Post-Publication and Accountability Policy

 

Corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, withdrawals, discussion, complaints and appeals

AJIST is committed to protecting the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record after publication. Concerns about published material are considered fairly, proportionately, and with appropriate confidentiality. Where relevant, the journal refers to guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Correction Policy

AJIST may publish a correction when an error affects the accuracy, interpretation, attribution, or integrity of an article but does not invalidate the work as a whole. A formal correction should identify the affected article, explain what has changed, and remain linked to the published Version of Record.

Minor typographical, formatting, or production errors that do not affect meaning or the scholarly record may be corrected without a formal notice when appropriate. Material errors should not be hidden through silent alteration.

2. Retraction Policy

AJIST may retract a published article when the findings are unreliable because of a major error or research misconduct, or when serious issues such as plagiarism, duplicate or redundant publication, fabricated or falsified data, major ethical non-compliance, manipulated peer review, copyright infringement, or another matter materially undermines the integrity of the article.

A retraction notice should explain the reason for the action and, where appropriate, identify who initiated it. The original article will normally remain in the scholarly record and be clearly marked as retracted. Complete removal is reserved for compelling legal, privacy, or safety reasons.

3. Expressions of Concern

AJIST may issue an Expression of Concern when substantial questions about the integrity or reliability of a published article remain unresolved and an investigation is incomplete, inconclusive, delayed, or dependent on information from an institution, funder, ethics body, or another responsible organisation. The notice should remain linked to the article and be updated when the matter is resolved.

4. Article Withdrawal

Withdrawal may be considered for an accepted article or material posted online before final publication when serious errors, duplicate publication, legal concerns, or ethical violations make continued publication inappropriate. The action should be documented transparently. If a public record already exists, AJIST should retain an explanatory notice rather than remove the record without explanation, except when legal, privacy, or safety considerations require otherwise.

5. Article Replacement

Article replacement is exceptional. If a published article contains serious flaws but a corrected version is necessary to protect readers or the scholarly record, AJIST may retract the original and publish a corrected replacement. The replacement and the retraction notice should be linked so that the publication history remains transparent.

6. Post-Publication Discussion

AJIST welcomes reasoned scholarly discussion about published articles. Readers and authors may send comments, letters, clarifications, or concerns to the editorial office. Where appropriate, the authors of the original article may be invited to respond. Correspondence may be published when it adds meaningfully to the scholarly record and satisfies the journal's editorial and ethical standards.

7. Complaints and Appeals

Complaints and appeals should be submitted in writing to the editorial office and should identify the relevant manuscript or article, describe the issue, explain the grounds for the complaint or appeal, and provide supporting information. AJIST considers complaints and appeals fairly and without unnecessary delay.

An appeal against an editorial decision should identify a material error in the review or decision process. An appeal does not guarantee reconsideration, acceptance, or publication. If a complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief or another editor directly involved in the matter, it should be handled by an independent senior editor or publisher representative who was not involved in the original decision. The Editorial Team page provides the journal's current editorial governance information.

8. Research Misconduct and Institutional Cooperation

When a post-publication concern indicates possible research or publication misconduct, AJIST may seek explanations or supporting records, consult independent experts, review relevant editorial and peer-review records, apply appropriate COPE guidance, or contact an institution, employer, funder, ethics body, or other responsible organisation when necessary.

Possible outcomes include no further action, a correction, an Expression of Concern, retraction, withdrawal, or another proportionate notice needed to protect the scholarly record. Related ethical requirements are described in the Publication Ethics & Publication Malpractice Statement.

9. Transparency and Record Keeping

Post-publication notices should be clearly identified, dated, and linked to the affected article whenever technically possible. AJIST seeks to preserve the publication history and avoid changes that could mislead readers about what was originally published or why later action was taken.

10. Contact

Centre for Research and Innovation (CRI)
9/865, Maruthi Nagar, Rakkipalayam Post,
Coimbatore - 641031, Tamil Nadu, India.
Email: editorial@crijournals.org