Corrections, Retractions, and Addenda Policy

IJDIS Post-Publication Corrections and Retractions Policy

The International Journal of Development and Innovation Studies (IJDIS) are committed to preserving the integrity, accuracy, and completeness of the scholarly record. Once an article is published, it becomes part of the permanent scientific record. In rare circumstances, errors, ethical breaches, or scientific misconduct may necessitate post-publication adjustments.

IJDIS aligns its procedures with the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The journal recognizes three primary correction mechanisms:

  1. Errata (Corrections)

An Erratum is published to correct a significant error made by either the author(s) or the journal during production that could mislead the reader or affect the scientific validity of the paper (e.g., mislabeled table axes, incorrect mathematical notation, or missing funding disclosures).

  • A separate correction notice is published, linked directly to the original article.
  • The original PDF is updated to reflect the correction, with a note indicating the date of modification.
  1. Expressions of Concern

The Editorial Board may publish an Expression of Concern if:

  • There is inconclusive evidence of research or publication misconduct by the authors.
  • There is strong suspicion of misconduct, but the authors' institution refuses to investigate or the investigation is delayed indefinitely.
  • The investigation will take a significant amount of time to resolve, and the editors believe readers should be warned of potential issues in the interim.
  1. Retractions

An article will be retracted if there is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable—either due to honest error, data fabrication, plagiarism, or scientific misconduct.

  • The retraction notice will clearly state who is retracting the article (the authors, the editors, or the publisher) and the objective reasons for the retraction.
  • The original article PDF will not be deleted from the website; instead, a prominent watermark reading "RETRACTED" will be applied across every page of the document to preserve the historical integrity of the record.
  • The retraction metadata will be distributed to indexing databases to ensure global scientific indexing remains accurate.