Correction & Retraction Policy

Correction Policy

1. Purpose of Corrections

Corrections serve to uphold the credibility and clarity of published research. By amending genuine errors that may affect interpretation—but not invalidate the findings—ABNJ safeguards both scientific integrity and public trust.

2. Types of Corrections

  • Erratum (Publisher-Initiated):
    Issued for production-related errors (e.g., typesetting, formatting, author affiliation, figure misplacement) that do not affect the study’s validity or conclusions.

  • Corrigendum (Author-Initiated):
    Issued when authors identify significant post-publication errors (e.g., in data, methodology, or results) that affect understanding or clarity, but do not compromise the study’s core findings.

3. Correction Procedure

  • Detection:
    Errors may be reported by authors, readers, reviewers, or editorial staff.

  • Editorial Assessment:
    The editorial board evaluates the reported issue to determine whether a correction is warranted and what type it should be.

  • Implementation:
    A formal correction notice is published online, linked to the original article. In most cases, the original article is preserved intact, with annotations if necessary.

4. Visibility and Indexing

All corrections are:

  • Clearly labeled as Erratum or Corrigendum

  • Linked to the original article

  • Indexed and accessible in academic databases

  • Freely available under the journal’s open access policy

❌ Retraction Policy

1. Purpose of Retractions

Retractions are issued when a published article’s validity is fundamentally compromised due to errors or ethical breaches. ABNJ’s retraction process ensures that flawed or misleading content is responsibly flagged to prevent misinformation in biological sciences research.

2. Grounds for Retraction

  • Scientific Misconduct:
    Includes plagiarism, data fabrication, image manipulation, or fraudulent authorship.

  • Ethical Violations:
    Such as lack of ethics approval, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or improper treatment of animal or human subjects.

  • Critical Methodological Errors:
    Fundamental flaws in study design, analysis, or interpretation that undermine the reliability of results.

3. Retraction Process

  • Investigation:
    The editorial office conducts an internal review. If necessary, authors and their affiliated institutions may be contacted.

  • Editorial Decision:
    Retractions are handled in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and journal policies.

  • Notice Publication:
    A formal Retraction Notice is published and linked to the original article. The retracted article remains online for academic transparency, clearly marked as RETRACTED.

4. Transparency and Indexing

Retracted articles are:

  • Clearly marked on all formats (HTML/PDF)

  • Indexed with a visible retraction status in databases such as DOAJ and Crossref

  • Freely available for full transparency

⚖️ Ethical Governance

ABNJ adheres to the ethical guidelines established by:

  • COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)

  • Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan

  • International best practices in scholarly publishing and editorial accountability

???? Contact for Corrections or Retractions

Authors, reviewers, and readers are encouraged to report any issues or inaccuracies. At ABNJ, we are committed to maintaining a trustworthy, transparent, and ethically responsible scientific publication environment.