Retraction, Correction, and Expression of Concern Policy

Retraction, Correction, and Expression of Concern Policy

JHTD is committed to maintaining the integrity of the published scientific record. All post-publication concerns are handled in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

Corrections (Erratum / Corrigendum)

A correction notice is issued when a published article contains a minor error (e.g., a calculation error, transcription error in a table, or citation mistake) that does not affect the overall conclusions or integrity of the study. The correction notice will: (a) be published as a separate citable article, (b) clearly identify the original article and the nature of the error, (c) state the corrected information, and (d) be linked bidirectionally to the original article on the journal website.

Retraction

A retraction is issued when an article contains a fundamental error that invalidates its conclusions, or when research misconduct has been confirmed, including but not limited to: data fabrication or falsification, image manipulation, plagiarism, duplicate publication, undisclosed conflicts of interest affecting conclusions, or authorship fraud.

Retracted articles will remain visible on the journal website with a prominent retraction notice stamped on the PDF. The retraction notice will be published as a separate citable article and linked to the original. The retracted article will be marked in CrossRef/DOI metadata. All retracted articles will include the reason for retraction.

Expression of Concern

An Expression of Concern is issued when: (a) an investigation is ongoing into alleged misconduct, (b) there is credible evidence of concern but insufficient grounds for retraction, or (c) an institution or funding body has begun an investigation. The Expression of Concern will be updated or replaced by a retraction or exoneration notice upon conclusion of the investigation.

Reporting Concerns

Authors, reviewers, editors, readers, institutions, or members of the public may report concerns about published articles by emailing editorinchief.jhtd@gmail.com with the subject line 'Publication Integrity Concern'. All reports will be acknowledged within 5 business days. Investigations will follow COPE flowcharts. Reporters may request confidentiality.