Note

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Errata, corrections, and retractions

When errors are found in an article after it is published, it may be necessary to publish a notice that describes and corrects the error. If the integrity of the entire article is called into doubt, or if the article is found to have violated the journal’s policies, it may even be necessary to retract the article. In both cases, the journal will publish a notice that is citable and that is bidirectionally linked to the original online version of the article. In the case where the error involves simple formatting issues or typos, it may be possible to update both the online and PDF versions of the article.

It is important to know if an article has been updated since it was first published. The official version of record of an article is considered to be the online version on the journal’s website. Any updates that might exist for an article, along with links to the corresponding notices, will be displayed prominently in the online version before the article text. To determine if updates exist from the PDF version of an article, the PDF will include a Crossmark button, which is a service provided by the non-profit organization Crossref. By clicking on this button, the reader will be directed to a separate webpage that will note if the document is current, or if any post-publication updates are available.

Errata

When an error in a previously published article is discovered, it may be possible to correct both the online and PDF versions when the error is minor. Examples of minor errors include replacing an incorrect image with the correct version, replacing a low resolution version of a figure with a higher resolution version, fixing typos in a mathematical equation, fixing incorrect numerical data in a table, and fixing the numbering of equations, figures and tables. For these cases, the journal will publish a separate Erratum that describes and corrects the error, and that will mention whether the article’s online and PDF versions were updated or not. Depending on the nature of the error, the author of the Erratum will be either the authors of the original article or the publisher. For technical reasons, when the online version of record is modified, it may not always be possible to generate an updated PDF version of the article.

Corrections

When a significant error is discovered that affects certain aspects of an article, the author may publish a correction. Corrections address flaws in the methodology, flaws in the data analysis procedures, or any other errors that were found to have a significant impact on the material presented in the original publication. There is no limit on the length of a correction, but corrections should in general be short and succinct. Depending on the extent of the correction, the correction may be peer reviewed.

Retractions

When irreparable flaws are discovered in an article that call into question the integrity of the work as a whole, when the article was found to have violated any of the journal’s policies, or when there is evidence for scientific misconduct, the article may be retracted. As a general rule, the authors should opt to write a correction instead of a retraction whenever it is possible. If the retraction request is initiated by the authors, all authors must agree to the retraction. If the retraction request is not unanimous among the authors, the editor-in-chief will decide if the retraction request is warranted. If the editorial board is made aware that a previously published article might violate journal policies, the authors of the article will be contacted and asked to respond. Failure to respond could result in the article being retracted.

When an article is retracted, a separate notice will be published either by the authors or the publisher that states the reason for the retraction. Both the online and PDF versions of the article will be replaced with a copy of the statement in the retraction notice. Though the content of the article will be removed from the journal’s website, the journal will retain a copy of the original article in their internal records. If the authors can not be contacted, or if they are known to be deceased, the editors may decide to instead publish an editorial expression of concern.