Article Retraction & Withdrawal

The Journal of Applied Economics & Business (JAEB) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, reliability, transparency, and completeness of the scholarly record.

JAEB recognizes that manuscripts may need to be withdrawn before publication and that published articles may require correction, an expression of concern, retraction, or removal when serious problems are identified.

This policy distinguishes between:

Manuscript withdrawal, which applies before formal publication;
Article retraction, which applies after an article has been formally published as part of the scholarly record;
Correction, which addresses limited errors that do not invalidate the article's central findings;
Expression of concern, which alerts readers to serious unresolved questions while an investigation is continuing;
Article removal, which is reserved for exceptional legal, privacy, safety, or court-ordered circumstances.

JAEB follows applicable guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when handling withdrawals, corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, and removals.

Purpose of This Policy

This policy aims to:

Protect the integrity of the scholarly record;
Clarify the difference between withdrawal and retraction;
Provide transparent procedures for authors, editors, reviewers, and readers;
Ensure that published errors and ethical concerns are addressed proportionately;
Prevent duplicate submission and duplicate publication;
Protect readers from relying on seriously unreliable findings;
Maintain accurate article metadata and publication status;
Ensure that editorial actions are fair, evidence-based, and properly documented.

Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to all materials submitted to or published by JAEB, including:

Original research articles;
Review articles;
Case studies;
Policy studies;
Conceptual articles;
Editorials;
Special-issue articles;
Invited manuscripts;
Corrections and other editorial notices;
Supplementary materials associated with published articles.

The policy applies to authors, editors, editorial board members, peer reviewers, guest editors, journal staff, and the publisher.

General Principles

JAEB applies the following principles:

Editorial actions must protect the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record;
Retraction is intended to correct the literature rather than punish authors;
Authors must be given an opportunity to respond to allegations when possible;
Actions must be proportionate to the seriousness and evidence of the problem;
Honest error must be distinguished from deliberate misconduct;
Editorial notices must be clear, accessible, permanent, and linked to the affected article;
Retraction or withdrawal must not be used to conceal unethical conduct;
The journal may continue an ethical investigation even after a manuscript has been withdrawn;
The published record must not be altered secretly;
Editorial decisions must remain independent of author status, institutional reputation, nationality, funding, or personal relationships.

Definition of Manuscript Withdrawal

Manuscript withdrawal is the formal removal of a submitted manuscript from the editorial and peer-review process before the manuscript has been formally published as an article.

A manuscript is not considered withdrawn merely because an author:

Sends an informal message to an editor or reviewer;
Stops responding to editorial correspondence;
Fails to submit a revision;
Deletes a file from a personal account;
Submits the same manuscript to another journal;
Assumes that a withdrawal request has been accepted.

Withdrawal becomes effective only after JAEB issues written confirmation through the official OJS system or official editorial email.

Withdrawal before Editorial Review

Authors may request withdrawal shortly after submission when the manuscript has not yet entered substantive editorial assessment or peer review.

Possible reasons include:

Accidental submission of an incorrect file;
Submission to the wrong journal;
A serious error discovered by the authors;
An unresolved authorship issue;
A breach of participant confidentiality identified after submission;
Failure to obtain required institutional or ethical authorization;
Another legitimate reason explained clearly to the editorial office.

When the problem can be resolved by replacing a file or correcting metadata, the editor may offer the author an opportunity to correct the submission instead of withdrawing it.

Withdrawal during Peer Review

Authors may request withdrawal while a manuscript is undergoing editorial assessment or peer review.

The request must:

Be submitted by the corresponding author;
Identify the manuscript title and submission number;
Explain the reason for withdrawal;
Confirm that all authors have been informed;
Include the agreement of all listed authors whenever possible;
Be sent through the official OJS discussion function or editorial email.

The corresponding author must not submit the manuscript to another journal until JAEB has confirmed the withdrawal in writing.

When the request indicates an authorship dispute, ethical concern, data problem, duplicate submission, or possible misconduct, the editor may seek clarification before closing the submission.

Withdrawal after Acceptance

Withdrawal after editorial acceptance is strongly discouraged because the journal, editors, reviewers, and production staff may already have invested substantial scholarly and technical work in the manuscript.

Nevertheless, JAEB will consider a withdrawal request submitted before formal publication when the authors provide a clear and legitimate reason.

Valid reasons may include:

Discovery of a fundamental error that invalidates the findings;
Evidence that the data cannot be verified;
A serious breach of participant confidentiality;
A significant legal or copyright problem;
Failure to obtain required ethical approval;
A serious unresolved authorship dispute;
Another circumstance that makes publication inappropriate or unsafe.

