Effective Date: July 2026
IIS Journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record. Where published research is found to contain serious errors or evidence of research or publication misconduct, the journal may issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retract published articles.
Retraction is intended to preserve the integrity of the academic record and should not be regarded as a punitive action against authors.
1. Purpose of Retraction
Retractions are issued to alert readers that a published article should no longer be considered part of the reliable scholarly literature due to significant concerns affecting its validity, integrity, or ethical compliance.
The journal will take appropriate editorial action based on the nature and seriousness of the issue.
2. Grounds for Retraction
A published article may be retracted where there is evidence of:
- plagiarism;
- duplicate publication;
- redundant publication;
- fabricated or falsified data;
- manipulated images or research results;
- unethical research involving human participants or animals;
- serious errors that invalidate the findings;
- unauthorized use of copyrighted material;
- undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the publication;
- manipulation of the peer review process;
- authorship fraud or significant misrepresentation.
Each case is assessed individually.
3. Investigation Process
When concerns are raised, the Editorial Office will:
- acknowledge receipt of the concern;
- conduct an initial assessment;
- gather relevant information;
- contact the corresponding author where appropriate;
- consult editors, reviewers, or subject experts if necessary;
- provide authors with an opportunity to respond before a final decision is made.
Investigations are conducted fairly, confidentially, and impartially.
4. Editorial Actions
Depending on the outcome of an investigation, the journal may:
- take no further action;
- request clarification from the authors;
- publish a correction or erratum;
- publish an expression of concern;
- retract the article;
- notify relevant institutions or funding bodies where appropriate.
The selected action will be proportionate to the seriousness of the issue.
5. Retraction Notice
Where an article is retracted, the journal will publish a clear retraction notice that:
- identifies the affected article;
- explains the reason for retraction;
- identifies who initiated the retraction where appropriate;
- remains permanently linked to the original publication.
The purpose of the notice is to maintain transparency and preserve the scholarly record.
6. Availability of Retracted Articles
Retracted articles will normally remain available on the journal website to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.
Each retracted article will be clearly identified as retracted, and readers will be directed to the associated retraction notice.
The journal will not normally remove published articles except where required by law or where continued availability presents a significant legal or ethical concern.
7. Corrections
Where errors do not invalidate the overall findings of an article, the journal may publish:
- corrections;
- corrigenda;
- errata.
Such notices will clearly identify the changes made while preserving the publication record.
8. Expressions of Concern
Where an investigation is ongoing and sufficient evidence is not yet available to support a correction or retraction, the journal may publish an Expression of Concern to inform readers of potential issues affecting the article.
The notice may be updated or withdrawn once the investigation has concluded.
9. Author Cooperation
Authors are expected to cooperate fully with investigations relating to their published work.
Failure to respond to editorial enquiries does not prevent the journal from reaching a decision where sufficient evidence is available.
Authors are encouraged to notify the Editorial Office promptly if they discover significant errors in their published work.
10. Appeals
Authors who disagree with a decision to issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction may request reconsideration under the journal’s Appeals and Complaints Policy.
Requests should include any additional evidence that may assist the Editorial Office in reviewing the decision.
11. Research Integrity
The journal may take additional editorial action where evidence indicates serious breaches of research integrity or publication ethics.
Such actions may include informing relevant institutions, research organizations, funding bodies, or other journals where appropriate and permitted by applicable laws and policies.
12. Policy Updates
This Retraction Policy may be updated periodically to reflect developments in scholarly publishing, publication ethics, legal requirements, and editorial practice.
The most recent version published on the IIS Journal website shall be considered the authoritative version.