Retraction Policy

Journal of SPHERES, published by Synergy Publication, is committed to maintaining the integrity, reliability, transparency, and accuracy of the scholarly record. Retractions are issued when published articles contain serious errors, ethical violations, or other issues that invalidate the research findings or significantly undermine confidence in the published work.

This policy follows the COPE Retraction Guidelines and internationally accepted standards of responsible academic publishing.

Grounds for Retraction

An article published in Journal of SPHERES may be retracted if, after publication, it is found to involve one or more of the following:

  • Plagiarism or substantial unattributed overlap with previously published work.
  • Duplicate, redundant, or inappropriate multiple publication.
  • Fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or misrepresentation of data, evidence, sources, or research findings.
  • Serious methodological, analytical, or interpretative errors that invalidate the conclusions of the article.
  • Unethical research practices, including failure to obtain required ethical approval, informed consent, or appropriate permissions.
  • Misuse or misrepresentation of historical sources, archival materials, cultural resources, community knowledge, or research participants' information.
  • Authorship manipulation, inappropriate attribution, or undisclosed conflicts of interest.
  • Undisclosed and substantial use of artificial intelligence tools that compromises originality, accuracy, or research integrity.
  • Any other serious form of academic or publication misconduct that affects the reliability of the scholarly record.

Corrections (Errata and Corrigenda)

Minor errors that do not affect the validity, interpretation, or conclusions of the research may be corrected through an erratum or corrigendum.

All corrections are clearly identified, permanently linked to the original article, and made available to readers to maintain transparency and accuracy of the scholarly record.

Expressions of Concern

In situations where substantial concerns are raised but sufficient evidence for retraction is not yet available, JSPHERES may issue an Expression of Concern.

The notice will be clearly linked to the original article and will remain associated with the publication until the investigation is completed and a final editorial decision is reached.

Retraction Process

  1. Initiation: A retraction process may be initiated by the editors, publisher, reviewers, readers, authors, research institutions, funding organizations, or other relevant stakeholders who identify potential concerns regarding a published article.
  2. Investigation: The editorial office conducts a careful and confidential investigation following the recommendations and procedures of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors are informed of the concerns and provided an opportunity to respond. Additional expert opinions may be sought where necessary.
  3. Editorial Decision: Based on available evidence, author responses, and consultation with relevant editorial authorities, the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the editorial board and publisher, determines whether retraction, correction, or another action is appropriate.
  4. Retraction Notice: When retraction is approved, a formal retraction notice is published. The notice clearly identifies the article, explains the reason for retraction, and remains permanently accessible.

Post-Retraction Handling

  • The retracted article remains available online to preserve the scholarly record but is clearly marked as “Retracted” in all available formats, including HTML and PDF versions.
  • The retraction notice is freely accessible and permanently linked to the original article.
  • The article metadata is updated to indicate the retraction status.
  • Relevant indexing, abstracting, DOI, and scholarly communication services may be notified where appropriate.

Author Responsibility and Institutional Notification

In cases involving serious, intentional, or repeated academic misconduct:

  • The author's affiliated institution, research organization, funding agency, or relevant authority may be informed.
  • Additional editorial actions or submission restrictions may be imposed in accordance with COPE recommendations and the journal's ethical policies.

Policy Transparency and Revisions

This Retraction Policy forms part of the Journal of SPHERES Publication Ethics framework and applies to all articles published in the journal.

The policy is periodically reviewed and may be updated to reflect developments in international publishing ethics standards, technological changes, and best practices in scholarly communication.