A request made solely because the authors prefer another journal, seek a journal with a higher ranking, disagree with routine copyediting, or wish to avoid completing required revisions may be considered inappropriate.

However, the journal will assess each case individually and will not compel publication without appropriate legal and ethical consideration.

Withdrawal at the Copyediting or Proof Stage

A manuscript may still be withdrawn before formal publication when a serious problem is identified during copyediting, layout preparation, metadata verification, or author proofreading.

At this stage, authors must provide:

A formal written request;
A detailed explanation;
Confirmation from all authors;
Supporting evidence when the withdrawal concerns data, ethics, copyright, or legal issues.

The editor-in-chief will determine the appropriate action after considering the reason for withdrawal, the publication stage, ethical implications, and any relevant contractual obligations.

Withdrawal Request Procedure

A withdrawal request must contain:

The manuscript title;
The manuscript submission number;
The full names of all authors;
The name and email address of the corresponding author;
The reason for requesting withdrawal;
A statement confirming that all authors agree with the request;
The signatures or written confirmations of all authors when requested;
Any supporting documentation relevant to the request.

The request should be submitted to:

Email: ejournal@veloraindonesia.com

The editorial office will review the request and issue one of the following responses:

Withdrawal confirmed;
Additional information required;
Authorship confirmation required;
Ethical assessment required before closure;
Another editorial action is more appropriate.

Agreement of All Authors

A withdrawal request should normally be supported by all listed authors.

When one or more authors do not agree, cannot be contacted, or dispute the withdrawal, the journal may:

Request written statements from each author;
Pause the editorial process;
Refer the matter to the authors' institution;
Seek guidance from an independent ethics adviser;
Take another action consistent with publication-ethics principles.

JAEB will not determine legal ownership of data or resolve complex institutional authorship disputes. Such matters may be referred to the relevant institution.

Unethical Withdrawal

Withdrawal may be considered unethical when it is used to:

Submit the same manuscript simultaneously to another journal;
Avoid investigation of plagiarism or duplicate publication;
Conceal data fabrication or falsification;
Conceal an authorship dispute;
Transfer an accepted manuscript to another journal without disclosure;
Manipulate editorial or peer-review processes;
Avoid responding to legitimate ethical concerns;
Misrepresent the manuscript's editorial status.

When unethical withdrawal is suspected, JAEB may continue its investigation even after the manuscript has been removed from active editorial consideration.

The journal may contact:

All listed authors;
The authors' institution;
A research-integrity office;
A funding body;
Another journal or publisher affected by duplicate submission;
An ethics committee or other relevant authority.

Such communication will be based on documented evidence and handled in accordance with applicable publication-ethics procedures.

Duplicate Submission

Authors must not submit the same or substantially similar manuscript to more than one journal at the same time.

When duplicate submission is identified:

The editorial process may be suspended;
The corresponding author may be asked for an explanation;
All authors may be contacted;
The other journal may be contacted when appropriate;
The manuscript may be rejected or withdrawn from consideration;
The authors' institution may be informed in serious or repeated cases.

Withdrawing a manuscript after duplicate submission has been discovered does not automatically end the ethical investigation.

No Withdrawal Fee

JAEB does not charge authors a manuscript withdrawal fee.

There is no fee for:

Submitting a withdrawal request;
Administrative processing of the request;
Closing a submission before publication;
Investigating the reasons for withdrawal;
Issuing written confirmation of withdrawal.

JAEB does not impose financial penalties for withdrawal. However, the absence of a fee does not remove the authors' ethical obligation to provide an honest explanation and avoid misuse of the editorial process.

Withdrawal by the Journal before Publication

Before formal publication, JAEB may remove a manuscript from editorial consideration or cancel an acceptance decision when:

The manuscript is outside the journal's aims and scope;
Serious methodological problems are identified;
Required revisions are not completed;
The authors fail to respond within a reasonable period;
Plagiarism or duplicate submission is confirmed;
Data fabrication or falsification is suspected or confirmed;
Required ethical approval cannot be verified;
Authorship information is false or misleading;
Peer-review manipulation is identified;
A serious copyright, privacy, legal, or confidentiality issue arises;
The article cannot be published without compromising research or publication integrity.

When acceptance is withdrawn, the editor will inform the authors of the reason and record the decision in the journal's editorial system.

Definition and Purpose of Retraction

Retraction is a formal post-publication action used to inform readers that a published article contains findings, content, or ethical problems that seriously undermine its reliability, integrity, or legitimacy.

Retraction is intended to:

Correct the scholarly record;
Prevent readers from relying on seriously unreliable findings;
Identify the article's changed publication status;
Communicate the reason for the editorial action transparently;
Maintain trust in scholarly communication.

