ISPEC Journal of Agricultural Sciences handles post-publication changes in four COPE-aligned categories:

1. Erratum (Publisher Error)

-Use: typesetting, production, or publisher-side errors.

-Example: degraded figure quality, wrong author name typesetting, wrong DOI assignment.

-Outcome: the original article is preserved; a new Erratum article is published with its own DOI. Both articles are linked via CrossMark.

2. Corrigendum (Author Error)

-Use: small errors noticed by the author (numerical errors, minor reference errors).

-Outcome: the original article is preserved; a Corrigendum is published with its own DOI and a CrossMark notification.

-Provided the overall conclusion of the paper does not change.

3. Expression of Concern

-Use: serious concern exists but evidence is not yet complete — alerts readers while an investigation is in progress.

-Example: suspected plagiarism, alleged data fabrication, alleged missing ethical approval.

-Outcome: the article remains online; an Expression of Concern notice is added with a CrossMark warning. When the investigation concludes, it is either removed or converts to a Retraction.

4. Retraction

-Use: confirmed serious errors or ethical breaches.

-Example: proven plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate publication, broad erroneous analysis.

-Outcome: a 'RETRACTED' watermark is added to the cover page; the original PDF remains accessible (for archival integrity) but carries a usage warning. A Retraction Notice is published as a separate item with its own DOI.

All correction actions are conducted under the COPE Retraction Guidelines (2019) (https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines).

 

Last update time: 04.04.2026