Retraction Policy

Retraction, Withdrawal, and Correction (R-W-C) Policy

ARSHI Veterinary Letters (ARSHI Vet Lett) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, credibility, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. The journal recognizes that errors, ethical concerns, or irregularities may occasionally be identified during the editorial process or after publication. In such circumstances, appropriate editorial action will be taken to protect the reliability of published scientific information.

All decisions concerning manuscript withdrawal, article correction, expression of concern, retraction, removal, or replacement are guided by the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), particularly the COPE Retraction Guidelines, and the journal's established publication ethics policies.

The primary purpose of these procedures is to preserve the integrity of the scientific literature, ensure transparency, and provide readers with reliable and up-to-date information. Editorial actions are undertaken to correct the scholarly record rather than to impose punishment on authors.

1. Article Retraction

ARSHI Veterinary Letters may retract a published article when substantial concerns regarding its scientific validity, reliability, originality, or ethical integrity are confirmed. Retraction is considered when the findings or conclusions of an article can no longer be relied upon.

An article may be considered for retraction under the following circumstances:

  • Reliable evidence indicates that the findings are invalid or substantially unreliable because of major scientific errors, miscalculations, methodological flaws, or experimental mistakes.
  • Data fabrication, falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, or other serious forms of research misconduct are identified.
  • The article substantially duplicates previously published material without appropriate acknowledgment, permission, or scientific justification.
  • Plagiarism, unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted material, or significant misappropriation of intellectual contributions is established.
  • Serious violations of research ethics, including animal welfare requirements, ethical approval procedures, or consent requirements, are confirmed.
  • Evidence of manipulated peer review, fictitious authorship, fraudulent identities, or other serious publication irregularities compromises the integrity of the article.
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest or other serious ethical irregularities substantially compromise the interpretation or credibility of the published findings.

Retraction Procedure

  1. Concerns regarding a published article may be submitted by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions, or other relevant parties to the Editorial Office.
  2. The Editor-in-Chief or designated editor conducts a preliminary assessment of the available evidence and determines whether a formal investigation is necessary.
  3. The corresponding author and, when appropriate, all co-authors are contacted and given an opportunity to provide explanations, supporting documentation, or corrections.
  4. The editorial team evaluates the evidence in consultation with independent experts, members of the Editorial Board, or relevant institutions when necessary.
  5. The final editorial decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent designated editor, based on the available evidence and applicable publication ethics guidelines.
  6. If retraction is warranted, an official retraction notice is published promptly and linked to the original article.
  7. The article's publication status and relevant metadata are updated, including through Crossmark and Crossref where applicable.

Publication of Retraction Notices

A retraction notice will clearly identify the affected article, including its title, authors, publication details, and DOI. The notice will explain the reason for retraction, identify the party issuing the retraction, and remain freely accessible to readers.

The original article will ordinarily remain accessible to preserve the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as "Retracted". The retraction notice and original article will be electronically linked to prevent misunderstanding or inappropriate citation.

Authors' ownership of copyright does not independently authorize the removal or retraction of a published article. Decisions concerning retraction remain the responsibility of the journal's editorial leadership and are based on the integrity of the scholarly record.

2. Manuscript Withdrawal

Manuscript withdrawal refers to the formal removal of a submitted manuscript from editorial consideration before publication. Authors are expected to submit manuscripts responsibly and avoid unnecessary withdrawal after editorial assessment or peer review has commenced.

ARSHI Veterinary Letters recognizes that withdrawal may be justified under certain circumstances, including serious errors discovered by the authors, unresolved authorship disputes, ethical concerns, or other legitimate reasons that prevent continuation of the publication process.

Withdrawal Requirements

  • The corresponding author must submit a formal withdrawal request to the Editorial Office through the OJS system or the journal's official email address.
  • The request must include the manuscript title, submission identification number, reasons for withdrawal, and confirmation that all co-authors have been informed and agree to the request.
  • The Editorial Office may request additional clarification or documentation before processing the withdrawal.
  • The withdrawal becomes effective only after written confirmation has been issued by the Editorial Office.
  • Authors must not simultaneously submit the manuscript to another journal while it remains under active consideration by ARSHI Veterinary Letters.

Withdrawal During Peer Review or Production

Withdrawal requests submitted after peer review has commenced or after manuscript acceptance will be evaluated carefully, considering the reasons provided and the editorial resources already invested. A legitimate withdrawal request will not be refused solely because editorial work has already been undertaken.

Unjustified or repeated withdrawals, simultaneous submissions, or other conduct that violates publication ethics may be investigated and addressed in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics Policy and COPE recommendations.

Once an article has been officially published online, a request to remove or invalidate the publication is handled under the applicable correction, retraction, or removal procedures rather than the ordinary manuscript withdrawal process.

3. Article Correction

ARSHI Veterinary Letters may publish a correction when an error is identified in an otherwise reliable article and the correction is sufficient to preserve the validity of its principal findings and conclusions.

Corrections may address factual inaccuracies, numerical or typographical errors, incorrectly presented figures or tables, inaccurate author information, or other issues that require transparent amendment of the published record.

Corrections are classified as follows:

3.1. Erratum (Publisher Correction)

An erratum is issued when an error originates from the journal's editorial, copyediting, typesetting, or production process. Examples include incorrect formatting of scientific data, omitted text, mislabeled figures, or errors introduced during publication.

3.2. Corrigendum (Author Correction)

A corrigendum is issued when an error originates from the authors but does not invalidate the article's main findings or conclusions. Examples include errors in data presentation, author affiliations, numerical values, figure descriptions, or other information requiring correction.

