Correction, Retraction, and Post-Publication Policy
Open Veterinary Journal (OVJ) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, transparency, and reliability of the published scientific record. The journal recognizes that errors, omissions, ethical concerns, or other issues may sometimes become apparent after publication.
OVJ therefore maintains procedures for correcting, clarifying, expressing concern about, or retracting published content when appropriate. All post-publication actions are handled fairly, transparently, and proportionately, with the primary objective of preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.
OVJ follows the principles and applicable guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) concerning corrections, retractions, and other post-publication issues.
1. Reporting Post-Publication Concerns
Concerns about a published article may be raised by:
authors;
readers;
reviewers;
editors;
institutions;
research organizations;
funders; or
other individuals or organizations with relevant information.
Concerns should provide sufficient information and, where possible, supporting evidence that allows the journal to assess the matter.
OVJ takes credible post-publication concerns seriously and will assess them in a timely and appropriate manner.
2. Assessment and Investigation
When a concern is received, the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriately independent editor will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether further investigation is warranted.
Depending on the nature of the concern, OVJ may:
contact the corresponding author and other authors;
request clarification or additional information;
request access to relevant original data, records, or supporting documentation;
consult peer reviewers or independent subject experts;
consult members of the editorial board;
contact the authors' institution, ethics committee, funder, or other appropriate authority; or
undertake other appropriate steps to establish the facts.
Authors will normally be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to concerns and provide relevant evidence.
If an editor has a conflict of interest, the matter will be handled by an appropriately independent editor.
The extent and duration of an investigation will depend on the nature and complexity of the concern. The journal will not delay appropriate action when the integrity of the published record requires timely intervention.
3. Corrections
OVJ will publish a correction when an error in a published article affects the accuracy, clarity, completeness, or interpretation of the article but does not invalidate the main findings or conclusions.
Corrections may relate to, for example:
author names or affiliations;
factual or numerical errors;
figures or tables;
methodological descriptions;
supplementary information;
references;
funding information;
conflict-of-interest disclosures;
acknowledgments; or
other published information requiring amendment.
The correction will clearly identify what was changed and, where appropriate, provide the corrected information.
3.1 Erratum and Corrigendum
OVJ may use the terms erratum and corrigendum where appropriate to distinguish errors introduced during the publication process from errors originating with the authors.
However, to avoid unnecessary ambiguity, OVJ may use the general term Correction when the distinction between an erratum and corrigendum is not necessary for readers or the scholarly record.
The journal's primary objective is to clearly document the correction rather than to assign responsibility for the error.
4. Minor Errors
Minor typographical, formatting, or grammatical errors that do not affect the scientific meaning, interpretation, indexing, or integrity of the article may be corrected directly in the online version without issuing a formal correction notice, where appropriate.
Changes that materially affect the scientific content or published record will be documented through a formal correction notice.
5. Addenda
An Addendum may be published when additional information becomes available after publication and that information is important for the reader's understanding of the article but does not require correction or retraction of the original article.
Addenda should be clearly linked to the original article and should not be used to conceal or substantially alter the original findings.
Where an addendum contains substantive new scientific information, OVJ may subject it to editorial or peer review as appropriate.
6. Expression of Concern
An Expression of Concern (EOC) may be published when serious questions have arisen regarding a published article but the available evidence is insufficient to justify an immediate correction or retraction, or when an investigation is ongoing or cannot reasonably be completed in a timely manner.
An Expression of Concern:
alerts readers that there is a substantive concern regarding the article;
provides appropriate information about the nature of the concern;
remains linked to the article; and
may be followed by a correction, retraction, or other appropriate editorial action when the investigation is concluded.
An Expression of Concern does not by itself establish that misconduct has occurred.
7. Retraction
OVJ may retract a published article when the article contains findings or content that are sufficiently unreliable or invalid that the article should no longer be considered part of the reliable scientific literature.
Retraction may be considered when, for example:
there is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable because of major errors, miscalculations, experimental flaws, or methodological problems;
data or results have been fabricated or falsified;
substantial plagiarism is identified;
substantial portions of the article have been published elsewhere without appropriate disclosure or justification;
there is evidence of unethical research or serious violations of human or animal research requirements;
the article was published on the basis of a seriously compromised or manipulated peer-review process;
significant conflicts of interest or other undisclosed circumstances have materially affected the reliability or interpretation of the article;
serious problems with authorship, data, or research integrity undermine the validity of the publication; or
other circumstances demonstrate that the article is fundamentally unreliable.
Retraction is intended to correct the scientific record and is not intended as a punishment for authors.