Retraction is not intended primarily to punish authors.

Grounds for Retraction

JAEB may retract an article when there is clear evidence that:

The findings are unreliable because of a major error;
The findings result from data fabrication or falsification;
The article contains substantial plagiarism;
The article constitutes duplicate or redundant publication;
The article reports unethical research;
Required ethical approval or informed consent was absent or misrepresented;
The article contains data, material, images, or information used without proper authorization;
Publication seriously violates participant privacy or confidentiality;
The peer-review process was manipulated or compromised;
Authorship was fabricated, purchased, manipulated, or seriously misrepresented;
The article contains a serious undisclosed conflict of interest that affects interpretation;
The article infringes copyright or another legal right;
The article contains conclusions that can no longer be supported by the available evidence;
A competent institutional investigation establishes serious research misconduct;
Another serious problem makes the article's central findings or publication legitimacy unreliable.

Retraction for Honest Error

An article may be retracted even when no deliberate misconduct occurred.

Retraction may be necessary when authors discover an honest but fundamental error involving:

Incorrect data;
A major computational error;
An invalid analytical procedure;
A sample or dataset that does not support the reported conclusions;
A serious measurement error;
An essential coding or software error;
Another problem that invalidates the principal findings.

When authors disclose an honest error promptly and cooperate fully, the retraction notice may state clearly that the action resulted from an honest error rather than misconduct.

Matters That Normally Do Not Require Retraction

Retraction is normally not required when:

A limited error can be corrected without invalidating the central findings;
An author's affiliation contains a minor administrative error;
A typographical or formatting error does not affect interpretation;
A small part of an otherwise reliable article requires clarification;
An authorship correction is justified and does not conceal misconduct;
A reader or researcher disagrees with the authors' interpretation but the article remains methodologically valid;
A citation or metadata error can be corrected transparently;
A post-publication debate does not establish that the article is unreliable.

In such cases, a correction, clarification, authorship notice, or other editorial notice may be more appropriate.

Who May Request or Initiate a Retraction

A retraction may be requested or initiated by:

One or more authors;
The editor-in-chief;
An assigned editor;
The publisher;
An author's institution;
A research-integrity office;
An ethics committee;
A funding body;
A reader or whistleblower who provides credible evidence;
A legal or regulatory authority.

A request for retraction does not automatically result in retraction. JAEB will assess the available evidence and follow an appropriate editorial process.

Retraction Investigation

When a concern is raised, JAEB will conduct an initial assessment.

The assessment may include:

Reviewing the published article;
Examining the allegation and supporting evidence;
Comparing the article with relevant publications or data sources;
Requesting an explanation from the authors;
Requesting original data, analytical files, ethical approval, consent documents, or permissions;
Consulting independent reviewers or subject experts;
Contacting the authors' institution or research-integrity office;
Consulting legal advisers when necessary;
Following applicable COPE guidance and flowcharts.

The journal will attempt to complete the assessment without unnecessary delay, while allowing sufficient time for a fair investigation.

Author Cooperation

Authors are expected to cooperate with post-publication investigations.

Authors may be asked to provide:

Original or de-identified research data;
Data-analysis files;
Questionnaires or research instruments;
Interview transcripts or coding records, subject to confidentiality requirements;
Ethical approval documentation;
Informed-consent documentation;
Copyright permissions;
Authorship-contribution information;
Related manuscripts or publications;
A written response to the allegation.

Failure to respond does not prevent JAEB from taking editorial action based on the available evidence.

Retraction Decision

The final retraction decision is made by the editor-in-chief or another independent editor authorized to act on behalf of JAEB.

The decision may be based on:

The reliability of the published findings;
The seriousness of the error or misconduct;
The findings of an institutional investigation;
The authors' explanations and evidence;
Independent expert advice;
Applicable legal requirements;
COPE guidance;
The need to protect the scholarly record and readers.

The publisher, sponsor, or supporting institution must not prevent a justified retraction or require an unjustified retraction for commercial or reputational reasons.

Retraction Notice

A retraction must be accompanied by a formal retraction notice.

The notice should:

Be published promptly after the decision;
Have a clear title containing the word “Retraction”;
Identify the retracted article accurately;
Include the article title, authors, year, volume, issue, pages or article number, and DOI when available;
State who is retracting the article;
Explain the reason for retraction clearly;
Distinguish honest error from misconduct when established;
Identify any authors who agree or disagree with the retraction when relevant;
Avoid defamatory, speculative, or unsupported statements;
Be freely accessible;
Be linked electronically to the retracted article;
Remain permanently available as part of the scholarly record.

