Article Retraction & Withdrawal
DEVOTIONIS: Journal of Community Service is committed to maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the scholarly record. The editorial team follows established ethical guidelines when handling retraction and withdrawal of articles, in accordance with the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
- Retraction of Published Articles
An article may be retracted from the journal if:
- It contains significant errors (e.g., miscalculation, flawed data, or false conclusions) that invalidate the main findings.
- It involves plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unethical research practices.
- There is evidence of data fabrication, manipulation, or authorship disputes.
- It violates the journal’s publication ethics or misrepresents sources or affiliations.
Retraction Procedure:
- A retraction notice will be published in the next issue of the journal and will remain permanently linked to the original article.
- The retracted article will be watermarked as "RETRACTED" on every page and remain available for the scholarly record.
- The retraction notice will clearly state the reason for the retraction and who initiated it (editor, author, or institution).
- Withdrawal of Manuscripts
Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before publication under valid circumstances (e.g., accidental duplicate submission, author disagreement, or major technical errors).
Withdrawal Guidelines:
- Withdrawal is only allowed before the peer review process has started or during early review, with written request and explanation from the corresponding author.
- Once the manuscript is under active peer review or accepted for publication, withdrawal is discouraged and must be approved by the Editor-in-Chief.
- Authors who attempt unethical withdrawal after acceptance or refuse to complete the publication process without justification may be blacklisted for future submissions.
- Editorial Authority
The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the editorial board and, if necessary, the author’s institution, holds the authority to retract or withdraw articles in the interest of publication ethics and transparency.
- Corrections and Clarifications
In cases where a minor error is discovered that does not affect the overall validity of the article, a correction notice (erratum or corrigendum) may be issued instead of retraction.
