Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

The Caucasus Journal of Social Sciences is committed to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and transparency of the scholarly record. This policy outlines the procedures and principles governing post-publication updates, including corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern, in accordance with internationally recognized standards of publication ethics.

The journal follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and established best practices in scholarly publishing.

Corrections

Corrections are issued when errors are identified in a published article that affect the accuracy, clarity, or integrity of the work but do not invalidate its overall findings or conclusions.

Corrections may be issued for, but are not limited to:

  • Errors in data presentation, analysis, or interpretation that may mislead readers.

  • Omission or misstatement of funding information, acknowledgements, ethical approvals, or conflicts of interest.

  • Errors in author names, affiliations, references, figures, tables, or metadata that affect attribution or discoverability.

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect the scientific meaning of the article are generally not subject to formal correction.

All corrections are published promptly, clearly identified, and permanently linked to the original article. The original article remains accessible, with a transparent record of the correction.

Retractions

Retractions are issued when a published article is found to be fundamentally unreliable and should not be considered part of the valid scholarly record.

The Caucasus Journal of Social Sciences conducts all retractions in accordance with the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

Retractions may be issued in cases involving:

  • Clear evidence that the findings are unreliable due to honest error (e.g., miscalculation, methodological flaws) or research misconduct (e.g., data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism).

  • Redundant or duplicate publication without proper disclosure or justification.

  • Serious ethical violations, including breaches of research ethics or publication ethics.

  • Manipulation of the peer-review or publication process.

Retraction Notices

In line with COPE guidance, retraction notices will:

  • Clearly identify the retracted article (title, authors, citation details).

  • State the reason(s) for retraction in a factual, neutral, and non-defamatory manner.

  • Indicate who is retracting the article (authors, editors, or publisher).

  • Be published promptly, freely accessible, and permanently linked to the original article.

The retracted article will remain available online to preserve the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as Retracted on every page of the article.

Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued when there are serious and well-founded concerns about the integrity or reliability of a published article, but the available evidence is inconclusive or an investigation is ongoing.

Expressions of Concern may be published when:

  • An institutional or editorial investigation is underway but not yet resolved.

  • There are credible allegations of misconduct that require further verification.

  • Key information necessary to assess the validity of the work is unavailable or delayed.

Expressions of Concern are clearly labeled, indexed, and linked to the original article and remain in place until a final decision (correction, retraction, or no action) is reached.

Withdrawal of Articles

Article withdrawal applies only to manuscripts that have been accepted but not yet formally published as the Version of Record.

Withdrawal may occur in cases of:

  • Accidental duplicate submission or publication.

  • Ethical concerns identified prior to publication.

  • Administrative or technical errors.

Withdrawal of a published Version of Record is extremely rare and will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, such as legal requirements or serious risks to public safety, in accordance with COPE recommendations.

Editorial Oversight and Transparency

All post-publication actions are handled by the editorial team with due process, fairness, and confidentiality. Decisions are made in consultation with authors, reviewers, institutions, and other relevant parties where appropriate.

The journal is committed to:

  • Transparency in editorial decision-making.

  • Maintaining a clear audit trail of all post-publication changes.

  • Ensuring that corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern are visible, accessible, and properly indexed.

Reporting Concerns

Readers, authors, reviewers, or institutions who identify potential errors or ethical concerns in published content are encouraged to contact the editorial office with supporting information. All reports are treated seriously and investigated in accordance with COPE procedures.