Retraction and Correction Policy

Pakungwati Law Review

Retraction and Correction Policy

Transparent and proportionate measures for correcting errors, addressing unreliable publications, and preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.

Policy Purpose

Pakungwati Law Review (PLR) is committed to maintaining an accurate, complete, and trustworthy scholarly record. When a material error, ethical problem, or concern about the reliability of published content is identified, the journal will investigate and take appropriate corrective action.

Actions are determined by the nature, seriousness, scope, and effect of the problem. PLR distinguishes honest error from research or publication misconduct and aims to act fairly, confidentially, promptly, and proportionately.

Available Editorial Actions

PLR may issue one or more of the following notices or actions:

Published Article

Correction

Used when an error or omission affects the accuracy, clarity, interpretation, attribution, author information, or metadata of an article but does not invalidate its central findings or overall reliability.

Published Article

Retraction

Used when findings or substantial content are unreliable, seriously unethical, unlawfully published, plagiarized, redundant, fabricated, falsified, or otherwise unsuitable to remain part of the reliable literature without a clear warning.

Pending Inquiry

Expression of Concern

Used when serious concerns exist but the evidence is inconclusive, an investigation is incomplete or delayed, relevant parties are unresponsive, or a final determination cannot yet be made.

Exceptional Measure

Article Removal

Reserved for exceptional cases involving a binding legal requirement, defamatory or unlawful content, serious privacy violation, or an immediate and substantial threat to health, safety, or security.

Withdrawal Before Publication

Before publication, an author may request withdrawal by providing a clear reason and written agreement from all authors. PLR may also withdraw an accepted manuscript if serious ethical, legal, authorship, originality, or reliability concerns arise. Once an article has been formally published, concerns are handled through correction, retraction, expression of concern, or removal rather than ordinary withdrawal.

Grounds for Correction or Retraction

Action Illustrative Grounds
Correction A factual, analytical, typographical, attribution, authorship, citation, data-presentation, or metadata error that is material but limited and does not invalidate the article as a whole.
Retraction Unreliable findings caused by major error, fabrication, falsification, serious methodological defect, plagiarism, unauthorized use of data, duplicate publication, unethical research, manipulated review, invalid authorship, or other serious breach.
Expression of Concern Credible evidence of a potentially serious problem when an investigation has not reached a reliable conclusion or cannot be completed promptly.
Removal A court or competent authority requires removal, or continued availability would create a serious legal, privacy, safety, or security risk that cannot be addressed by a notice alone.

Assessment Procedure

Concerns may be raised by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions, rights holders, or other credible sources.

1
Receipt and Documentation
The editor records the concern and requests sufficient evidence, including the article citation, description of the problem, and relevant supporting material.
2
Preliminary Assessment
The editor determines whether the concern is specific, credible, material, and within the journal's responsibility. Vexatious, unsupported, or irrelevant allegations may be closed with reasons.
3
Confidential Inquiry
Authors are normally informed and given an opportunity to respond. PLR may seek original data, source documents, expert advice, reviewer input, legal guidance, or information from an institution or relevant authority.
4
Independent Decision
Editors with a conflict of interest take no part. The Editor-in-Chief or an independent designated editor evaluates the evidence and selects the least severe action sufficient to protect readers and the scholarly record.
5
Publication and Notification
PLR publishes the appropriate notice, links it to the affected article, updates article metadata where necessary, and notifies authors and relevant indexing, preservation, or institutional services when appropriate.

Correction Notice

A correction clearly identifies the original article and the amended information, explains the reason, states who initiated it where relevant, receives its own publication date and persistent identifier where applicable, and is linked bidirectionally with the article.

Retraction Notice

A retraction identifies the article and reason for retraction, distinguishes honest error from misconduct where evidence permits, identifies the retracting party, remains freely accessible, and is linked prominently to every electronic version of the article.

Treatment of the Published Article

  • A corrected article remains available with a clear link to the correction notice; the date and nature of substantive changes are recorded.
  • A retracted article normally remains accessible to preserve the scholarly record but is prominently marked as retracted on the article page and the downloadable file.
  • Bibliographic metadata will be updated to reflect the article's status and communicated to relevant services where practicable.
  • When removal is legally or ethically necessary, the article file may be replaced by a notice explaining the reason for removal to the extent permitted.

Author Agreement Is Not Required

PLR will seek the authors' cooperation and consider their response, but a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or removal may proceed without unanimous author agreement when the available evidence demonstrates that action is necessary to protect readers or maintain the integrity of the publication record. Any material disagreement may be noted in the published notice.

Reporting a Concern

Send concerns to [ethics/editorial email] with the article title, DOI or URL, a clear description of the issue, and supporting evidence. Anonymous reports may be considered when they contain specific and verifiable information.

Appeals

An affected party may appeal within [30 days] by identifying a material factual error, procedural irregularity, undisclosed conflict, or significant new evidence. The appeal will be reviewed by an editor or adviser not directly responsible for the original decision whenever practicable.

Permanent and Transparent Record

All correction, retraction, expression-of-concern, and removal notices will be openly accessible, clearly labeled, dated, and linked to the affected publication. PLR does not silently alter or erase the scholarly record except where limited technical or legal action is essential.