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Corrections and Retractions Policy
REME is committed to maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the scholarly record. When errors or concerns are identified in published articles, the journal will take appropriate action in accordance with recognised publication ethics standards and the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Corrections
A correction may be published when an error or omission affects the accuracy, interpretation, or completeness of a published article but does not invalidate its main findings or conclusions.
Corrections may concern, for example, errors in data, figures, tables, author information, affiliations, acknowledgements, references, or other relevant parts of the publication.
The correction will clearly identify the original article, describe the changes made, and be permanently linked to the published article. Where appropriate, the online version of the article may also be updated with a clear indication that a correction has been issued.
Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect the meaning, interpretation, or scholarly record may be corrected without a formal correction notice.
Retractions
An article may be retracted when there is clear evidence that its findings or conclusions are unreliable or when serious concerns regarding research or publication integrity make continued presentation of the article as part of the reliable scholarly record inappropriate.
Reasons for retraction may include, among others:
- fabrication or falsification of data or results;
- serious errors that invalidate the findings or conclusions;
- plagiarism;
- redundant or duplicate publication without appropriate disclosure or justification;
- unauthorised use of data, materials, images, or other intellectual property;
- serious ethical violations;
- manipulation of the peer-review or publication process;
- other serious breaches of research or publication integrity.
Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record and inform readers about serious problems with a publication. It is not intended as a punishment for authors.
Retraction Notice
A retracted article will normally remain available as part of the scholarly record but will be clearly identified as RETRACTED.
A separate Retraction Notice will be published and permanently linked to the original article. The notice should:
- clearly identify the retracted article;
- state the reason for the retraction;
- indicate who is retracting the article;
- distinguish, where possible, between honest error and research or publication misconduct;
- be freely accessible to readers.
The original article will not normally be removed from the journal website. Removal may be considered only in exceptional circumstances, for example where continued publication would create serious legal, privacy, confidentiality, or safety concerns.
Expressions of Concern
Where serious concerns have been raised but the available evidence is inconclusive or an investigation is still ongoing, REME may publish an Expression of Concern linked to the article.
The notice may subsequently be replaced or supplemented by a correction, retraction, or other editorial action when sufficient information becomes available.
Editorial Process
Concerns about published articles may be raised by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions, or other parties.
The journal will assess such concerns carefully and, where appropriate, may request explanations or supporting documentation from the authors or contact their institutions or other relevant bodies.
Decisions concerning corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions are made by the journal's editorial team on the basis of the available evidence and in accordance with applicable COPE guidance.
Authors will normally be informed and given an opportunity to respond before a retraction or other significant editorial action is taken. However, author agreement is not required where the evidence supports the need to correct the scholarly record.
Post-publication Updates
Corrections, Retraction Notices, and Expressions of Concern form part of the permanent scholarly record. They should be clearly dated, linked to the original publication, and made accessible to readers.
Where applicable, REME will ensure that relevant metadata are updated so that the status of the publication can be correctly communicated to indexing and abstracting services.