Correction & Retraction Policy

Correction Policy

1. Purpose of Corrections

AHSJ is committed to upholding the credibility, accuracy, and transparency of scholarly communication in health sciences. Corrections serve to maintain trust in the published record, especially where health, clinical, or policy-related research is involved.

2. Types of Corrections

  • Erratum (Publisher-Initiated):
    Issued for production-related errors such as layout, formatting, figure labeling, or metadata issues that do not impact the study’s core findings.

  • Corrigendum (Author-Initiated):
    Issued when authors identify substantive, non-fatal errors in data, analysis, or factual reporting that may affect interpretation but do not invalidate the research.

3. Correction Procedure

  • Error Identification:
    Corrections may be initiated by authors, editors, reviewers, or readers.

  • Editorial Evaluation:
    The AHSJ editorial team assesses the nature and impact of the error to determine whether a formal correction is warranted.

  • Publication of Correction Notice:
    A correction notice is published, assigned a DOI, and linked to the original article. The body of the article may be revised if critical, but original content remains accessible.

4. Visibility & Indexing

  • All corrections are:

    • ✅ Clearly labeled and timestamped

    • ✅ Linked to the original publication

    • ✅ Indexed in databases (e.g., Crossref)

    • ✅ Freely accessible under AHSJ’s open access policy

❌ Retraction Policy

1. Purpose of Retractions

Retractions are issued to remove published articles where findings are no longer reliable due to ethical violations, misconduct, or significant methodological flaws. Retractions are an important step to safeguard the integrity of the scholarly record.

2. Grounds for Retraction

  • Research Misconduct:
    Includes plagiarism, falsification, image manipulation, or ghost/gift authorship.

  • Ethical Non-Compliance:
    Absence of IRB/ethical approval for human/animal studies, or non-disclosure of conflicts of interest.

  • Major Errors:
    Flaws in research design, data analysis, or interpretation that invalidate the study’s conclusions.

3. Retraction Process

  • Investigation:
    Initiated by the editorial board or in response to third-party concerns. Authors may be asked to respond, and institutional oversight may be requested.

  • Editorial Decision:
    Retractions follow COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and are approved by the Editor-in-Chief.

  • Retraction Notice:
    A formal notice is published detailing:

    • Reason for retraction

    • Parties responsible

    • Editorial and ethical rationale

    The article is clearly marked as "RETRACTED" but remains publicly available for accountability and scholarly transparency.

4. Transparency & Indexing

  • All retractions:

    • Are indexed in major databases (DOAJ, Crossref, etc.)

    • Carry a visible watermark or banner on the original PDF

    • Remain open access and discoverable

⚖️ Ethical Governance

AHSJ aligns with:

  • COPE’s Best Practices

  • ICMJE Guidelines

  • Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan protocols for ethical publishing

???? Contact for Corrections or Retractions

Email: editorial@academia.edu.pk
Website: https://academia.edu.pk/index.php/hsj