The retraction notice should contain sufficient information for readers to understand why the article can no longer be relied upon.

Status of a Retracted Article

A retracted article will normally remain accessible in the journal archive to preserve the scholarly record.

The journal will:

Mark the article clearly as retracted;
Add a visible watermark or notice to the PDF and other galley formats when technically possible;
Place a retraction notice on the article landing page;
Link the article to the retraction notice;
Link the retraction notice to the article;
Update article metadata;
Notify DOI, indexing, abstracting, archiving, and repository services when applicable;
Preserve the original publication date and bibliographic record.

The article must not be silently deleted or replaced solely because it has been retracted.

Retraction without Author Agreement

JAEB may retract an article without the agreement of all authors when sufficient evidence demonstrates that retraction is necessary to protect the scholarly record.

The retraction notice may state:

Which authors agreed with the retraction;
Which authors disagreed;
Which authors did not respond;
That the retraction was issued by the editor or publisher.

An author's disagreement does not prevent a justified retraction.

Partial Retraction

JAEB generally does not use partial retraction when readers could become uncertain about which parts of an article remain reliable.

When a limited section contains an error but the central findings remain reliable, the journal will normally issue a correction rather than a partial retraction.

When the unreliable part affects the article's principal findings, conclusions, or integrity, full retraction may be required.

Corrections

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

Corrections may address:

Incorrect author information;
Affiliation errors;
Incorrect numerical values that do not change the conclusions;
Mislabeled tables or figures;
Minor analytical or textual errors;
Reference or citation errors;
Missing acknowledgements or funding information;
Other limited errors requiring transparent correction.

A correction notice must be linked to the original article and made freely accessible.

The article may be updated when necessary, but the nature and date of the correction must remain transparent.

Expression of Concern

JAEB may publish an expression of concern when serious questions have been raised about an article but a final conclusion cannot yet be reached.

An expression of concern may be appropriate when:

An investigation is ongoing and may require substantial time;
Evidence of misconduct is inconclusive;
The authors' institution has not completed or initiated an investigation;
The available evidence cannot yet establish whether retraction is necessary;
There is a potentially serious risk to the reliability of the article;
Legal proceedings prevent the journal from completing its assessment promptly;
The journal has reason to alert readers while further information is obtained.

The expression of concern will:

Identify the affected article;
Describe the concern without making unsupported allegations;
Be linked to the article;
Remain accessible while the investigation continues;
Be followed by a correction, retraction, removal, or notice of resolution when the matter is concluded.

Article Removal

Article removal is different from retraction and is reserved for exceptional circumstances.

A published article may be removed from public access when:

A court order or binding legal requirement requires removal;
The article contains defamatory material that creates a serious legal risk;
The article infringes copyright in a manner that cannot be resolved through correction or retraction;
The article contains personal, confidential, or sensitive information that creates a serious privacy risk;
The article poses a serious and immediate risk to public safety;
Another exceptional circumstance makes continued public availability unlawful or seriously harmful.

When an article is removed:

The article landing page and bibliographic metadata will normally remain available;
A notice will explain that the article has been removed;
The reason will be stated to the extent legally and ethically possible;
The DOI or permanent URL will continue to resolve to the removal notice when technically possible;
The journal will preserve appropriate internal records.

Article removal will not be used merely to protect the reputation of authors, institutions, editors, or the publisher.

Replacement of a Published Article

JAEB does not normally replace an unreliable published article with a substantially revised version under the same publication record.

When authors wish to publish corrected research after retraction:

The original article may be retracted;
The corrected work must undergo a new editorial and peer-review process;
The corrected work must be published as a new article;
The new article must cite and explain the relationship with the retracted article;
The two publication records must be linked when appropriate;
The new article must receive separate bibliographic information and a separate DOI when DOI registration is active.

Online-First or Early-Publication Articles

An article published online with an official publication date, permanent URL, citation details, or DOI may already form part of the scholarly record even if it has not yet been assigned to a regular issue.

Serious problems identified after online publication will normally be addressed through:

A correction;
An expression of concern;
A retraction;
Exceptional article removal.

The article must not be treated as an unpublished manuscript merely because issue assignment has not yet occurred.

Metadata and Indexing Updates

When an article is corrected, retracted, or removed, JAEB will update relevant metadata when technically possible.

Updates may be sent to:

The OJS article record;
The article PDF and other galley formats;
Google Scholar;
DOI registration services when active;
GARUDA or SINTA when applicable;
Repositories and preservation systems;
Indexing and abstracting databases;
Library and discovery services.

The journal cannot guarantee how quickly an external service will update its record, but JAEB will maintain the correct status on its official website.

