Corrections and Retractions Policy
Post-Publication Integrity
Corrections and retractions protect the accuracy of the scholarly record.
Decision, Learning, and Human Development (DLHD) is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent, and trustworthy published record. When a published article contains a material error, raises a serious unresolved concern, or is no longer reliable, the journal will take an appropriate post-publication action and clearly communicate that action to readers.
Policy Principle
Amend the record transparently—not invisibly.
Post-publication notices are intended to correct and clarify the literature rather than punish authors. DLHD's approach is informed by current guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
COPE Retraction Guidelines ↗ CR
Correction
Used when a material error can be corrected without invalidating the article as a whole.
EC
Expression of Concern
Used to alert readers to a serious unresolved concern while further clarification or investigation is pending.
RT
Retraction
Used when an article or its principal findings are no longer sufficiently reliable to remain part of the literature without warning.
RM
Removal
Reserved for exceptional circumstances where continued public availability creates a serious legal, privacy, or safety concern.
Corrections
When a published article can be corrected without retraction
A correction may be appropriate when:
01
an error affects the accuracy, interpretation, or reproducibility of part of the article but does not invalidate the work as a whole;
02
a figure, table, equation, value, reference, author detail, affiliation, or other material element requires substantive correction;
03
an omission or reporting error can be repaired transparently without changing the fundamental conclusions of the article; or
04
an authorship or contributorship correction is justified and has been reviewed under the journal's editorial procedures.
How corrections are published
A material post-publication correction will normally be issued as a separate, dated notice linked to the original article. The notice will identify what was incorrect and explain the correction clearly enough for readers to understand the change.
DLHD does not use silent substantive corrections after publication. Minor typographical or formatting issues that do not affect meaning, interpretation, attribution, or bibliographic accuracy may be handled editorially when appropriate.
Expression of Concern
Alerting readers when a serious issue remains unresolved
DLHD may publish an Expression of Concern when there is a credible and potentially serious problem with a published article, but the available evidence is not yet sufficient to determine whether a correction or retraction is required.
Possible outcomes An Expression of Concern may later be followed by a correction, retraction, another notice, or removal of the concern when the matter has been adequately resolved.
Retractions
When the reliability or integrity of an article is substantially compromised
01
Unreliable Findings
Major error, fabrication, falsification, inappropriate analysis, or other problems make the findings unreliable.
02
Plagiarism or Redundant Publication
The article contains substantial plagiarism or materially duplicates previously published work without appropriate disclosure.
03
Unethical Research
The work was conducted or reported in serious violation of applicable research-ethics requirements.
04
Compromised Publication Process
Fraudulent authorship, manipulated peer review, false identities, paper-mill involvement, or other serious publication-process manipulation undermines the article.
05
Serious Undisclosed Conflict
A major undisclosed competing interest materially affected the interpretation, evaluation, or trustworthiness of the work.
06
Other Major Integrity Failures
Other substantiated circumstances demonstrate that continued reliance on the article without retraction would mislead readers.
Retraction Notice
Retracted articles remain identifiable in the scholarly record
When DLHD retracts an article, the journal will publish a clearly identified retraction notice and link it to the affected article. The notice will identify the article, explain the reason for retraction with appropriate specificity, and indicate who initiated the retraction where relevant.
✓
Retraction notices are freely accessible.
✓
The original article remains identifiable as retracted.
✓
Article and notice are linked in both directions where technically possible.
✓
The original DOI and bibliographic identity are preserved.
Retraction is not intended to erase the publication history. Preserving the bibliographic record while clearly warning readers helps maintain transparency and prevents continued uncritical reliance on unreliable work.
Exceptional Removal
Complete removal is reserved for rare and exceptional circumstances
DLHD will normally preserve the published article even when it is corrected or retracted. Removal of full article content may be considered only in exceptional situations, such as a binding legal requirement, serious violation of privacy or confidentiality, or material that creates a substantial and immediate risk of harm.
Record preservation Where removal is necessary, the journal will seek to retain a bibliographic record and an explanatory notice whenever legally and technically permissible.
Editorial Procedure
How a post-publication concern is evaluated
01
Concern Received
A correction request or integrity concern is documented and assessed for relevance and credibility.
→
02
Evidence Reviewed
Editors may review the article, supporting records, correspondence, data, ethics documentation, or other evidence.
→
03
Parties Consulted
Authors and, where appropriate, institutions, reviewers, or other relevant parties may be invited to respond.
→
04
Action Published
The editor determines the proportionate action and publishes a transparent notice when post-publication amendment is required.
DLHD may seek information from an author's institution or another appropriate body when formal investigation is necessary. The journal does not attempt to replace institutional research-integrity procedures. Editorial action may proceed independently when sufficient evidence is available to protect readers and the scholarly record.
Author Requests & Agreement
Authors may request an amendment, but editorial responsibility remains with the journal
Post-Publication Concern
Found a material error or integrity concern in a DLHD article?
Contact the editorial office and identify the article clearly, including the DOI or article URL where available. Explain the issue and provide supporting information that may assist editorial review.