8. Correction Rather Than Retraction
OVJ will not retract an article when a problem can be adequately addressed through a correction and the main findings and conclusions remain reliable.
For example, an article may be corrected rather than retracted when the issue involves a limited factual error, figure error, author information error, funding disclosure, or similar problem that does not invalidate the scientific findings.
Authorship disputes alone will not normally result in retraction when the scientific findings remain reliable and the matter can be resolved through an appropriate authorship correction or institutional process.
9. Retraction Process
When retraction is being considered, OVJ will assess the available evidence and, where appropriate, seek explanations from the authors and relevant institutions or authorities.
The final decision to retract an article rests with the journal's editorial authority.
Authors will normally be given an opportunity to respond to the concerns before a final decision is made. However, lack of response or disagreement by one or more authors does not prevent OVJ from retracting an article when the available evidence justifies retraction.
The journal will publish a retraction notice that:
clearly identifies the retracted article;
states the reason or reasons for retraction;
identifies the party or parties initiating the retraction where appropriate;
distinguishes between honest error and misconduct where the evidence permits;
is linked electronically to the original article; and
is freely accessible to readers.
10. Treatment of the Retracted Article
Retracted articles will normally remain accessible as part of the historical scholarly record.
The original article will be clearly identified as RETRACTED, including an appropriate watermark or prominent notice on the article's PDF and online versions where technically feasible.
The retraction notice will be prominently linked to the original article, and the article metadata will indicate its retracted status.
The original article will not normally be deleted or replaced solely because it has been retracted.
Content may be removed from the public record only in exceptional circumstances, such as when required by applicable law or where continued public access would create a serious and demonstrable legal or safety risk. In such cases, the article's bibliographic metadata and information about the editorial action will be retained to the extent legally possible.
11. Dating and Version Control
Correction, Expression of Concern, addendum, and retraction notices will be dated and clearly identified.
Where an online article is corrected, OVJ will maintain an appropriate record of the correction and clearly indicate that the article has been updated.
Where technically feasible, previous versions will be retained or otherwise documented to preserve transparency and the publication history.
Changes must not be made in a manner that conceals the fact that substantive modifications were made after publication.
12. Corrections to Metadata and Indexing Information
OVJ will make reasonable efforts to ensure that corrections and retractions are reflected in the article metadata and communicated to relevant indexing and abstracting services when appropriate.
Where applicable, updated metadata will clearly indicate the article's corrected or retracted status.
This is particularly important for maintaining consistency between the journal's website, article files, XML/JATS metadata, DOI records, and external databases.
13. Retraction Does Not Erase the Scholarly Record
Retraction does not necessarily mean that every aspect of a publication is invalid.
A retraction indicates that the article, or a substantial part of it, should no longer be relied upon as part of the trustworthy scientific literature.
The retraction notice should therefore provide sufficient information for readers to understand why the article has been retracted and, where appropriate, whether specific parts of the work remain reliable.
14. Post-Publication Changes Requested by Authors
Authors may request correction of an article after publication by contacting the editorial office and providing:
the article title and DOI;
a detailed description of the error;
the proposed correction;
an explanation of whether the error affects the interpretation or conclusions; and
supporting documentation where appropriate.
Requests will be assessed independently by the editorial team.
Publication of a correction is an editorial decision and is not automatic upon request by an author.
15. Ethical and Research Misconduct Concerns
Where a post-publication concern involves suspected plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, image manipulation, unethical research, undisclosed conflicts of interest, duplicate publication, peer-review manipulation, or other research misconduct, OVJ will handle the matter in accordance with its Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Policy.
The journal may involve the authors' institution or other appropriate authority when necessary.
16. No Fees for Post-Publication Notices
Authors will not be charged for the publication of corrections, corrigenda, errata, addenda, Expressions of Concern, or retraction notices.
Editorial decisions concerning corrections or retractions are independent of the author's ability or willingness to pay publication fees.
17. Editorial Independence
Post-publication decisions are made independently of commercial considerations, including article processing charges, advertising, sponsorship, institutional affiliation, or the potential effect of an editorial action on the journal's reputation or metrics.
No author, editor, reviewer, publisher, sponsor, or other party may prevent OVJ from taking an appropriate action necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.
18. Commitment to the Integrity of the Scholarly Record
OVJ is committed to correcting the scientific record whenever credible evidence demonstrates that a published article requires correction, clarification, an Expression of Concern, or retraction.
The journal seeks to ensure that post-publication actions are:
evidence-based;
transparent;
proportionate;
timely;
editorially independent; and
consistent with recognized publication-ethics principles.
The primary consideration in all such decisions is the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of the scholarly record.
