Corrections and Retraction Policy

Corrections and Retraction Policy

Effective date: 22/02/2026

AIDSAE is committed to maintaining an accurate, trustworthy scholarly record. This policy explains how AIDSAE handles corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions for published articles.

1) When This Policy Applies

This policy applies to all content published in AIDSAE, including research articles, reviews, data papers, technical notes, and case studies. Issues may be identified by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions, or other parties before or after publication.

2) Definitions

2.1 Correction (Erratum/Corrigendum)

A Correction is published when an article contains an error that affects clarity, accuracy, or specific details but does not invalidate the overall findings or conclusions.

Examples:

  • minor errors in text, author affiliations, figures, tables, or references
  • minor analytical mistakes that do not change the main conclusions
  • missing acknowledgements, funding, or conflict-of-interest statements (when corrected transparently)

2.2 Expression of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued when AIDSAE has credible reasons to suspect serious problems (e.g., potential misconduct or unreliable findings), but the investigation is ongoing or cannot yet be concluded.

Examples:

  • unresolved authorship or data ownership disputes
  • credible allegations of fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism under investigation
  • inability to obtain essential supporting information in time

2.3 Retraction

A Retraction is issued when an article’s findings are determined to be unreliable, invalid, or seriously compromised due to error or misconduct.

Examples:

  • data fabrication/falsification, major undisclosed data manipulation
  • plagiarism or duplicate publication
  • major methodological flaws (e.g., critical data leakage) that invalidate conclusions
  • unethical research (no ethics approval where required; serious privacy violations)
  • unreliable results that cannot be corrected with a simple correction

2.4 Article Withdrawal (Pre-publication)

Withdrawal refers to removal of a manuscript before publication (e.g., during review or production). Withdrawals are not part of the published record and are handled under journal withdrawal/APC policies.

3) How Issues Are Reported

Concerns may be reported to the editorial office via: editorialoffice@ecoscribepublishers.com .

Reports should include:

  • article title and link (or DOI, if available)
  • a clear description of the concern
  • supporting evidence (where available)

Anonymous reports may be considered if they contain credible information.

4) Assessment and Investigation Process

When a concern is received, AIDSAE will typically:

  1. Initial assessment
    • Determine whether the concern appears credible and material
    • Decide whether immediate action is needed (e.g., temporary notice)
  2. Author contact and clarification
    • Request explanation and supporting documentation from the corresponding author (and co-authors where appropriate)
  3. Evidence review
    • Review files, peer review history, similarity reports, figures, data/code statements, and relevant documentation
    • Consult editorial board members or external experts as needed
  4. Institutional/funder involvement (when appropriate)
    • Where misconduct is suspected, AIDSAE may request formal investigation by the authors’ institution or relevant authority

AIDSAE aims to handle cases fairly and confidentially, while protecting the integrity of the scholarly record.

5) Outcomes and Editorial Actions

5.1 Minor errors: Correction

A Correction may be issued when:

  • the error is honest and limited, and
  • the main conclusions remain valid.

Corrections will:

  • clearly identify what has changed
  • be linked to the original article
  • state the date of correction

5.2 Serious concerns under review: Expression of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued when:

  • an investigation is ongoing, or
  • evidence is incomplete but concerns are credible and potentially serious.

The notice will:

  • describe the nature of the concern (without defamatory language)
  • state that an investigation is underway
  • be linked to the article

5.3 Unreliable findings or misconduct: Retraction

A Retraction may be issued when:

  • findings are unreliable due to error or misconduct, or
  • plagiarism/duplicate publication is confirmed, or
  • ethical violations are serious and invalidate the work.

Retractions will:

  • remain permanently accessible as part of the scholarly record
  • clearly state the reason for retraction
  • identify who is retracting the article (authors, editor, or publisher)
  • link to the original article (which will remain accessible but clearly marked as retracted)

AIDSAE does not remove articles from the public record except in rare cases involving legal requirements or serious risk (e.g., privacy harms), in which case a public notice may replace the content where possible.

6) Partial Retractions and Replacement

In rare cases where only a specific part of an article is unreliable but the rest remains valid, AIDSAE may consider:

  • a Correction with major clarifications, or
  • a partial retraction (clearly specifying affected parts), or
  • publication of a corrected/revised version with transparent versioning.

Any replacement must preserve transparency and the integrity of the record.

7) Author Cooperation and Disputes

Authors are expected to cooperate with investigations. Failure to respond or provide requested documentation may lead AIDSAE to act based on available evidence.

Authors may disagree with outcomes; however, AIDSAE may proceed with Correction/Expression of Concern/Retraction when justified to protect the scholarly record.

8) Impact on Indexing and Citations

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions will be:

  • clearly labeled on the article page
  • linked to and from the original article
  • included in journal metadata where applicable

Readers should cite the corrected Version of Record where relevant and note retraction status when citing retracted work.

9) APC and Refunds in Retractions

APCs are generally not refundable in cases of:

  • retractions due to misconduct, plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated data, or serious ethical violations.

If an article is retracted due to a proven editorial or production error attributable to the journal, AIDSAE may consider a remedy on a case-by-case basis.

10) Contact

To report errors or ethical concerns, contact:
AIDSAE Editorial Office