CORRECTION AND RETRACTION POLICY

Correction and Retraction Policy

Jurnal Keperawatan Merdeka is committed to maintaining the accuracy, reliability, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. Errors or ethical concerns may be identified before or after publication. Accordingly, the journal establishes procedures for correcting, clarifying, withdrawing, retracting, or, in exceptional circumstances, removing scholarly content.

The purpose of these procedures is to protect readers from unreliable information and preserve the integrity of scholarly communication, rather than to punish authors or other individuals.

1. Scope and General Principles

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to and scholarly content published in Jurnal Keperawatan Merdeka, including original research articles, literature reviews, systematic reviews, case studies, clinical nursing research, nursing education research, community health nursing research, and other scholarly contributions within the journal's scope.

The following principles guide editorial action:

  1. Accuracy: Publications must accurately represent research methods, sources, evidence, analyses, and conclusions.

  2. Transparency: Substantive changes must be documented through appropriate notices.

  3. Accountability: Authors, editors, and the publisher share responsibilities for maintaining the scholarly record.

  4. Fairness: Concerns must be assessed objectively, with affected parties given reasonable opportunities to respond.

  5. Preservation: Published content should ordinarily remain accessible, including when corrected or retracted.

  6. Proportionality: Action must reflect the nature, severity, and consequences of the concern.

  7. Timeliness: Substantiated concerns should be addressed without unnecessary delay.

  8. Editorial Independence: Decisions must be based on evidence and must not be improperly influenced by commercial, institutional, personal, or reputational interests.

2. Categories of Corrections and Editorial Notices

2.1. Author Correction (Corrigendum)

An Author Correction addresses significant errors originating in the authors' work that can be corrected without fundamentally invalidating the article's principal contribution.

Examples include:

  • Incorrect numerical values or analytical results;

  • Errors in tables, figures, quotations, or references;

  • Inaccurate descriptions of research methods, sampling, or participant characteristics;

  • Verified errors in author information or contribution statements; and

  • Material omissions or inaccuracies in funding, conflicts of interest, research ethics statements, or acknowledgements.

The notice must identify the error, provide the corrected information, and explain its implications for the article's findings and conclusions.

2.2. Publisher Correction (Erratum)

A Publisher Correction addresses significant errors introduced during editorial production or publication, such as:

  • Incorrect titles, author names, or affiliations;

  • Typesetting errors affecting meaning;

  • Incorrect reproduction of tables, figures, or supplementary materials;

  • Discrepancies between approved proofs and published content; and

  • Errors in bibliographic metadata.

Minor metadata errors may be resolved through documented updates when a separate notice is unnecessary.

2.3. Addendum

An Addendum supplies important additional information needed to understand the original article.

It may provide essential methodological clarification, additional contextual information, or supporting documentation. It must not conceal errors, introduce unsupported conclusions, or replace a correction or retraction where those actions are warranted.

Substantially new research should normally be submitted as a separate article.

2.4. Editor's Note

An Editor's Note may inform readers of an editorial clarification or an inquiry concerning a published article.

It does not establish misconduct and must distinguish verified information from unresolved concerns.

2.5. Editorial Expression of Concern

An Expression of Concern alerts readers to serious questions about an article when the evidence is incomplete or an investigation remains unresolved.

It may be appropriate when:

  • Credible concerns require further investigation;

  • The reliability of research data, analyses, or findings is seriously questioned;

  • Institutional findings are delayed or inconclusive;

  • Significant ethical concerns remain unresolved; or

  • Available explanations do not adequately resolve the concerns.

The notice should describe the issue fairly and be followed by an appropriate update when sufficient information becomes available.

3. Article Correction Procedures

Corrections may be initiated by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions, or other concerned parties.

The journal will normally:

  1. Receive a description of the error and supporting evidence;

  2. Assess its significance and potential impact;

  3. Request author clarification or corrected materials;

  4. Consult independent specialists where necessary;

  5. Determine whether correction is sufficient; and

  6. Publish and link an appropriate notice.

Correction notices should identify the article, describe the original error, provide the amendment, and explain whether the interpretation or conclusions are affected.

When article files are updated, the corrected version and amendment history must be identifiable. Substantive changes must not be made silently.

