Correction & Retraction Policy

Policy & Governance Review, we recognize the importance of maintaining a trustworthy, accurate, and transparent scholarly record. On rare occasions, it may become necessary to issue corrections, retractions, or editorial notices to address errors, ethical concerns, or interpretive flaws in published articles. This policy outlines when and how such actions are taken, in alignment with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

Corrections, Erratum, and Corrigendum
Corrections are issued when published articles contain errors that affect the clarity, accuracy, or presentation of the work but do not fundamentally alter the study’s results, interpretation, or reliability.
Depending on the source and nature of the error, corrections are categorized as follows:

  1. Erratum: Issued when the error originated from the publisher, such as formatting mistakes, typesetting errors, or editorial oversights. There is no charge to the author for an erratum.

  2. Corrigendum: Issued when the error originated from the author, such as factual inaccuracies, mislabeling, or incorrect author affiliations. A correction fee will be charged for the publication of a corrigendum to cover administrative and processing costs.

Corrections are published as formal Correction Notes, which are:

  1. Indexed and discoverable in major academic databases.

  2. Bidirectionally linked to the original article.

  3. Accompanied by a clear explanation of what was corrected and why.

  4. Linked transparently, while the original article remains publicly accessible.

Examples of when corrections (errata or corrigenda) may be issued include:

  1. Incorrect author names or affiliations.

  2. Misstated numerical values or labels in tables/figures..

  3. Typographical errors that affect the meaning.

  4. Factual inaccuracies that do not affect overall conclusions.

These correction mechanisms help maintain the integrity, transparency, and trustworthiness of the scholarly record.

Retractions
Retractions are issued when the validity or integrity of an article is substantially compromised, including situations where:

  1. Conclusions or interpretations are fundamentally flawed.

  2. Research misconduct, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or unethical practices, has been identified.

  3. There are major ethical violations or breaches of publication standards.

Key features of retractions at Policy & Governance Review:

  1. Retraction notices are publicly published, indexed, and bidirectionally linked to the original article.

  2. The original article remains available but is watermarked “Retracted” and the title is updated to include “Retracted Article”.

  3. Retractions are corrective actions and are not meant to be punitive.

Editorial Expressions of Concern (EEoC) and Editor’s Notes

  1. Editor’s Note:

    • A temporary, online-only notice alerting readers that an investigation is underway regarding a published article.
    • Not indexed in scholarly databases.

  2. Editorial Expression of Concern (EEoC):

    • A formal statement published when serious concerns are raised about the integrity of a paper, pending investigation.
    • Indexed and bidirectionally linked to the original article.
    • Accompanied by a DOI and visible in databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus.

These notices serve to maintain transparency and keep the community informed while investigations are ongoing.

Removal of Published Content
In exceptional cases, Policy & Governance Review reserves the right to remove published content entirely when:

  1. Content is found to be defamatory, in violation of intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other legal provisions.

  2. A court or government order requires the removal.

  3. The content poses an immediate, serious risk to health or safety if left accessible.

When removal occurs:

  1. The bibliographic metadata (title, authors, etc.) will be retained.

  2. A court or government order requires the removal.

  3. A public statement will explain the reason for the removal.

Matters Arising (Post-Publication Commentary)
Policy & Governance Review supports constructive post-publication dialogue to advance scholarly debate.

  1. Authors, readers, or researchers may submit formal Matters Arising comments, such as challenges, clarifications, or replications of published work.

  2. These submissions will be peer-reviewed and, if accepted, published online.

  3. Original authors will be invited to provide a reply, which may also be published alongside the commentary.

This process allows scholarly discussion to evolve while reflecting the knowledge available at the time the original paper was written.

Reporting Concerns
Authors, readers, or institutions who identify errors or ethical concerns in published work are encouraged to contact:
Editorial Office Email: policygovernancereview@iapa.or.id

All reports will be reviewed carefully by the editorial team, with expert advice sought as needed, to determine the most appropriate course of action.

References:
COPE, Retraction guidelines, https://publicationethics.org/guidance/guideline/retraction-guidelines