Corrections, Retractions & Post-Publication Updates
Corrections, Retractions & Post-Publication Updates
Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and Future Research (BAFR) is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent, and reliable scholarly record. When a published article requires correction, clarification, retraction, removal, or another formal update, the journal acts proportionately and preserves a transparent record of the change.
The Published Record Is Not Silently Rewritten
Once an article has been formally published as the Version of Record, editorially significant changes are not made silently. Where a change affects the interpretation, reliability, attribution, citation, or status of the work, BAFR will normally issue a clearly identified post-publication notice and link it to the affected article.
The purpose of post-publication action is to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record rather than to punish authors.
Types of Post-Publication Action
Typographical and Formatting Corrections
Minor spelling, typographical, formatting, or presentation errors that do not affect the meaning, interpretation, attribution, metadata integrity, results, conclusions, or citation of an article may be corrected without issuing a separate formal correction notice.
Such minor amendments must not be used to introduce new results, alter the scientific interpretation of the article, change authorship improperly, or conceal substantive errors.
Formal Correction
A formal correction may be issued when an error affects part of the publication but does not invalidate the article's principal findings, conclusions, or overall reliability.
Examples may include material errors in data presentation, analysis, figures, tables, author information, attribution, methodology descriptions, or other elements that require readers to be formally informed.
The correction notice should identify the original article, describe what has been corrected, explain any effect on the interpretation or conclusions, and remain permanently linked to the Version of Record.
Addendum and Clarification
An addendum or clarification may be published when relevant information needs to be added or clarified after publication but the original work remains valid. Such notices should not be used to introduce substantially new research that would more appropriately require a separate publication.
Expression of Concern
BAFR may publish an Expression of Concern when credible and potentially serious concerns have been raised about a publication, but sufficient evidence is not yet available to justify a correction or retraction.
An Expression of Concern may also be appropriate while an institutional, editorial, legal, or research-integrity investigation is ongoing, particularly when the outcome may affect the reliability or status of the publication.
The notice will be reassessed when additional evidence becomes available and may subsequently be replaced or supplemented by a correction, retraction, or statement resolving the concern.
Retraction
Retraction may be appropriate when there is clear evidence that a publication is no longer sufficiently reliable or should not continue to be treated as part of the reliable scholarly record.
A retraction decision is based on the reliability and integrity of the publication. It is not intended primarily as a disciplinary sanction against authors.
Retraction Notice
A retraction notice will normally be publicly accessible and directly linked to the affected article. The notice should clearly identify the article, explain the basis for the retraction, identify who is issuing the retraction, and distinguish established facts from matters that remain disputed or unproven.
Where the actions or findings concern only certain authors or specific aspects of the publication, this may be stated where supported by reliable evidence.
Treatment of Retracted Articles
A retracted article will normally remain accessible as part of the scholarly record rather than being silently deleted.
The landing page and available article files should be clearly marked to indicate the retracted status, and the article should be linked prominently to the retraction notice.
Relevant metadata and persistent-identifier records should be updated so that external services and readers can identify the current status of the work.
Removal of Published Content
Complete removal of published content is reserved for exceptional circumstances in which continued public availability would create a compelling legal, privacy, personal-safety, public-safety, or similarly serious risk.
Where content must be removed, BAFR will normally preserve the bibliographic record and display a notice explaining, to the extent legally and ethically possible, why the content is no longer available.
Author-Initiated Withdrawal Before Publication
Authors who wish to withdraw a manuscript before formal publication should submit a written request to the Editorial Office explaining the reason for withdrawal. The request should normally be made by the corresponding author with the knowledge of all listed authors.
A withdrawal request does not automatically terminate an ongoing research-integrity inquiry. Where credible concerns regarding duplicate submission, plagiarism, authorship, data integrity, ethical compliance, peer-review manipulation, or other misconduct have arisen, the journal may continue the appropriate inquiry even if the manuscript is withdrawn.
Once an article has been formally published as the Version of Record, concerns about the article are handled through the post-publication procedures described in this policy rather than through ordinary manuscript withdrawal.
Post-Publication Withdrawal
The term withdrawal may be used as a formal publication-status update in exceptional cases, for example where content was released in error or should not have entered the formal publication record. Any such action will be documented transparently and will not be used as a substitute for correction or retraction where those actions more accurately describe the status of the work.
Authorship and Metadata Corrections
Requests to add, remove, reorder, or otherwise materially change authorship after publication require appropriate justification and evidence. The journal may request written agreement from affected authors and, where necessary, information from relevant institutions.
Changes to author identifiers, affiliations, names, or other metadata will be evaluated according to whether they alter attribution or the integrity of the publication record and may require a formal correction notice.
Assessment of Post-Publication Concerns
Crossmark and Update Metadata
BAFR uses Crossmark to support transparent communication of the current status of published content. Crossmark allows readers to determine whether a publication has been subject to a registered correction, retraction, withdrawal, or other significant update.
Editorially significant updates should be registered in the relevant metadata systems and linked to the affected publication. Where a separate correction, retraction, or other update notice is issued, the notice should receive its own persistent identifier where appropriate and identify the work that it updates.
Minor spelling or formatting changes that do not affect the interpretation or crediting of the work are not treated as substantive Crossmark status updates.
Post-Publication Transparency
Author Disagreement and Appeals
Authors may submit a reasoned request for reconsideration of a correction, retraction, or other post-publication decision and provide relevant evidence for review.
Author disagreement does not prevent the journal from taking necessary action when the available evidence supports an urgent correction of the scholarly record.
Reporting a Concern
Readers, authors, reviewers, institutions, and other members of the scholarly community may notify BAFR of substantive errors, methodological concerns, publication-integrity issues, ethical concerns, or other matters affecting published content.
Reports should identify the relevant article and describe the concern as specifically as possible, including supporting evidence or documentation where available. Good-faith concerns will be assessed on their substance rather than on the status or affiliation of the person raising them.
Policy Alignment
This policy should be read together with BAFR's Publication Ethics Statement, Peer Review Process, Archiving and Digital Preservation Policy, Copyright Notice, and policies concerning research misconduct and complaints.
Correct the Record, Preserve the Record
BAFR addresses post-publication concerns proportionately and transparently. Corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, withdrawals, removals, and other significant updates are used when necessary to ensure that readers can determine the current and reliable status of the published scholarly record.