4. Grounds for Retraction

Retraction informs readers that an article's reliability or ethical integrity has been fundamentally compromised.

Jurnal Keperawatan Merdeka may retract an article when reliable evidence establishes:

  1. Fabrication or Falsification: Invented or manipulated research data, patient records, survey responses, interviews, clinical observations, or findings;

  2. Unreliable Conclusions: Major methodological, analytical, statistical, or reporting errors that invalidate the principal conclusions;

  3. Plagiarism: Significant unattributed use of another person's work;

  4. Redundant Publication: Substantial duplication without appropriate disclosure or justification;

  5. Serious Research Ethics Violations: Including breaches of required consent, ethical approval, confidentiality, or participant protection;

  6. Compromised Peer Review: Manipulation that undermines confidence in the publication process; or

  7. Other Fundamental Integrity Failures: Established circumstances that make continued reliance on the article inappropriate.

Retraction may be necessary because of deliberate misconduct or honest error. A finding of intentional misconduct is not required when the published work is demonstrably unreliable.

Authorship disputes or undisclosed interests alone do not normally justify retraction when the article remains reliable and the issue can be adequately addressed through correction.

5. Retraction Assessment and Decision-Making

Stage 1: Preliminary Assessment

The Editorial Team documents the concern, identifies the affected article, and evaluates the supporting evidence.

Stage 2: Author Notification

The corresponding author and, where appropriate, other authors are informed and invited to provide explanations or supporting records.

Requests must account for confidentiality, participant consent, and restrictions on sensitive research materials.

Stage 3: Independent Evaluation

The journal may consult methodological specialists, subject experts, research ethics advisers, or relevant institutions.

Allegations requiring formal investigation of researcher conduct may be referred to the authors' institutions.

Stage 4: Editorial Determination

The Editor-in-Chief or an independent authorized editor assesses whether correction, an Expression of Concern, retraction, or another action is warranted.

Anyone with a relevant conflict of interest must withdraw from decision-making.

Stage 5: Notification

Authors will be informed of the decision and given a reasonable opportunity to respond.

Author disagreement does not prevent retraction where sufficient evidence supports it. The journal may act to protect readers without awaiting a final institutional determination.

Stage 6: Publication of Notice

A formal Retraction Notice will be published and linked to the original article.

6. Retraction Notices and Preservation

A Retraction Notice must:

  1. Be clearly labelled and freely accessible;

  2. Identify the article, authors, publication details, and DOI where available;

  3. Explain the reasons and evidential basis;

  4. Identify who is issuing the retraction;

  5. Report author agreement or disagreement where appropriate; and

  6. Link directly to the affected article.

The article page and PDF will be marked RETRACTED, where technically feasible. Relevant metadata will be updated through supported systems.

Retracted articles ordinarily remain accessible as part of the scholarly record. Notices must use objective language and avoid unsupported allegations or unnecessary personal blame.

7. Manuscript Withdrawal Before Publication

Withdrawal ends consideration of a manuscript before formal publication.

Authors may request withdrawal because of substantial errors, unresolved authorship issues, ethical concerns, or other legitimate circumstances.

The corresponding author should submit a written request explaining the reason and confirming that all co-authors have been informed. Relevant author agreement or disagreement should be disclosed.

The Editorial Team will document the request and communicate the manuscript's status. Where an authorship or ethical dispute exists, it may require further assessment.

Withdrawal does not terminate a legitimate integrity inquiry.

Articles already published online, including Articles in Press, are subject to post-publication procedures rather than ordinary manuscript withdrawal.

8. Exceptional Removal of Published Content

Removal is considered only when continued public access presents compelling legal or ethical concerns, including:

  • A binding legal requirement;

  • Serious infringement of rights;

  • Disclosure that substantially compromises patient or participant privacy or confidentiality; or

  • A serious risk to an individual's safety.

Where feasible, limited redaction will be considered before removing an entire article.

The journal will ordinarily retain bibliographic information and an explanatory notice. Removal must not be used to conceal publication history or substitute for an appropriate retraction.

9. Article Replacement and Version Control

In exceptional cases, substantial errors may require consideration of retraction and republication or another transparently documented replacement process.

