Retraction Policy

Multidisciplinary Journals (MJ)  |  e-ISSN 3047-8499

1. Scope and Policy Boundaries

This policy applies only to content that has been formally published as part of the scholarly record, including articles, reviews, editorials, and other citable journal content. It does not govern an author's request to stop processing an unpublished submission.

2. Grounds for Retraction

The Editor-in-Chief may retract an article when reliable evidence establishes one or more of the following:

• the findings or conclusions are unreliable because of a major error, fabrication, falsification, image manipulation, or other serious defect;
• the article constitutes plagiarism or contains substantial unattributed material;
• the findings or substantial content were previously published without appropriate attribution, disclosure, permission, or justification;
• data, images, materials, or other content were used without authorization;
• the article infringes copyright, privacy, confidentiality, or another serious legal right;
• the research was conducted or reported unethically, including the absence or serious misrepresentation of required ethical approval or informed consent;
• publication resulted from compromised, fabricated, or manipulated peer review or editorial processes;
• a major undisclosed conflict of interest materially affected the interpretation, evaluation, or recommendations of the work; or
• another serious breach makes the article's principal findings or integrity unreliable.

3. Initiating and Assessing a Retraction

A concern may be raised by an author, reader, reviewer, editor, institution, funder, research-integrity body, or other person. Reports should identify the article, describe the concern, and provide available supporting evidence. Anonymous reports may be assessed when they contain specific and verifiable information.

Cases will be handled as promptly as their complexity permits. A retraction may proceed even when one or more authors disagree, fail to respond, or cannot be contacted, provided the evidence supports the decision. The notice will record material author disagreement when appropriate.

4. Retraction Notice and Article Marking

When a retraction is required, MJ will publish a separate, permanently accessible retraction notice. The notice will:

• be clearly titled “Retraction: [Full Article Title]”;
• identify the retracted article by title, authors, publication details, and DOI or permanent URL;
• state who is retracting the article and the reason for the retraction, distinguishing honest error from verified misconduct when the evidence permits;
• describe whether the entire article or a clearly defined part is affected;
• avoid defamatory, speculative, or unnecessary personal statements;
• be published promptly, included in the journal's table of contents, and made freely accessible without an access barrier; and
• be linked electronically to the article, while the article page and PDF are linked back to the notice.

5. Metadata, Indexing, and Notification

MJ will update the article's bibliographic status and notify relevant metadata and indexing services where technically available. The journal will:

• register the retraction notice as a separate citable item with its own DOI when DOI registration is available;
• deposit a machine-readable relationship linking the retraction notice and the retracted article through Crossref/Crossmark or an equivalent metadata service;
• update the article title or status metadata to indicate that it has been retracted, consistent with the requirements of the relevant registration service;
• notify indexing, abstracting, preservation, and discovery services as appropriate; and
• retain the retraction notice and affected article in the journal's preservation system.

6. Partial Retraction, Retraction and Republication, and Removal

6.1 Partial Retraction

A partial retraction may be used only when a clearly identifiable part of an article is unreliable while the remaining findings continue to be reliable and understandable. The notice must identify exactly which content is affected. If the unreliable content undermines the principal findings, a full retraction is required.

6.2 Retraction and Republication

In exceptional cases involving a major honest error, the journal may retract the original article and consider a corrected manuscript as a new submission. Any republished article must undergo appropriate editorial assessment and peer review, receive a distinct citation and DOI, and clearly disclose its relationship to the retracted article. Republication is not guaranteed.

6.3 Content Removal

Removal of the full text is reserved for exceptional circumstances, such as a binding legal order, a serious privacy violation, content that creates an immediate and substantial risk of harm, or material whose continued display is unlawful. When removal is necessary, the landing page and bibliographic metadata will normally remain online with a clear explanation of why the content is unavailable. Removal is distinct from retraction and will not be used merely to conceal an error or misconduct.

7. Fairness, Confidentiality, and Appeals

• Due process: relevant parties will normally receive the material allegation and a reasonable opportunity to respond before a final decision.
• Confidentiality: information will be shared only with those who need it for assessment, advice, investigation, or legal and research-integrity obligations.
• Editorial independence: payment status, institutional standing, nationality, reputation, or commercial considerations will not determine whether an article is retracted.
• No punitive fees: MJ does not impose a retraction fee. Retraction is an editorial action to protect the literature, not a financial penalty.
• Appeal: an author or other directly affected party may challenge a retraction decision under the journal's Appeals and Complaints Policy. An appeal does not automatically suspend a notice needed to protect readers.

8. Reporting a Concern

Concerns about a published article should be submitted through the journal's official contact page. Include the article title and DOI or permanent URL, a concise description of the concern, supporting evidence or sources, and the reporter's contact details when possible. The journal will handle good-faith reports without retaliation.