Retractions Policy

Retractions Policy

Al-Turath Al-Adabi is committed to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and reliability of the scholarly record. In accordance with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and international best practices in scholarly publishing, the journal may retract published articles when there is clear evidence that the findings or publication record are unreliable or ethically compromised.

Grounds for Retraction

An article may be retracted for, but not limited to, the following reasons:

  1. Evidence of plagiarism, duplicate publication, or redundant publication.
  2. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data, images, or research findings.
  3. Major errors that significantly affect the validity or reliability of the research.
  4. Unethical research practices or violations of publication ethics.
  5. Undisclosed conflicts of interest that substantially affect the interpretation of the work.
  6. Authorship disputes or proven cases of unauthorised authorship.
  7. Any form of research misconduct identified before or after publication.

Retraction Procedure

  1. Allegations may be raised by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions, or other stakeholders.
  2. The Editorial Board will conduct a fair and confidential investigation in accordance with the journal’s ethical policies and COPE guidelines.
  3. Authors will be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations and provide supporting evidence.
  4. Where necessary, the journal may consult the authors’ affiliated institutions or relevant authorities.
  5. A final decision regarding retraction shall be made by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Editorial Board.

Retraction Notice

If an article is retracted:

  • A formal retraction notice will be published and linked to the original article.
  • The notice will clearly state the reason(s) for the retraction.
  • The original article will remain accessible as part of the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as "Retracted".
  • The journal will ensure transparency while maintaining fairness to all parties involved.

Corrections and Expressions of Concern

Where concerns do not warrant a full retraction, the journal may publish the following:

  • A correction (erratum or corrigendum) for minor or major errors.
  • An expression of concern when an investigation is ongoing but conclusive evidence is not yet available.

Author-Initiated Retractions

Authors may request the retraction of their published articles when they identify serious errors or ethical concerns. Such requests will be evaluated according to the same standards and procedures applied to all retraction cases.

Editorial Independence

Retraction decisions are based solely on scholarly integrity, ethical considerations, and the reliability of the published record. Financial considerations, sponsorship, institutional interests, or commercial factors shall not influence retraction decisions.

Al-Turath Al-Adabi remains committed to preserving the integrity of academic publishing and ensuring that the scholarly record remains accurate, transparent, and trustworthy.