Retraction policy

Retraction policy

The JTRSS is committed to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and reliability of the scholarly record. Articles published in JTRSS may be retracted when there is clear and substantial evidence that the publication contains serious errors, research misconduct, ethical violations, or other circumstances that compromise the validity or integrity of the scholarly record.

JTRSS follows established international principles of publication ethics, including the guidance and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Grounds for Retraction

An article may be considered for retraction when, but not limited to, the following circumstances are established:

  • There is clear evidence that the findings or conclusions are substantially unreliable due to major errors in the research, methodology, data analysis, or reporting.
  • The article contains fabricated or falsified data, results, images, or other research materials.
  • There is evidence of plagiarism, substantial duplicate publication, or inappropriate text or data reuse.
  • The article has been published elsewhere without appropriate disclosure or justification.
  • There are serious violations of research ethics, including research involving human participants or animals without the required ethical approval or informed consent, where applicable.
  • There are serious authorship or contributorship issues that materially affect the integrity of the publication.
  • There is evidence of undisclosed conflicts of interest that have materially affected the interpretation or credibility of the research.
  • The article contains manipulated or misleading information that significantly compromises the scholarly record.
  • The article was published as a result of a significant editorial or peer-review process failure that materially affects its reliability.
  • Other circumstances are identified that seriously undermine the integrity, credibility, or reliability of the published work.

2. Retraction Initiated by Authors

Authors may request the retraction of their article by submitting a formal written request to the Editor-in-Chief, stating the reason(s) for the proposed retraction.

An author request does not automatically result in retraction. The Editor-in-Chief and/or Editorial Board will assess the circumstances and determine the appropriate action. Where necessary, JTRSS may conduct further investigation or request supporting information before making a decision.

If research misconduct or unethical conduct is suspected, the journal may proceed with an investigation regardless of whether the authors request retraction.

3. Retraction Initiated by the Journal

JTRSS may initiate a retraction when credible evidence indicates that an article meets one or more of the grounds for retraction.

The Editor-in-Chief may consult the Editorial Board, reviewers, authors, institutional representatives, or other relevant parties as appropriate. Where allegations concern research misconduct, the journal may request that the authors' institution or relevant authority conduct an investigation.

The journal will make decisions independently and based on the available evidence, while providing authors with an appropriate opportunity to respond to concerns.

4. Retraction Notice

When an article is retracted, JTRSS will publish a Retraction Notice that:

  • Clearly identifies the retracted article, including its title, authors, publication details, and DOI.
  • States the reason(s) for the retraction as clearly and transparently as possible.
  • Identifies whether the retraction was initiated by the authors, the journal, or another relevant party.
  • Provides sufficient information to distinguish the retraction from a correction or editorial update.
  • Remains permanently accessible and linked to the original article.

The retraction notice will be published as a separate, identifiable publication and will be indexed where applicable.

5. Treatment of the Original Article

The original article will normally remain accessible to preserve the integrity and transparency of the scholarly record. However, it will be clearly marked as “RETRACTED” on the article's online version and PDF.

The original article will not normally be removed or deleted unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as legal requirements, serious risks to public safety, or other circumstances that justify removal. Where removal is necessary, sufficient bibliographic information and an explanation of the retraction will be retained.

6. Retraction Does Not Imply Author Misconduct in All Cases

Retraction does not necessarily imply that the authors acted fraudulently or intentionally engaged in misconduct. An article may be retracted because of honest errors, methodological problems, or other circumstances that substantially affect the reliability of the published findings.

Where misconduct has been established, the retraction notice will describe the basis for the decision in an objective and evidence-based manner.

7. Correction Instead of Retraction

Where an article contains an error that does not invalidate its principal findings, conclusions, or overall scholarly contribution, JTRSS may publish a Correction, Corrigendum, or Erratum rather than retracting the article.

Retraction will generally be reserved for cases in which the reliability or integrity of the published record has been substantially compromised.

8. Appeals

Authors may appeal a retraction decision by submitting a written appeal to the Editor-in-Chief within a reasonable period after notification of the decision. The appeal must provide substantive reasons and, where applicable, new evidence that was not considered during the initial assessment.

The Editor-in-Chief may seek advice from the Editorial Board or independent experts when reviewing an appeal. The decision following the appeal will normally be considered final.

9. Editorial Responsibility

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for ensuring that retraction decisions are handled fairly, consistently, transparently, and in accordance with accepted publication-ethics principles.

JTRSS will seek to protect the integrity of the scholarly record while respecting the rights of authors, readers, reviewers, and other stakeholders.

10. Record of Retraction

All retracted articles and their associated retraction notices will remain part of the journal's permanent publication record. Retraction information will be clearly displayed and linked to the original article to ensure transparency for readers, researchers, indexing services, and other users of the scholarly literature.