Correction Retraction & Withdrawal

AGRITROP: Journal of Agricultural Sciences is committed to maintaining the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of the scholarly record. The journal recognizes that errors, ethical concerns, or significant issues may occasionally be identified before or after publication. Therefore, AGRITROP applies transparent procedures for handling manuscript withdrawal, published article corrections, and article retractions in accordance with internationally recognized publication ethics standards.
AGRITROP follows the principles and procedures recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for correcting, retracting, and maintaining the integrity of published scholarly work (COPE, Retraction Guidelines).
The purpose of corrections, retractions, and withdrawals is to ensure that the scientific record remains accurate, transparent, and trustworthy while preserving the integrity of published research.
 
  1. Manuscript Withdrawal Policy
Withdrawal Before Acceptance
Authors may request withdrawal of a submitted manuscript before acceptance by submitting a formal written request to the Editorial Office.
The withdrawal request must include:
  • Manuscript title;
  • Manuscript identification number (if available);
  • Reason for withdrawal;
  • Confirmation from all authors agreeing to the withdrawal.
AGRITROP will consider withdrawal requests when justified, including:
  • Discovery of substantial errors that cannot be corrected through revision;
  • Ethical concerns identified by authors;
  • Legitimate changes in research circumstances.
Authors are not permitted to withdraw manuscripts simply to submit the same work to another journal after the peer-review process has started without valid justification.
Unethical withdrawal practices, including duplicate submission or simultaneous submission to multiple journals, may be considered a violation of publication ethics.
 
  1. Article Correction Policy
AGRITROP recognizes that honest errors may occur during manuscript preparation, review, or publication. Corrections are issued when errors affect the accuracy, interpretation, or understanding of the published article but do not invalidate the overall scientific findings.
A correction may be published when:
  • Minor errors are identified in the published article;
  • Author information requires correction;
  • Institutional affiliation information is incorrect;
  • Funding information needs updating;
  • Figures, tables, or data require clarification;
  • Typographical or formatting errors affect interpretation.
Corrections will be published as a separate notice linked to the original article.
The correction notice will clearly identify:
  • The original article;
  • The nature of the correction;
  • The corrected information;
  • The date of correction.
The original article will remain available, but the correction notice will be permanently linked to ensure transparency and preserve the publication record.
COPE recommends that journals correct published articles when errors affect the accuracy of the scholarly record while maintaining transparency regarding changes made after publication (COPE, Retraction Guidelines).
 
  1. Article Retraction Policy
Retraction is a mechanism used to correct the scholarly record when a published article contains serious problems that invalidate its findings or violate publication ethics.
AGRITROP may retract an article when there is evidence of:
  • Plagiarism or significant text recycling;
  • Duplicate or redundant publication;
  • Fabrication or falsification of data;
  • Major methodological errors that invalidate conclusions;
  • Unethical research practices;
  • Manipulation of the peer-review process;
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest that significantly affect interpretation;
  • Serious authorship disputes affecting publication validity.
Retraction decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief after careful evaluation of available evidence, author responses, reviewer input (when appropriate), and consultation with relevant experts or institutions.
AGRITROP follows COPE recommendations that retractions should be transparent, clearly identified, linked to the original article, and should explain the reason for retraction (COPE, Retraction Guidelines).
Retraction Procedure
When a potential reason for retraction is identified, AGRITROP will:
  1. Conduct an initial assessment of the concern;
  2. Review relevant evidence and documentation;
  3. Contact the authors for explanation when appropriate;
  4. Consult reviewers, editors, or external experts if necessary;
  5. Determine whether correction, expression of concern, or retraction is appropriate.
If retraction is approved:
  • A retraction notice will be published;
  • The notice will clearly state the reason for retraction;
  • The original article will remain accessible for transparency;
  • The article will be marked clearly as “Retracted”;
  • Metadata will remain connected to preserve the scholarly record.
AGRITROP will not remove published articles from the journal archive except in exceptional circumstances required by legal or ethical considerations.
 
  1. Expression of Concern
In cases where concerns about a published article exist but the investigation has not yet reached a final conclusion, AGRITROP may publish an Expression of Concern.
An Expression of Concern may be issued when:
  • There is uncertainty regarding research integrity;
  • An institutional investigation is ongoing;
  • Evidence is incomplete but significant concerns exist;
  • A decision cannot yet be finalized.
The Expression of Concern will remain linked to the article until the matter is resolved through correction, confirmation, or retraction.
 
  1. Author Responsibilities
Authors are encouraged to immediately notify AGRITROP if they discover significant errors in their published work that may affect:
  • Data accuracy;
  • Interpretation of results;
  • Scientific conclusions;
  • Research integrity.
Authors must cooperate with editorial investigations and provide clarification or supporting information when requested.
Failure to respond to ethical concerns may result in editorial action based on available evidence.
 
  1. Editorial Responsibility
The Editorial Board of AGRITROP is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the published scientific record.
Editorial decisions regarding corrections, withdrawals, expressions of concern, and retractions are made based on:
  • Available evidence;
  • Research integrity principles;
  • Publication ethics standards;
  • Fair and transparent evaluation.
AGRITROP ensures that all actions taken are documented appropriately and communicated transparently to authors and readers.
 
  1. Transparency of Published Records
AGRITROP believes that maintaining access to the scholarly record is essential for scientific progress.
Therefore:
  • Corrected articles remain accessible with linked correction notices;
  • Retracted articles remain available with clear retraction labels;
  • Withdrawal decisions are documented transparently before publication.
These practices support responsible scholarly communication and follow international standards for maintaining the reliability of academic literature (COPE, Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing).
 
Summary of Actions
Situation
Editorial Action
Minor factual or formatting errors
Correction notice
Errors requiring clarification but findings remain valid
Correction
Serious ethical violations or invalid findings
Retraction
Concerns under investigation
Expression of Concern
Manuscript withdrawn before publication
Withdrawal