Corrections, Alerts, and Retractions Policy

We are committed to acting decisively when errors or ethical concerns are identified, recognizing the importance of maintaining a transparent and reliable scholarly record. This policy outlines a tiered system for addressing issues that arise with a published article, ensuring that the permanent historical archive remains reliable, transparent, and accurate.

Depending on the severity and nature of the issue, JAFESS will issue an Amendment/Correction, an Expression of Concern, a Formal Retraction, or, in exceptional cases, an Article Removal.

Amendments and Corrections (Errata/Corrigenda)

JAFESS recognizes that honest, unintentional errors do not invalidate the scientific integrity of a paper. Minor, non-fatal mistakes will be handled as follows:

• Definition: A formal Correction notice will be issued if a published article contains a significant error that affects the readability or exact understanding of the text (e.g., a typo in an equation, an omitted author name, or a mislabeled axis on a chart) but does not compromise the underlying findings or conclusions.
• Mechanism: The original online PDF/HTML article will remain intact, but a permanent, open-access Correction notice will be published in the next available issue. This notice will be bi-directionally linked to the original article and will explicitly detail the exact changes made.

Expressions of Concern (Alerts)

In complex cases where an investigation is ongoing, JAFESS editors may issue an interim notice to alert the academic community.

• Triggers: An Expression of Concern will be published if:
• There is strong but inconclusive evidence of research or publication misconduct by the authors.
• There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, but the authors’ institution refuses to investigate or the investigation takes an unacceptably long time.
• An investigation into alleged misconduct involving the publication has been initiated but has not yet reached a definitive conclusion.
• Resolution: Once a formal and exhaustive investigation is finalized, the Expression of Concern will either be cleared, or replaced by a formal Retraction or Correction notice.

Retraction

A retraction is the standard process for addressing a paper with a serious flaw. It serves as a permanent public notice that the article's findings are no longer considered reliable. While the original article remains published online, it is prominently watermarked as "Retracted." A separate Retraction Notice is also published, which provides a detailed explanation of the reason for the action.

The purpose of a retraction is to alert the scientific community to the issues while preserving the historical record of the publication.

A retraction is initiated when:

• Major errors in data, methodology, or findings invalidate the article's conclusions.
• Cases of research misconduct, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or falsification.
• Redundant or duplicate publication.
• Ethical violations, including the manipulation of the peer review or publishing process.

Removal

Removal, or withdrawal, is an extreme action reserved for rare and exceptional circumstances. Unlike a retraction, the article is completely deleted from our online platform. This action is only taken when leaving the article online, even with a retraction notice, would pose a significant risk or legal liability.

An article may be considered for removal when:

• Legal Reasons: Required by a court order, or when there is clear evidence of defamation or severe copyright infringement.
• Privacy & Safety: The article contains information that could compromise the privacy, anonymity, or safety of human subjects.
• Public Health Risk: The article contains critical errors that, if followed, could pose a direct and serious threat to public health.

In these cases, a "Notice of Removal" will be published in the article's place, explaining that the content has been taken down. The metadata (e.g., article title, authors, DOI) will be preserved to maintain a record of the publication.