Retraction, Withdrawal, and Correction (R-W-C) Policy

RETRACTION, WITHDRAWAL, AND CORRECTION (R-W-C) POLICY

We understand that authors work carefully in preparing their manuscripts, and we undertake a rigorous peer-review process. However, published articles may occasionally need to be recalled or removed for scientific or ethical reasons. This action is not taken lightly and only occurs under extraordinary circumstances. Therefore, corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies, when necessary, are carried out with strict standards to maintain trust in the authority of the journal's electronic records. Our commitment and policy are to maintain the integrity and completeness of the scientific archive for researchers and librarians.

RETRACTION

Articles published in the Journal of Tropical Pharmacy and Chemistry will be considered for retraction if:

  • There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either as a result of misconduct (e.g., data fabrication) or honest error (e.g., miscalculation or experimental error).

  • The findings have previously been published elsewhere without proper cross-referencing, permission, or justification (i.e., cases of redundant publication).

  • The research constitutes plagiarism.

  • The manuscript reports unethical research.

To ensure that retractions are handled according to publication best practices and the retraction guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Journal of Tropical Pharmacy and Chemistry adopts the following retraction process:

  • An article that may require retraction is brought to the attention of the Editor-in-Chief. Reports regarding these articles can come from internal sources (editors/reviewers) or external sources (readers).

  • Following the COPE flowcharts, the Editor-in-Chief will follow step-by-step guidelines (including evaluating a response from the article's author).

  • The final decision on whether to retract is communicated to the author and, if necessary, any other relevant bodies, such as the author's affiliated institution.

  • The retraction statement is then posted online and published in the next available issue of the journal.

Please note that even if an author holds the copyright for an article, they do not automatically have the right to revoke it after publication. The integrity of published scientific records is paramount, and COPE's retraction guidelines strictly apply in such cases.

WITHDRAWAL

Authors may withdraw accepted manuscripts provided the article has not been officially published as scheduled and the DOI has not been activated. To request a withdrawal, a formal letter signed by all authors and the first author's institutional director must be sent to the Editor-in-Chief. There are no fees for the withdrawal process. However, if the article has already been published on schedule and its DOI is active, a standard withdrawal cannot be made; instead, the authors must formally request a retraction if the article must be removed. When an article is withdrawn, its PDF and XML content are removed and replaced with files stating that the article has been withdrawn in accordance with Journal Policy, including a link to the most recent version of this policy document.

CORRECTION

The Journal of Tropical Pharmacy and Chemistry will consider issuing a correction if:

  • A small portion of an otherwise reliable publication reports flawed data or proves misleading, especially if this results from an honest error.

  • The author list is incorrect (e.g., a legitimate contributor has been omitted, or someone who does not meet authorship criteria has been included).

Corrections to peer-reviewed content fall into one of three categories:

  • Publisher Correction (Erratum): Issued to notify readers of a critical error made by journal staff (usually a production error) that negatively impacts the publication record, the scientific integrity of the article, or the reputation of the authors or the journal.

  • Author Correction (Corrigendum): Issued to notify readers of a critical error made by the authors that harms the publication record, the scientific integrity of the article, or the reputation of the authors or the journal.

  • Addendum: An addition to the article by its authors to explain inconsistencies, expand upon the existing work, or otherwise update the information in the main text.

The Editor-in-Chief decides whether a correction should be issued, often in consultation with reviewers or editorial board members. The Editor-in-Charge will contact the paper's authors to request clarification, but the final decision regarding the necessity and type of correction rests entirely with the Editor-in-Chief. Once approved by all parties, the correction statement is posted online and published in the next available issue of the journal.

EDITORIAL NOTE

It may be necessary to inform readers via an Editorial Note if there is a potential issue with an article that has not yet been formally resolved. For instance, if the Journal of Tropical Pharmacy and Chemistry learns of potential research or publishing misconduct, or if there is a significant dispute between the authors (or between authors and third parties), an Editorial Note may be published. Typically, this note serves as a temporary measure while additional inquiries are conducted and until a more permanent resolution is reached (such as the release of a "corrected" version or a formal Retraction).

EXPRESSION OF CONCERN

If there are significant concerns about an article, but no concrete evidence can be found to unambiguously support a retraction, the Journal of Tropical Pharmacy and Chemistry may, in exceptional circumstances, choose to publish an Expression of Concern linked to the problematic article. This action may be taken when:

  • There is ambiguous or inconclusive evidence of research misconduct or publication misbehavior.

  • There is evidence that the article has issues, but the authors' institution refuses to investigate the matter.

  • A purported misconduct investigation conducted by an institution was deemed unfair, flawed, or inconclusive.