Medical and Pharmaceutical Health Research Journal (MPHRJ) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record.
The journal recognizes that errors, ethical concerns, or questions about the reliability of published research may arise after publication. All concerns will be assessed fairly and consistently, with the primary objective of ensuring that the published record accurately reflects the available evidence.
Depending on the nature and seriousness of the issue, the journal may publish a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction. Editorial action will be proportionate to the evidence and consistent with applicable publication ethics standards.
Authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions, and other interested parties may notify the journal of a potential error or concern regarding a published article.
Reports should identify the article, preferably by title, DOI, or publication URL, describe the concern clearly, and provide relevant supporting information where available.
Concerns may relate to factual or methodological errors, inaccurate data, authorship disputes, plagiarism, duplicate publication, research ethics, undisclosed conflicts of interest, image manipulation, or suspected fabrication or falsification of research findings.
The journal will assess reports in good faith and will not dismiss a concern solely because it is raised by an anonymous source. The availability and reliability of supporting evidence will be considered.
Upon receiving a credible concern, the journal will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether further investigation is warranted.
The journal may contact the corresponding author, other authors, the relevant institution, a research ethics committee, the original funder, or another appropriate authority, depending on the nature of the concern.
Authors may be asked to provide original data, research records, ethics approval documentation, study protocols, image files, or other relevant evidence.
The journal will consider the explanations and evidence available from relevant parties before deciding on an appropriate editorial response. Where necessary, the journal may seek independent expert advice.
The journal's assessment will be conducted as confidentially as practicable, subject to applicable legal, ethical, and procedural requirements. The journal will avoid making public allegations of misconduct that have not been adequately substantiated.
A correction may be issued when a specific error in a published article can be rectified without invalidating the overall findings or conclusions.
Examples may include errors in author names, affiliations, funding information, references, tables, figures, or factual details that do not undermine the central reliability of the work.
The journal will evaluate the significance of the error and determine whether a formal correction notice is required.
A correction notice will identify the affected article, describe the error, provide the corrected information, and explain the nature of the correction. The notice will be linked to the original article whenever technically possible.
Corrections will be dated and made accessible to readers. The journal will preserve a transparent record of the change and will not silently alter material errors in a published article.
Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect the meaning or interpretation of an article may be corrected without a separate notice, provided the change does not compromise the transparency of the scholarly record.
A retraction may be issued when the reliability or integrity of a published article is substantially compromised.
Reasons for retraction may include, but are not limited to:
Confirmed fabrication or falsification of data or research findings.
Plagiarism or substantial unattributed reuse of published work.
Duplicate publication that materially misrepresents the originality of the article.
Serious errors in data, methods, or analysis that invalidate the principal findings or conclusions.
Research conducted or reported in serious violation of applicable ethical requirements.
Evidence that the publication process was manipulated in a way that compromises the validity or integrity of the article.
Other circumstances in which retraction is necessary to correct the scholarly record.
A retraction is not intended to punish authors or resolve legitimate scientific disagreements. The decision will be based on the reliability of the published work, the evidence available, and the seriousness of the concern.
Where possible, the journal will seek an explanation from the authors before making a decision. However, the journal may proceed with appropriate editorial action when authors cannot be contacted, do not respond, or when the available evidence justifies action without further delay.
A retraction notice will clearly identify the retracted article and explain the reason for the retraction in sufficient detail to inform readers.
The notice will be dated, linked to the original article, and clearly distinguishable from the article itself. Where technically possible, the article will remain accessible to preserve the scholarly record but will be prominently marked as retracted.
The journal will not remove a retracted article from the public record solely to avoid reputational consequences. Removal may be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as legal requirements or serious risks associated with the disclosure of sensitive information. Any such action should be documented as transparently as permitted.
The journal will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the article's status is clearly displayed on its webpage and communicated to relevant indexing, abstracting, and archiving services when applicable.
An expression of concern may be published when a credible issue has been identified but the available evidence is insufficient to determine whether correction or retraction is warranted.
This may occur when an investigation is ongoing, essential information cannot yet be verified, or a relevant institution or authority has not completed its assessment.
The notice will identify the article, explain the general nature of the concern, and provide relevant information about the status of the assessment where appropriate.
An expression of concern does not itself establish that misconduct has occurred. The journal will review the situation as additional evidence becomes available and will determine whether a correction, retraction, or other action is required.
Questions about authorship, contributor recognition, or the order of authors will be assessed separately from questions about the scientific reliability of the article.
The journal may request written statements from the authors and may seek guidance from the relevant institution when a dispute cannot be resolved through the journal's editorial process.
The journal will not make unsupported determinations about institutional employment, research contribution, or misconduct. If the dispute affects the integrity or attribution of the published record, appropriate action will be considered based on the available evidence.
Authors or other relevant parties may request reconsideration of an editorial action by providing a reasoned explanation and supporting evidence.
Where practicable, the request will be assessed by an editor or designated representative who was not directly responsible for the original decision.
The journal may uphold the original action, modify the proposed response, seek additional independent advice, or reopen the assessment if material new evidence is provided.
An appeal does not automatically suspend a correction, expression of concern, or retraction when prompt action is necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.
Decisions concerning corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions must be based on the evidence and the need to maintain an accurate scholarly record.
Editors and other individuals involved in an investigation must disclose relevant conflicts of interest. When a conflict could compromise impartiality, an independent editor or qualified representative should oversee the assessment.
An author's seniority, institutional affiliation, funding source, or position on the editorial board must not determine the outcome.
The journal will maintain appropriate records of reported concerns, relevant correspondence, supporting documentation, and editorial decisions, subject to applicable confidentiality, privacy, and legal requirements.
Published correction, expression-of-concern, and retraction notices will be retained as part of the scholarly record.
The journal will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the current status of an affected article is clear to readers and that changes to the publication record are documented and traceable.
The journal will review this policy periodically to ensure that its procedures remain consistent with recognized publication ethics principles and the journal's operational capabilities.
All decisions will aim to protect readers, authors, research participants, and the integrity of the scholarly record.
