Retraction Policy

Journal of Applied Informatics Science (JAIS)

The Journal of Applied Informatics Science (JAIS) is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record. When a published article is found to contain serious errors or evidence of research or publication misconduct that significantly affects the validity, reliability, or integrity of its findings, JAIS may issue a Retraction.

The primary purpose of a retraction is to correct the scholarly record and ensure that readers are aware that the findings of the retracted article should no longer be considered reliable. Retraction is intended to preserve the integrity of scientific literature rather than to punish authors. JAIS follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing issued by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME.

Circumstances for Retraction

An article may be retracted if, after careful investigation, one or more of the following conditions are confirmed:

Evidence of data fabrication or data falsification.
Major errors in research methods, analysis, or interpretation that invalidate the study's conclusions.
Plagiarism or substantial unattributed use of another person's work.
Duplicate or redundant publication without appropriate disclosure.
Manipulation of images, figures, tables, or datasets.
Manipulation of the peer review process.
Authorship fraud or significant authorship disputes affecting the integrity of the publication.
Failure to obtain required ethical approval for research involving humans, animals, or sensitive data.
Undisclosed competing interests that significantly influence the interpretation of the research.
Any other form of research or publication misconduct that compromises the scientific validity or ethical integrity of the published article.

Honest errors that do not invalidate the overall conclusions of the research will normally be addressed through a Correction (Erratum or Corrigendum) rather than a Retraction.

Retraction Procedure

When concerns regarding a published article are brought to the attention of JAIS, the Editorial Office will undertake the following steps:

Record and acknowledge the allegation or concern.
Conduct a preliminary assessment of the available evidence.
Contact the corresponding author to request clarification and supporting documentation.
Consult reviewers, editorial board members, or independent experts where appropriate.
Request an investigation by the authors' institution when necessary.
Evaluate all available evidence objectively and confidentially.
Reach an editorial decision based on publication ethics and scientific integrity.

Throughout the investigation, all parties will be treated fairly, impartially, and confidentially.

Editorial Decisions

Following an investigation, JAIS may decide to:

Take no action, when the allegation is not supported by sufficient evidence.
Publish a Correction (Erratum or Corrigendum) when errors do not invalidate the overall findings.
Publish an Expression of Concern when an investigation is ongoing or evidence remains inconclusive.
Publish a Retraction when the published work is determined to be unreliable or affected by serious misconduct.

Retraction Notice

When an article is retracted:

A formal Retraction Notice will be published promptly.
The Retraction Notice will be permanently linked to the original article.
The notice will clearly identify the retracted article.
The notice will state the reason(s) for retraction.
The notice will identify who initiated the retraction (authors, editors, or publisher).
The notice will be freely accessible to all readers.
The language used will be factual, objective, and non-defamatory.

Availability of Retracted Articles

To preserve the integrity of the scholarly record, JAIS will normally not remove retracted articles from its website.

Instead:

The original article will remain publicly accessible.
Every page of the PDF and online version will be clearly marked with a visible "RETRACTED" watermark.
The article metadata will indicate that the article has been retracted.
Readers will be directed to the corresponding Retraction Notice.

Articles will only be removed under exceptional legal circumstances, including copyright infringement, court orders, or other legal obligations.

Author-Initiated Retraction

Authors who discover significant errors in their published work are encouraged to notify the Editorial Office immediately.

Requests for retraction submitted by authors will undergo the same editorial assessment as any other allegation and will only be approved after sufficient evidence has been evaluated. Submission of a retraction request does not automatically result in retraction.

Appeals

Authors may appeal a retraction decision by submitting a written explanation together with supporting evidence.

Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, where appropriate, independent editorial advisors. The decision following the appeal shall be considered final.

Notification to Indexing Services

When a retraction is issued, JAIS will update the article metadata and notify relevant indexing services, abstracting databases, DOI registration agencies, and other metadata providers to ensure that the publication record accurately reflects the retracted status of the article.

Editorial Responsibility

The Editor-in-Chief has final responsibility for all decisions relating to corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions. All decisions are made independently and solely on the basis of scientific validity, publication ethics, and the integrity of the scholarly record, without influence from commercial, institutional, or personal interests.

References

This policy has been developed with reference to:

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). COPE Retraction Guidelines.
DOAJ, COPE, OASPA & WAME. Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.