Correction, Retraction, and Withdrawal Policy

Journal of Educational Science and E-Learning (JESE) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record. The journal may publish corrections, retract published articles, or allow the withdrawal of manuscripts when necessary to address errors, ethical concerns, or other circumstances that may affect the integrity of the publication process or the reliability of the scholarly record.

1. Correction of Published Articles

A Correction may be issued when an error is identified in a published article that affects the accuracy or clarity of the article but does not invalidate its main findings, conclusions, or overall scholarly contribution.

Corrections may include, but are not limited to:

  • errors in author names, affiliations, or other bibliographic information;

  • typographical or formatting errors that affect the meaning of the article;

  • errors in tables, figures, data, or references that can be corrected without invalidating the main findings;

  • omissions or inaccuracies that require clarification; and

  • other substantive errors that do not warrant retraction.

When a correction is necessary, JESE will publish a Correction Notice that clearly identifies the affected article, describes the error, and states the corresponding correction. The correction notice will be permanently linked to the original article. Where appropriate, the published article may also be updated, while maintaining a transparent record of the change.

2. Retraction of Published Articles

A Retraction may be issued when a published article is found to contain serious problems that substantially undermine the validity, reliability, or integrity of the published work.

Reasons for retraction may include, but are not limited to:

  • fabrication or falsification of research data or results;

  • substantial plagiarism;

  • serious ethical violations involving research participants;

  • substantial errors that invalidate the main findings or conclusions;

  • duplicate or redundant publication;

  • fraudulent or manipulated peer review;

  • serious authorship or publication-ethics violations;

  • unauthorized use of data, materials, or intellectual property; or

  • other circumstances that seriously compromise the integrity of the scholarly record.

Retraction does not necessarily imply misconduct by the authors. An article may be retracted because of an honest error, ethical concern, or other circumstances that substantially affect the reliability of the published work.

3. Retraction Procedure

A retraction may be initiated by the Editor-in-Chief, the Editorial Team, the authors, readers, reviewers, or the author's affiliated institution or research organization.

The following procedure may be applied:

  1. Preliminary assessment
    The Editorial Team conducts an initial assessment of the concern and available evidence.

  2. Author response
    The authors are contacted and given a reasonable opportunity to provide an explanation, clarification, or supporting evidence.

  3. Further assessment
    Where necessary, JESE may consult independent experts, reviewers, editors, research-ethics specialists, or the relevant author's institution or research organization.

  4. Editorial decision
    The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Editorial Team and taking into account the available evidence and relevant ethical standards, determines whether correction, retraction, or another action is appropriate.

  5. Retraction Notice
    If retraction is warranted, JESE publishes a Retraction Notice that clearly explains the reason for the retraction and identifies the affected article.

  6. Identification of the retracted article
    The original article remains part of the scholarly record but is clearly marked as RETRACTED and permanently linked to the Retraction Notice.

  7. Preservation of the scholarly record
    The retracted article and Retraction Notice remain accessible where possible in order to preserve transparency, traceability, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

JESE will not remove a published article from the journal website or the scholarly record except in exceptional circumstances, such as where the article contains illegal content, poses a serious risk to individuals, or where removal is required by applicable legal or ethical obligations.

4. Withdrawal of Manuscripts

Withdrawal refers to the removal of a manuscript before its formal publication.

Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript during the editorial or peer-review process by submitting a written request to the Editorial Office. The request should include the manuscript title, manuscript ID, and the reason for withdrawal.

JESE may refuse a withdrawal request when the manuscript has already entered an advanced stage of production or when withdrawal is requested for inappropriate reasons, such as avoiding legitimate editorial or peer-review decisions.

If an author withdraws a manuscript after acceptance without a valid reason, or submits or publishes the same manuscript elsewhere while it is under consideration by JESE, the journal may take appropriate action in accordance with its publication-ethics policies.

If a manuscript is withdrawn after substantial editorial or production work has been undertaken, JESE may require the authors to provide an appropriate explanation and may consider further editorial action where necessary.

5. Editorial Authority

The Editor-in-Chief has the final editorial authority to determine whether a published article should be corrected or retracted, taking into consideration the available evidence, the authors' responses, relevant ethical standards, and, where appropriate, recommendations from independent experts or the authors' institutions.

Decisions concerning correction, retraction, or withdrawal will be made independently of commercial considerations and will be based on the integrity, reliability, and scholarly record of the publication.

JESE aims to handle all correction, retraction, and withdrawal matters fairly, objectively, transparently, and confidentially.

6. Retraction and Correction Notices

All Correction and Retraction Notices will:

  • clearly identify the affected article;

  • provide the article title, author(s), DOI, and relevant publication information;

  • clearly state the reason for the correction or retraction;

  • be permanently linked to the original article;

  • be publicly accessible; and

  • remain part of the journal's scholarly record.

A retracted article will not be deleted solely because it has been retracted. Instead, it will remain accessible with a prominent RETRACTED label and an appropriate link to the Retraction Notice, except where exceptional circumstances require removal.

JESE follows recognized principles of publication ethics and may refer to the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when handling corrections, retractions, and withdrawals.