Corrections, Expressions of Concern and Retraction

Authors, readers, reviewers or institutions may report errors before or after publication to the journal’s email address on the Contacts page, identifying the article, concern and evidence. Receipt is acknowledged within three working days; initial assessment normally takes up to one month. For longer investigations, the editors provide progress and the next response date. Persons with conflicts do not decide; independent experts and authors’ institutions are consulted where needed. Authors receive the grounds for concern and an opportunity to respond.

Before publication, the editors suspend preparation over substantial concerns and agree corrections with authors and the publisher. Changes to methods, results or conclusions may require further peer review and reconsideration of acceptance. The corresponding author obtains co-authors’ approval of the final text; the publisher incorporates agreed changes. An unresolved problem may lead to rejection or discontinuation of preparation with reasons.

After publication, remediable errors that preserve the reliability of the main body of work are addressed in a dated notice linked to the article and explaining changes and their effects. Substantive changes to text, authorship, funding or licensing are not silent; the corrected version is identified and history preserved. Serious unresolved concerns or a prolonged investigation may warrant an expression of concern, updated when findings become available.

Retraction applies when the work is unreliable overall or a breach cannot be corrected, following the COPE Retraction Guidelines, version 3, August 2025 (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/guideline/retraction-guidelines). Grounds may include major error, fabrication or falsification, substantial plagiarism, concealed duplication, serious rights or research-ethics violations, compromised review, or an undisclosed conflict substantially affecting assessment or interpretation. Retraction corrects the record rather than punishing authors. An authorship dispute alone does not justify retracting reliable findings.

The reasoned decision is communicated to authors and the complainant within appropriate confidentiality limits; authors’ silence or disagreement does not prevent a justified decision. The editors coordinate corrections with the publisher, authors and full-text host. A freely accessible retraction notice identifies the article title and identifier, date, reasons and who is retracting it. The article normally remains, marked ОТОЗВАНА / RETRACTED on its page and in its file; equivalent marking is requested from an external host. Content is removed only exceptionally with justification, such as a legal restriction or serious risk; metadata and an explanation remain to the extent permitted.

The editors update metadata and JATS XML and notify platforms and databases that received the article; if a DOI is registered through Crossref, its Crossref record is updated (https://www.crossref.org). The authors’ institution may be notified of suspected misconduct. Corrections and notices are free for authors. Challenges follow the Appeals and Complaints policy.