Post-Publication Discussion, Correction and Retraction

Journal of Green Engineering for Sustainability (Greeners)

1. Introduction

The Journal of Green Engineering for Sustainability (Greeners) is committed to maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the scholarly record after publication. The journal recognizes that scientific research is a continuous process of discovery, evaluation, and refinement, and that published work may require discussion, clarification, or amendment over time.

This policy outlines Greeners' approach to facilitating scholarly discussion of published articles and establishing procedures for issuing corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, and other post-publication updates when necessary. Greeners follows the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in managing post-publication issues.

2. Description

2.1. Post-Publication Discussion

Scholarly discourse does not end with publication. Greeners encourages constructive discussion of published articles to advance scientific understanding and improve knowledge in green engineering, sustainability, environmental management, materials science, industrial engineering, and related fields.

2.2. Need for Post-Publication Amendments

Published articles may require amendments for various reasons, including:

Honest errors by authors or the journal that affect the interpretation or understanding of the work but do not invalidate its main findings.
New critical information or evidence that becomes available after publication and significantly affects the original findings or conclusions.
Research misconduct, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or falsification, that undermines the validity or reliability of the published work.

2.3. Types of Post-Publication Amendments

Corrections: Notices published to rectify significant errors or omissions in a published article. These may include:
- Corrigendum: A correction addressing an error originating from the author(s).
- Erratum: A correction addressing an error introduced by the journal during the publication or production process.
Retractions: Notices issued to identify an article whose findings are unreliable because of major errors, research misconduct, redundant publication, or unethical research practices.
Expressions of Concern (EoC): Notices issued by the editors to alert readers to serious concerns regarding the integrity or validity of a published article, particularly when an investigation is ongoing or its outcome remains inconclusive.
Addenda: Additional information provided by the authors that is essential to readers' understanding of a published article but does not correct an error in the original work.
Article Versioning and Updates: In exceptional circumstances, substantial new data or interpretations may warrant an update to an article. Such updates will be considered individually and clearly distinguished from the original publication.

3. Policy

3.1. Encouraging Scholarly Debate

Greeners encourages constructive, evidence-based, and respectful post-publication discussion of articles published in the journal.

Readers may submit formal letters to the editor, commentaries, or other scholarly communications concerning published articles through the journal's official editorial contact channels. Where appropriate, the journal may publish the comments and provide the original authors with an opportunity to respond.

3.2. Maintaining the Integrity of the Scholarly Record

Greeners has a responsibility to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. The journal will take appropriate and timely action to address confirmed errors, inaccuracies, or research misconduct affecting published articles.

3.3. Transparency and Clarity

All post-publication amendments, including corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, and addenda, will be clearly identified and linked to the original article in its online versions.

The reasons for each amendment will be explained clearly in the relevant notice, subject to confidentiality and applicable legal or ethical requirements.

3.4. Impartiality in Decision-Making

Decisions concerning corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern will be made by the Editor-in-Chief, following an assessment of the available evidence and consultation with relevant parties where necessary, including authors, reviewers, editorial board members, research institutions, or research ethics committees.

Decisions will be made objectively and without discrimination based on authors' status, affiliation, or seniority, in accordance with the journal's policies and relevant COPE guidance.

3.5. Grounds for Retraction

Retraction may be considered in cases involving:

Clear evidence that the findings are unreliable because of a major error, data fabrication, or data falsification.
Plagiarism.
Redundant or duplicate publication that substantially overlaps with previously published work without appropriate justification or disclosure.
Unethical research practices, including failure to obtain required ethics approval or informed consent where applicable.
Other serious circumstances that substantially compromise the integrity or reliability of the published work.

Retractions are not generally issued for minor errors that do not materially affect the findings or conclusions of an article. The journal will follow relevant COPE guidance when determining whether retraction is appropriate.

3.6. Use of Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued when:

There is substantial, well-founded concern about the reliability of an article, but the available evidence is inconclusive.
An investigation into alleged research or publication misconduct is ongoing or is expected to take a considerable amount of time.
Readers need to be alerted to a significant unresolved issue affecting the integrity of a published article.

An Expression of Concern is an interim measure. It may be updated, replaced, or followed by another appropriate editorial action when further information becomes available or the investigation is concluded.

3.7. Author Cooperation

Authors of articles published in Greeners are expected to cooperate with the journal in resolving post-publication issues concerning their work. This may include providing relevant research data, original images, documentation, explanations, or other information reasonably required to assess the concerns raised.

