosed or inappropriate use of artificial intelligence that undermines the reliability or integrity of the work; or

  • other serious violations of YZIB's publication ethics policies that cause the editors to lose confidence in the reliability or integrity of the article.

Retraction is intended primarily to correct the scholarly record, rather than to punish authors.

4. Retraction Procedure

Before making a retraction decision, YZIB will normally:

  1. evaluate the concern and available evidence;

  2. contact the corresponding author and, where appropriate, all authors;

  3. provide the authors with an opportunity to respond;

  4. request relevant data, documentation, ethics approvals, or other evidence when necessary;

  5. consult reviewers, editorial board members, institutions, ethics committees, or other appropriate bodies when required; and

  6. reach an editorial decision based on the available evidence and applicable publication ethics principles.

A retraction may proceed even when:

  • the authors do not agree with the decision;

  • one or more authors cannot be contacted; or

  • an institutional investigation has not been completed, if sufficient evidence is otherwise available.

5. Retraction Notice

When an article is retracted, YZIB will publish a separate and clearly identifiable Retraction Notice.

The notice will, where appropriate:

  • identify the retracted article by title, author(s), publication details, and DOI;

  • clearly state that the article has been retracted;

  • explain the reason for the retraction;

  • identify who initiated or decided the retraction;

  • be linked electronically to the original article;

  • remain permanently and freely accessible; and

  • use objective and factual language.

The original article will normally remain part of the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as RETRACTED and linked to the retraction notice.

YZIB will not normally delete a retracted article from the journal archive.

6. Partial Retractions

YZIB generally favors either a correction or a full retraction rather than a partial retraction.

If only a clearly identifiable part of an article is affected and the remaining findings remain reliable, the editors will determine whether an appropriate correction can adequately preserve the integrity of the scientific record.

7. Expressions of Concern

YZIB may publish an Expression of Concern when serious concerns have been raised about a published article but the available evidence is not yet sufficient to justify a correction or retraction.

An Expression of Concern may be appropriate when:

  • an investigation into possible research or publication misconduct is ongoing;

  • available evidence is inconclusive;

  • an institutional investigation is significantly delayed;

  • there are substantial concerns regarding the reliability of the data or findings; or

  • additional information is required before a final editorial decision can be made.

The Expression of Concern will be linked to the relevant article.

When the matter is resolved, YZIB may subsequently publish a correction, retraction, editorial notice, or other appropriate update.

8. Withdrawal of Submitted Manuscripts

Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before final publication by contacting the editorial office and providing a clear reason for the request.

During the initial editorial evaluation or peer-review process, withdrawal requests should be submitted by the corresponding author on behalf of all authors.

The corresponding author should confirm that all co-authors have been informed of and agree with the withdrawal request.

Authors should not submit the manuscript to another journal until YZIB has formally confirmed the withdrawal.

Repeated submission and withdrawal practices intended to manipulate or misuse the editorial and peer-review process may be considered inconsistent with responsible publication practice.

9. Withdrawal After Acceptance

Withdrawal of a manuscript after formal acceptance is discouraged because considerable editorial and peer-review resources will already have been devoted to the manuscript.

However, an accepted manuscript that has not yet been finally published may be withdrawn in exceptional circumstances, including:

  • discovery of a serious error affecting the reliability of the work;

  • identification of plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated data, or other serious ethical concerns;

  • legal or copyright problems;

  • lack of required ethical approval or consent;

  • serious authorship disputes that prevent publication; or

  • other circumstances in which publication would compromise the integrity of the scholarly record.

Such cases will be evaluated individually by the Editor-in-Chief.

10. Withdrawal Initiated by the Journal

YZIB reserves the right to withdraw an accepted but not yet finally published manuscript when serious ethical, legal, scientific, or procedural concerns are identified.

The authors will normally be informed of the reason for such action.

11. Article Removal

Removal of a published article from the journal website is an exceptional measure and is distinct from retraction.

A published article will normally remain available even after retraction in order to preserve the scholarly record.

Complete removal may be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as when:

  • continued publication would violate a court order;

  • the article contains unlawful or defamatory material;

  • publication seriously infringes privacy or other legal rights;

  • confidential or personally identifiable information has been unlawfully disclosed; or

  • continued availability presents a serious and demonstrable risk that cannot adequately be addressed through retraction.

Where removal is necessary, YZIB will seek to preserve the bibliographic record and publish an explanatory notice where legally possible.

12. Author Responsibility for Errors

Authors who identify a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work are expected to notify the editorial office promptly and cooperate with the journal in correcting or retracting the article when necessary.

Failure to cooperate with legitimate research-integrity inquiries may itself be considered during the journal's evaluation of the case.

13. Reports from Readers and Third Parties

Readers, institutions, reviewers, researchers, and other third parties may report concerns regarding published articles to the journal.

Reports should provide sufficient information and supporting evidence to allow the journal to evaluate the concern.

YZIB will evaluate credible concerns irrespective of the identity or affiliation of the person raising them. Anonymous allegations may also be considered when they contain specific and verifiable evidence.

14. Editorial Independence

Decisions concerning corrections, expressions of concern, withdrawals, and retractions are editorial decisions based on the reliability and integrity of the scholarly record.

Such decisions will not be influenced by:

  • an author's academic status;

  • institutional affiliation;

  • nationality;

  • commercial considerations;

  • personal relationships; or

  • disagreement with the conclusions of a study where no integrity issue exists.

15. Preservation of the Scholarly Record

YZIB considers the published literature to be a permanent scholarly record.

Accordingly, published articles will not ordinarily be altered, replaced, or deleted without a transparent record of the change.

Formal correction, retraction, or other notices will be permanently linked to the affected article whenever technically possible.

16. Publication Ethics Standards

Cases involving corrections, retractions, withdrawals, expressions of concern, and other post-publication issues will be evaluated in accordance with YZIB's publication ethics policies and internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, including guidance provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

YZIB reserves the right to update this policy to reflect developments in research integrity and scholarly publishing standards.