3.3. Addendum

An addendum may be published when essential supplementary information, clarification, or additional explanation is needed to improve the completeness or interpretation of an article without changing its fundamental scientific conclusions.

3.4. Authorship Correction

Requests to add, remove, or change the order of authors after publication require a written explanation and agreement from all affected authors. The journal may request institutional verification or additional supporting documentation before approving such changes.

Correction Procedure

  1. The error is reported to the Editorial Office by the authors, readers, editors, or other concerned parties.
  2. The editorial team assesses the nature, significance, and potential scientific implications of the error.
  3. The authors may be requested to provide clarification, corrected information, or supporting evidence.
  4. The Editor-in-Chief determines whether a formal correction is necessary and identifies the appropriate type of notice.
  5. An approved correction is published with a clear reference and electronic link to the original article.
  6. Where necessary, the published article and associated metadata are updated to reflect the correction and preserve version transparency.

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect scientific meaning or bibliographic accuracy may be addressed through editorial maintenance. Substantive changes to published content must be transparently documented.

If an error substantially undermines the reliability of the findings or conclusions, retraction rather than correction will be considered.

4. Expression of Concern

ARSHI Veterinary Letters may issue an Expression of Concern when credible concerns arise regarding the reliability, ethics, or integrity of a published article but the available evidence is insufficient to justify immediate correction or retraction.

An Expression of Concern may be appropriate when:

  • A serious allegation of research or publication misconduct is under investigation.
  • Evidence regarding the reliability of the findings is inconclusive.
  • An institutional investigation is ongoing or has been delayed, while readers need to be informed of potentially significant concerns.
  • There are substantial concerns about research ethics, clinical data, or publication procedures that have not yet been resolved.

The notice will clearly identify the article and describe the concerns in an objective and factual manner. The journal will reassess the notice when additional evidence becomes available and will determine whether the concern can be resolved, a correction is sufficient, or retraction is necessary.

5. Article Removal

The complete removal of a published article is considered only in exceptional circumstances where continued public access to the article could cause serious harm or violate legal requirements.

Removal may be considered when:

  • The article contains defamatory, unlawful, or legally prohibited material.
  • The publication violates privacy, confidentiality, or other legal rights that cannot be adequately protected through correction or redaction.
  • A binding legal or judicial order requires removal.
  • The article contains information that presents an immediate and substantial risk to animal health, human health, public safety, or welfare that cannot be adequately addressed by other editorial measures.

Whenever feasible, the journal will retain the article's bibliographic metadata, including its title, authors, publication information, and DOI. The article content will be replaced with a notice explaining that the material has been removed and providing an appropriate reason, subject to legal and confidentiality requirements.

6. Article Replacement and Republication

In exceptional circumstances, a published article may require substantial revision or replacement to address serious errors or potentially harmful information. Replacement or republication will be considered only when scientifically justified and approved by the editorial team.

When replacement is necessary, ARSHI Veterinary Letters will ensure that:

  • The reasons for replacement are clearly documented.
  • The original publication status is transparently identified through an appropriate editorial notice.
  • The corrected or republished article is clearly identified as a new or revised publication.
  • Appropriate links are maintained between the original article, relevant editorial notices, and the replacement publication.
  • The publication history and DOI relationships are recorded accurately to ensure transparency and traceability.

Article replacement does not erase the history of the original publication. The journal will maintain a clear record of editorial decisions and changes whenever legally and technically possible.

7. Publication Updates and Crossmark

ARSHI Veterinary Letters is committed to maintaining an accurate and transparent publication record through Crossmark, a service provided by Crossref that enables readers to verify the current status of published scholarly content.

Corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, replacements, and other significant publication updates will be documented and linked to the relevant articles. Where applicable, the journal will update its Crossmark records and registered metadata to reflect these changes.

Readers are encouraged to use the Crossmark logo associated with published articles to check their current publication status and identify relevant updates.

Further information is available on the journal's Crossmark Policy page.

8. Responsibilities of Authors and Editors

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, originality, ethical compliance, and scientific integrity of their manuscripts. Authors must promptly notify the Editorial Office if they identify significant errors or ethical concerns in their submitted or published work. They are expected to cooperate with editorial investigations and provide relevant information when requested.

Editors are responsible for evaluating reported concerns fairly, objectively, and confidentially. Editorial decisions must be based on verifiable evidence, scientific integrity, and established publication ethics principles. Any editor with a relevant conflict of interest must withdraw from handling the case, and an independent editor will be assigned.

The journal may consult reviewers, independent experts, institutional representatives, or other relevant parties when necessary to ensure a fair and appropriate resolution.

9. Reporting Concerns and Editorial Contact

Authors, readers, reviewers, and other stakeholders are encouraged to report suspected errors, ethical violations, or concerns regarding published articles to the Editorial Office of ARSHI Veterinary Letters.

Reports should include the article title, author names, DOI or publication link, a clear description of the concern, and supporting evidence where available.

The Editorial Office will acknowledge and evaluate reports, request additional information when necessary, and determine the appropriate action in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies and COPE guidance.

Editorial Office
ARSHI Veterinary Letters
School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
Email: arshivetlett@apps.ipb.ac.id
Website: https://journal.ipb.ac.id/arshivetlett

10. Related Policies and References

This policy supports ARSHI Veterinary Letters' commitment to responsible scholarly publishing, editorial independence, transparent scientific communication, and the long-term preservation of the veterinary scientific record.