4. Procedures for Implementing the Policy

A. Post-Publication Discussions

1. Letters to the Editor and Commentaries

Greeners provides a mechanism for readers to submit formal letters to the editor or short commentaries discussing or critically evaluating articles published in the journal.

Submissions should be concise, constructive, scientifically relevant, and directly related to a specific Greeners article. They may be subject to editorial assessment and appropriate editing.

The authors of the original article will normally be given an opportunity to respond. Where appropriate, the response may be published alongside the letter or commentary.

2. Online Commenting

If an online commenting feature is available on the journal's website, Greeners will establish clear guidelines for acceptable use. Comments may be moderated to ensure that discussions remain relevant, constructive, respectful, and consistent with the journal's ethical standards.

B. Corrections

1. Identification and Reporting of Errors

Authors, readers, and reviewers who identify a potentially significant error or omission in a published Greeners article are encouraged to contact the Editor-in-Chief or editorial office, providing specific details of the error and its location in the article.

2. Assessment of Errors

The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the authors and, where necessary, peer reviewers or editorial board members, will assess the impact of the reported error on the accuracy, integrity, and interpretation of the published work.

3. Issuing Correction Notices

If a significant error is confirmed, the journal may publish a formal correction notice, classified as a corrigendum for an author-originated error or an erratum for an error introduced by the journal.

The correction notice will be citable, clearly describe the error and the correction made, and be electronically linked to the original article. The original article will generally remain available, with a clear notification directing readers to the correction.

C. Retractions

1. Initiation of the Retraction Process

Concerns that may warrant retraction will be assessed and investigated in accordance with Greeners' policy on allegations of research misconduct and relevant COPE guidance.

2. Retraction Notice

If retraction is deemed necessary, the journal will publish a formal retraction notice.

The notice will:

Be clearly titled "Retraction: [Original Article Title]."
Identify the party initiating the retraction, such as the journal or the retracting authors.
Explain the reasons for the retraction clearly and unambiguously.
Distinguish, where possible and appropriate, between honest error and research misconduct.
Be electronically linked to the retracted article in the journal's online publication system and other relevant platforms.

The retracted article will generally remain part of the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as retracted to alert readers. The journal will take reasonable steps to notify relevant indexing and abstracting services.

D. Expressions of Concern (EoC)

1. Issuing an Expression of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued when the editors have substantial and well-founded concerns about the reliability or integrity of a published article, but an investigation is ongoing or conclusive evidence is not yet available.

2. Content and Linking

The Expression of Concern will be published as a citable notice, linked to the relevant article, and will clearly describe the nature of the concerns.

3. Follow-up

When further information becomes available or an investigation concludes, the journal will review the Expression of Concern and determine whether it should be updated, replaced, or followed by another appropriate action, such as confirmation of the article's reliability, publication of a correction, or retraction.

E. Addenda

1. Purpose

Authors may request publication of an addendum when additional information is essential for understanding or interpreting their published article but does not correct an error in the original work.

2. Process

Requests for addenda will be assessed by the Editor-in-Chief and may be subject to peer review or editorial evaluation. If accepted, the addendum will be published as a separate citable notice and linked to the original article.

F. Article Removal or Replacement in Exceptional Circumstances

1. Removal

In rare and exceptional circumstances, an article may need to be removed from the online journal, for example, when its continued availability would violate legal rights, breach privacy, or create a serious and immediate risk.

In such cases, the journal will publish a notice explaining the reason for removal to the extent legally and ethically permissible.

2. Retraction and Replacement

In exceptional circumstances, if an article is retracted because of an honest error that fundamentally undermines its findings and the authors subsequently produce a corrected and scientifically sound version, the journal may consider publishing the corrected work as a new article.

Any such decision will be made on a case-by-case basis, with a clear explanation of the publication history and an appropriate link to the retraction notice for the original article.

G. Ensuring Discoverability of Amendments

Greeners will take reasonable steps to ensure that post-publication amendments, including corrections, retractions, Expressions of Concern, and addenda, are accurately recorded and linked to the relevant articles.

Where applicable, the journal will notify bibliographic databases, indexing services, and abstracting services of these amendments so that readers can readily identify changes in the status of published research.

5. Final Statement

This policy reflects the commitment of the Journal of Green Engineering for Sustainability (Greeners) to transparency, responsible scholarly discussion, and the continuing accuracy and integrity of the scientific record. All post-publication matters will be handled fairly and consistently with the journal's publication ethics policies and relevant COPE guidance.

Reference: Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Core Practices and relevant guidance on retractions, corrections, expressions of concern, and post-publication issues.

Relevant resources: