Article Retraction & Withdrawal

Editorial Integrity

Article Retraction & Withdrawal

Ajari: Journal of Educational Science

Policy Statement

Ajari: Journal of Educational Science is committed to protecting the reliability, accuracy, and integrity of the scholarly record. Manuscript withdrawal, article retraction, correction, and expressions of concern are handled transparently, fairly, and consistently.

The journal follows the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when addressing requests for withdrawal, suspected publication misconduct, unreliable findings, duplicate publication, plagiarism, and other concerns affecting published articles.

Article Withdrawal

Withdrawal applies to a manuscript that has been submitted but has not yet been formally published as part of a journal issue.

Article Retraction

Retraction applies to an article that has already been formally published and must be removed from the reliable body of scholarly literature.

Manuscript Withdrawal Policy

Authors may request the withdrawal of a manuscript by submitting a written request to the editor-in-chief through the journal's official editorial communication channel or the discussion feature in the online submission system.

The withdrawal request must include the manuscript title, submission identification information, a clear reason for withdrawal, and confirmation that all listed authors have approved the request.

A manuscript is not considered withdrawn until the editorial office has issued written confirmation. Authors must not submit the same manuscript to another journal while the withdrawal request remains under consideration.

Withdrawal During the Editorial Process

Withdrawal requests are handled according to the manuscript's current editorial stage.

Before Editorial Review

A manuscript may be withdrawn before editorial screening when the corresponding author submits a valid request approved by all authors.

During Peer Review

Withdrawal during double-blind peer review requires a clear explanation because editors and reviewers may already have invested time in evaluating the manuscript.

After Acceptance

Withdrawal after acceptance requires a detailed written justification and approval from the editor-in-chief before production is discontinued.

After Publication

A formally published article cannot be withdrawn as an unpublished manuscript. Concerns must be handled through correction, retraction, or another appropriate editorial notice.

Improper or Unethical Withdrawal

Authors must not submit the same manuscript to another journal while it remains active in the editorial process of Ajari: Journal of Educational Science.

Withdrawal without editorial confirmation, simultaneous submission, failure to disclose publication elsewhere, or withdrawal intended to avoid an investigation may be treated as a publication ethics concern and handled according to applicable COPE guidance.

Withdrawal Charges

The journal does not charge authors a manuscript withdrawal fee. However, authors are expected to submit manuscripts responsibly and communicate withdrawal requests promptly, transparently, and professionally.

Grounds for Retraction

A published article may be retracted when the editorial investigation identifies serious problems that make the findings or publication record unreliable.

Unreliable Findings

Clear evidence shows that the findings are unreliable because of major error, data fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or serious methodological problems.

Plagiarism

The article contains substantial plagiarism, unattributed material, unauthorized reproduction, or misleading use of another person's work.

Duplicate or Redundant Publication

The article substantially duplicates content, data, or findings that were previously published without appropriate disclosure, permission, citation, or justification.

Unethical Research

The research was conducted without required ethical approval, informed consent, participant protection, legal authorization, or compliance with applicable research standards.

Authorship Misconduct

Serious authorship manipulation, unauthorized authorship, false attribution, undisclosed ghost authorship, or unresolved disputes affect the integrity of the article.

Compromised Editorial Process

The peer review, editorial decision, citation process, or publication procedure was manipulated or seriously compromised.

Retraction Investigation and Decision

Retraction may be initiated by the authors, editors, publisher, readers, reviewers, institutions, or other parties who provide credible evidence of a serious publication concern.

The editorial team will examine the available evidence, review relevant manuscripts and records, contact the corresponding author, and provide the authors with an opportunity to respond. When necessary, the journal may contact the authors' institutions, research ethics committees, funding organizations, or other relevant authorities.

The editor-in-chief makes the final decision after considering the evidence, author response, institutional findings, publication ethics guidance, and the need to protect the scholarly record.

Publication of a Retraction Notice

A retracted article will remain accessible in the journal archive to preserve the transparency and continuity of the scholarly record. The article will be clearly identified as retracted.

The article title and landing page will display a clear retraction label.
The article file may be marked with the word RETRACTED.
A retraction notice will explain the reason for the decision.
The notice will identify who initiated or approved the retraction when appropriate.
The retraction notice will be linked to the original article.
The original DOI and bibliographic record will remain available whenever technically possible.

Alternative Editorial Actions

Retraction is used only when the reliability or integrity of the article is seriously affected.

Correction

A correction or corrigendum may be issued when an error affects part of the article but does not invalidate its central findings or conclusions.

Expression of Concern

An expression of concern may be published when serious questions exist but the available evidence remains incomplete, disputed, or subject to an ongoing investigation.

Removal

Complete removal is limited to exceptional circumstances involving legal requirements, serious privacy risks, harmful content, court orders, or other compelling reasons.

Author Agreement and Disagreement

The journal will seek author clarification and cooperation during an investigation. However, author agreement is not required when the available evidence demonstrates that retraction, correction, or another editorial notice is necessary to protect the scholarly record.

When authors disagree with the decision, the retraction or editorial notice may state that the authors did not agree, provided that the statement is relevant and supported by the editorial record.

Appeals

Authors may submit a written appeal when they believe that a withdrawal, retraction, correction, or expression of concern decision resulted from a significant factual, scientific, or procedural error.

The appeal must provide clear supporting evidence. The editor-in-chief may seek an independent editorial or expert assessment before issuing a final response.

COPE Retraction Guidance

Retraction decisions are guided by the COPE Retraction Guidelines and other relevant COPE guidance concerning corrections, expressions of concern, duplicate publication, plagiarism, authorship, and research misconduct.

Ajari: Journal of Educational Science handles manuscript withdrawal and article retraction transparently to protect authors, readers, reviewers, and the integrity of the scholarly record.