The journal will:

  1. Assess whether ordinary correction is sufficient;

  2. Obtain appropriate independent evaluation;

  3. Clearly identify the status of the original publication;

  4. Explain the reason for replacement;

  5. Link the original record, notice, and replacement; and

  6. Preserve relevant publication history and metadata.

Replacement must not be used to silently rewrite the scholarly record.

10. Considerations Specific to Nursing and Healthcare Research

Editorial assessment may address:

  • Research Data Integrity: Fabricated, altered, or selectively reported patient data, nursing assessment findings, survey responses, interview transcripts, clinical observations, or other research records;

  • Research Ethics and Participant Protection: Breaches of informed consent, ethics approval, confidentiality, privacy, or safeguards for vulnerable populations;

  • Clinical and Nursing Practice Accuracy: Material inaccuracies in nursing interventions, patient assessment, nursing diagnoses, care planning, implementation, evaluation, or clinical recommendations;

  • Methodological and Statistical Accuracy: Significant errors in research design, sampling, instrument validity and reliability, statistical analysis, qualitative research procedures, or interpretation of findings;

  • Research Transparency: Misrepresentation of study settings, participant recruitment, data collection, funding, institutional involvement, or conflicts of interest;

  • Publication Ethics and Authorship: Plagiarism, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship attribution, manipulated peer review, or other substantiated ethical violations; and

  • AI-Assisted Research: Fabricated data, references, interview findings, clinical evidence, or other AI-generated content presented as authentic, or inadequately verified outputs that materially undermine research integrity.

Scientific disagreement, differences in nursing practice, theoretical debate, or legitimate differences in interpretation are not, by themselves, grounds for correction or retraction.

Editorial action must be supported by demonstrable errors, unreliable evidence, or substantiated ethical concerns. External pressure from commercial, institutional, or other interested parties must not determine the outcome.

11. Responsibilities

Authors

Authors must promptly report significant errors, cooperate with legitimate inquiries, and supply relevant supporting information where ethically and legally permissible.

They should assist with necessary corrections or retractions and accurately explain the implications of identified problems.

Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors must assess concerns impartially, protect confidential information, manage competing interests, and base decisions on evidence.

They must ensure that notices clearly communicate the publication's status.

Publisher

The publisher supports editorial independence, publication of notices, metadata maintenance, and preservation of the scholarly record.

Financial, institutional, commercial, or reputational interests must not improperly influence corrective decisions.

12. Appeals and Reconsideration

Affected parties may appeal through the journal's official editorial communication channels.

An appeal should include:

  1. The article and decision concerned;

  2. Specific grounds for reconsideration;

  3. Supporting evidence; and

  4. Relevant information not adequately considered previously.

Where appropriate, an independent editor or qualified representative without a relevant conflict will assess the appeal.

An appeal does not automatically suspend a necessary correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction.

13. Transparency, Indexing, and Preservation

Jurnal Keperawatan Merdeka will seek to:

  • Publish editorial notices on its journal platform;

  • Link notices and affected articles;

  • Maintain accurate bibliographic and status information;

  • Update DOI metadata where supported;

  • Notify relevant indexing or archiving services where appropriate; and

  • Clearly distinguish corrected, retracted, and replaced content.

These measures support discoverability and help readers assess whether an article remains suitable for reliance or citation.

14. Relationship with Other Policies

This policy operates alongside the journal's:

  • Publication Ethics Policy;

  • Allegations of Research Misconduct Policy;

  • Conflict of Interest Policy;

  • Authorship and Contributorship Policy;

  • Peer Review Policy;

  • Artificial Intelligence Policy; and

  • Digital Preservation Policy.

Research-integrity investigations and decisions about the published record are related but distinct. A correction or retraction may be necessary even when misconduct has not been established.

15. Commitment to Research Integrity

Jurnal Keperawatan Merdeka recognizes correction of errors and transparent handling of unreliable publications as essential responsibilities of scholarly publishing.

The journal will address these matters fairly, proportionately, consistently, and without unnecessary delay, while preserving the publication record and supporting trustworthy scholarship in nursing and related healthcare fields.

Through this policy, Jurnal Keperawatan Merdeka affirms its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of nursing research, maintaining the transparency of scholarly communication, and supporting reliable scientific publications for researchers, educators, nursing professionals, healthcare institutions, and the wider community.