Copyright and License after Retraction

Retraction does not automatically remove copyright or cancel rights previously granted under the applicable Creative Commons license.

A retracted article remains identified as published under the license that applied at the time of publication, subject to:

The clear retraction status;
Third-party rights;
Privacy and confidentiality restrictions;
Legal requirements;
The obligation not to misrepresent the article as reliable current evidence.

Users who cite or share a retracted article must indicate clearly that it has been retracted.

No Retraction, Correction, or Withdrawal Charges

JAEB does not charge authors any fee for:

Manuscript withdrawal;
Publication of a correction;
Publication of an expression of concern;
Publication of a retraction notice;
Updating the article's editorial status;
Processing a legitimate post-publication concern.

Editorial actions required to protect the scholarly record are not conditional upon payment.

Institutional Investigations

JAEB may refer allegations of research misconduct to the authors' institution because journals generally do not have the authority or resources to conduct full investigations into institutional records, laboratories, financial documents, or employment matters.

The journal may request that an institution:

Confirm whether an investigation has been opened;
Examine data integrity;
Verify ethical approval;
Assess authorship or contributor disputes;
Investigate fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism;
Provide the journal with relevant findings.

JAEB retains responsibility for deciding the appropriate action concerning the journal publication record.

Confidentiality during Investigation

Allegations and investigations will be handled confidentially to the extent reasonably possible.

Information may be shared with:

The authors;
Editors responsible for the case;
The publisher;
Independent experts;
Institutional research-integrity officers;
Ethics committees;
Funding bodies;
Legal or regulatory authorities;
Other journals directly affected by the case.

Information will be shared only when relevant to the assessment, investigation, or protection of the scholarly record.

Whistleblowers and Anonymous Reports

JAEB will consider concerns submitted by readers, reviewers, researchers, institutions, or anonymous whistleblowers when the report contains specific and verifiable information.

A report should include:

The title of the affected manuscript or article;
The names of the authors when known;
A description of the concern;
Relevant passages, figures, tables, data, or sources;
Supporting documents or links;
Any other evidence that enables an initial assessment.

JAEB will not take serious editorial action solely on the basis of vague, malicious, unsupported, or unverifiable allegations.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal a withdrawal, correction, expression-of-concern, or retraction decision when they believe:

A material factual error affected the decision;
Relevant evidence was overlooked;
The journal did not follow its stated procedure;
The action was disproportionate to the established problem;
A conflict of interest affected the decision.

An appeal must:

Be submitted in writing;
Identify the manuscript or article;
Explain the grounds for appeal;
Provide relevant evidence;
Avoid personal attacks, threats, or unsupported allegations.

The editor-in-chief may appoint an independent editor or adviser to assess the appeal.

An appeal does not automatically suspend a retraction, correction, expression of concern, or other action required to protect readers and the scholarly record.

Record Keeping

JAEB may retain:

Withdrawal requests;
Author confirmations;
Editorial correspondence;
Similarity reports;
Reviewer reports;
Institutional communications;
Ethical-approval documents;
Retraction evidence;
Editorial decisions;
Published notices;
Appeal documents.

These records may be retained for editorial, ethical, accreditation, audit, preservation, or legal purposes.

Policy Consistency

This policy must remain consistent with:

The Publication Ethics policy;
The Plagiarism Policy;
The Peer Review Process;
The Copyright and License Policy;
The Open Access Policy;
The Complaints and Appeals Policy;
The Author Guidelines;
The Article Processing Charges Policy;
The License to Publish Agreement;
The OJS submission and publication records.

Editorial Contact

Withdrawal requests, post-publication concerns, retraction requests, appeals, and questions concerning this policy should be directed to the official JAEB editorial office.

Journal of Applied Economics & Business
Publisher: PT Penerbit Velora Indonesia
Email: ejournal@veloraindonesia.com
Website: veloraindonesia.com

Policy Summary

Editorial Action	Publication Stage	Main Purpose
Withdrawal	Before formal publication	Close and remove a manuscript from active editorial consideration
Correction	After publication	Correct a limited error without invalidating the central findings
Expression of Concern	After publication	Alert readers while a serious concern remains unresolved
Retraction	After publication	Inform readers that the article is seriously unreliable or ethically invalid
Removal	After publication	Restrict public access in exceptional legal, privacy, or safety circumstances

This Article Retraction and Withdrawal Policy forms part of the official editorial policies of the Journal of Applied Economics & Business. Manuscripts may be withdrawn before formal publication through a documented procedure. Published articles may be corrected, marked with an expression of concern, retracted, or exceptionally removed when necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.