Retractions and Errata Policy

Clinical Sociology Review (CSR) follows the retraction guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Authority to Retract

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the journal's content and holds final decision-making authority over any retraction. This authority may only be delegated or transferred in cases where the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest regarding the matter at hand, in which case another senior editor or the editorial board will assume the decision.

2. Grounds for Retraction

A retraction may be initiated where there is clear evidence that the published work:

·       Contains unreliable findings due to data fabrication, falsification, or honest error (e.g., miscalculation, experimental flaw)

·       Constitutes plagiarism, duplicate publication, or undisclosed redundant publication

·       Reports research that was not conducted in accordance with applicable ethical approvals or institutional permissions

·       Involves authorship disputes, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other breaches of publication ethics that compromise the reliability or integrity of the work

·       Was submitted on the request of the author(s), where the author(s) themselves identify flawed data, methodology, or conclusions

Retraction is a mechanism to correct the scholarly record, not to penalize authors. The Editor-in-Chief will proceed with a well-founded retraction even where the author(s) disagree or cannot be reached, provided reasonable attempts at contact have been made.

3. Process

Before issuing a retraction, the Editor-in-Chief (with the editorial board, where appropriate) will conduct a fair investigation, which may include consulting the author(s), reviewers, or the author's institution. Author(s) will be given the opportunity to respond before a final decision is made, except where doing so is not practicable.

4. Retraction Notice

Where a retraction is confirmed, a retraction notice will be published in CSR, linked bidirectionally to the original article. The notice will:

·       Be clearly identified as a "Retraction" in the title

·       State the title, author(s), and full bibliographic details (volume, issue, page numbers, DOI) of the retracted piece

·       Identify who is retracting the article (the Editor-in-Chief, on behalf of the journal)

·       State the specific reason(s) for the retraction

·       Indicate whether the author(s) agree, disagree, or could not be reached regarding the retraction

·       Avoid speculation on motive and refrain from any language that could be construed as a personal attack on the author(s)

The original article will remain accessible in the journal's online archive, clearly watermarked "RETRACTED" on every page, to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

5. Errata

Where an error does not undermine the overall validity, reliability, or conclusions of the work (e.g., typographical errors, minor data or citation errors, omitted acknowledgments or funding disclosures), the Editor-in-Chief may instead authorize publication of a correction notice (erratum) in lieu of retraction. The erratum will be linked to the original article and will specify the nature of the error and the correction made.