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

Current Biochemistry is strongly committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. This policy explains when and how a published or submitted article may be retracted, withdrawn, corrected, removed, or replaced. The journal follows the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

  • Retraction: serious error or misconduct in a published article
  • Withdrawal: pulling a manuscript out of review
  • Correction: fixing part of an otherwise reliable article
  • Removal: legal or health reasons, in extremely rare cases
  • Replacement: swapping a flawed version for a corrected one
  • Updates: how to check an article's current version
  • Post-publication discussion: raising questions or concerns about a published article
  • Allegations of misconduct: reporting suspected research or publication misconduct

Article Retraction

An article may be considered for retraction on the following grounds:

  • Substantial error: compelling evidence that the findings are unreliable and the conclusions may be invalid, whether due to misconduct (e.g., data fabrication) or honest error (e.g., miscalculation or experimental error).
  • Redundant publication: the results have been published elsewhere without proper cross-referencing, permission, or justification.
  • Ethical concerns: plagiarism (using another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without attribution, including confidential review material) or inappropriate authorship.

Retraction process

  1. Notification: an article that may need retraction is brought to the attention of the journal editor.
  2. Assessment: the editor follows the COPE flowcharts step by step, including evaluating any response from the author.
  3. Ethics review: before any action is taken, the editor's findings are submitted to the Ethics Advisory Board to ensure a consistent, best-practice approach.
  4. Decision: the final decision is communicated to the author and, where necessary, to other relevant parties such as the author's institution.
  5. Retraction notice: a retraction statement is posted online and published in the next available issue of the journal.

Copyright does not include the right to retract. Authors who retain copyright of an article cannot retract it on their own after publication. Protecting the integrity of the scientific record comes first, and the COPE Retraction Guidelines apply.

Article Withdrawal

Withdrawal during or after peer review is not permitted. It wastes substantial resources, including the time editors and reviewers have invested in the manuscript and the work of the publisher. Before submitting, authors must confirm their acceptance of the submission checklist.

Requesting a withdrawal. If an author still wishes to withdraw a manuscript, an official letter signed by the corresponding author and the head of their institution must be sent to the Editor-in-Chief.

Article Correction

A correction may be issued when:

  • A small part of an otherwise reliable article contains flawed or misleading data, particularly as the result of an honest mistake.
  • The author or contributor list is inaccurate, e.g., a deserving author was omitted or someone who does not meet the authorship criteria was included.

Types of correction

  • Erratum (publisher correction): a significant error made by the publisher or journal staff, usually during production, that affects the publication record, the article's scientific integrity, or the reputation of the authors or journal.
  • Corrigendum (author correction): a significant error made by the authors that affects the publication record, the article's scientific integrity, or the reputation of the authors or journal.
  • Addendum (author addition): an addition by the authors to resolve inconsistencies, expand on the work, or explain and update information in the main text.

The journal editors decide whether a correction is needed and which type to issue, sometimes in consultation with reviewers or Editorial Board members. The handling editor will contact the authors for clarification before a decision is made.

Article Removal

In extremely rare cases, a published article may need to be removed from the journal website. This is only considered when an article:

  • is clearly defamatory;
  • infringes others' legal rights;
  • is, or is expected to be, subject to a court order; or
  • could pose a significant health risk if acted upon.

Kept: the article's metadata, including title and author information.

Replaced: the full content, with a notice that the article was removed for legal reasons.

Article Replacement

If an article could pose a significant health hazard if acted upon, the authors may choose to withdraw the flawed version and replace it with a corrected one. The retraction process above applies, with one difference:

  1. Flawed version: retracted.
  2. Retraction notice: links to the new version and records the document's history.
  3. Corrected article: republished.

Post-Publication Discussion

Publication is not the end of scholarly scrutiny. Current Biochemistry provides room for post-publication discussion of its articles, including disputes arising from the peer-review process, rejected comments, and published corrections.

What can be raised

  • Questions or critiques about an article's methods, data, analysis, or interpretation.
  • Possible errors in a published article, including in figures, tables, or references.
  • Concerns about research or publication ethics, such as plagiarism, duplicate publication, or authorship.

How it is handled

  1. Send an email: write to current.biochemistry@apps.ipb.ac.id, stating the title of the article and your comment or concern.
  2. Editorial review: the editor assesses the concern, consulting reviewers or Editorial Board members where needed.
  3. Author response: the authors are informed and given the opportunity to respond.
  4. Outcome: the editor decides on the appropriate action and informs the parties involved.

Possible outcomes

  • No further action: the article stands as published, for example when the concern is resolved through clarification.
  • Correction: an erratum, corrigendum, or addendum is issued, as described under Article Correction.
  • Retraction: the article is retracted following the retraction process and COPE guidelines.

To start a discussion, simply email current.biochemistry@apps.ipb.ac.id and mention the title of the article. Please keep the discussion constructive and focused on the scholarly content of the article.

Allegation of Research Misconduct

Current Biochemistry takes every allegation of research or publication misconduct seriously, whether it concerns a manuscript under review or a published article, and however it reaches the journal, including from whistleblowers or public discussion online. Allegations are handled following the COPE flowcharts.

Examples of misconduct

  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Plagiarism
  • Duplicate or redundant publication
  • Image manipulation
  • Authorship misconduct
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest
  • Citation or peer-review manipulation

How allegations are handled

  1. Report: email current.biochemistry@apps.ipb.ac.id, stating the title of the article or manuscript, the nature of the concern, and any supporting evidence you have.
  2. Initial assessment: the Editor-in-Chief checks whether the allegation is specific and supported enough to investigate.
  3. Author response: the authors are informed of the concern and given a fair opportunity to explain.
  4. Investigation: the editor follows the relevant COPE flowchart and, where needed, consults the Ethics Advisory Board or contacts the authors' institution.
  5. Decision: the outcome is communicated to the authors and, where appropriate, to the person who raised the concern.

Confidentiality. The identity of the person raising a concern is kept confidential, and allegations are not discussed publicly while they are being assessed.

Fairness. No conclusion is reached until the authors have had the chance to respond. Raising a concern in good faith is never held against the person who raised it.

Possible outcomes

  • No misconduct found: no further action, and the authors are informed.
  • Minor issue: the authors are asked to clarify, or a correction is published.
  • Serious misconduct: the manuscript is rejected or the article is retracted, and the authors' institution may be notified.

Plagiarism. Authors found to have committed plagiarism are banned from publishing in Current Biochemistry, as stated in the journal's Publication Ethics statement.

Update Information

All updates to articles are communicated through Crossmark. To check whether an article has been updated, click the Crossmark logo on its first page; it shows information about the current version of the article.

See also: Crossmark Policy and Publication Ethics of Current Biochemistry.