Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

Maintaining an Accurate Publication Record

JMS may amend the scholarly record when a published article contains an error, when significant questions remain unresolved, or when findings can no longer be relied upon. Editorial notices are selected according to the nature and seriousness of the issue, without assuming that every honest mistake constitutes misconduct.

Corrections

A correction is appropriate when an error affects information requiring public clarification but the main results and conclusions remain trustworthy. Examples include an incorrect affiliation, omitted contribution statement, inaccurate caption, or a reporting error whose implications can be identified and corrected. Author-list changes require particular care and documented agreement.

Expressions of Concern

An expression of concern may be issued when there are substantial unresolved doubts and an investigation cannot be completed promptly. It is a notice of uncertainty, not a final finding of wrongdoing.

Retractions

A retraction may be necessary when findings are fundamentally unreliable, there is serious misconduct, publication is substantially redundant, required rights or ethical conditions have been violated, or the evidence cannot support the published record. The original article generally remains accessible with a conspicuous retraction notice and an appropriate bibliographic connection.

Procedure and Transparency

The Editorial Office reviews the concern, gathers supporting material, gives relevant parties a fair opportunity to respond, and consults independent expertise or institutions when needed. Notices should state the affected article, reason for action, issuing party, date, and DOI or stable link. JMS updates article landing pages, downloadable files when appropriate, and Crossref/indexing metadata to connect notices with the original article. The journal keeps a confidential record of its decision-making process and does not erase evidence solely to conceal an error.

Allegations or requests can be raised through the official Complaints and Appeals channel. Material concerns follow the Publication Ethics process.