Corrections and Retractions

Publication Ethics and Academic Integrity Policy

The journal “Psychology and Personality” strictly adheres to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and condemns any violations of scholarly integrity. Particular emphasis is placed on verifying the originality of research and preventing plagiarism.

 

Multiple Submission

Definition: Multiple submission refers to the submission of the same manuscript or substantially similar material to one or more journals simultaneously without editorial permission.

Authors are required to submit only original work that is not under consideration elsewhere (except in exceptional circumstances with written approval from the editorial office). Duplicate submissions may take various forms:

  • literal copying of text;
  • partial or substantial duplication;
  • paraphrased versions of the same research.

Consequences: Breaches of this policy result in immediate rejection of the manuscript and potential sanctions against the authors.

 

Citation Manipulation

Definition: Citation manipulation occurs when references are included primarily to inflate the citation count of an author or a particular journal.

Policy: Manuscripts found to contain citation manipulation will be rejected, and authors may face sanctions.

 

Data Fabrication and Falsification

Definitions:

Data falsification – altering or distorting research results. 

Data fabrication – creating false or non-existent research data. 

Policy: Any discovery of falsified or fabricated data, including manipulated images, will lead to immediate manuscript rejection and possible sanctions against authors.

 

Investigation and Sanctions

If misconduct or unethical behaviour is suspected, the journal will conduct an investigation in accordance with COPE guidelines:

  • Authors are contacted and given an opportunity to provide explanations.
  • Possible actions by the journal include: 
  • Rejection of the manuscript during peer review.
  • Publication of corrections, errata, or corrigenda.
  • Retraction of the article post-publication.
  • Sanctions against authors, including temporary or permanent submission restrictions.

 

Corrections

Correction: Published when a fundamental error in data or results is identified. 

Erratum: Used to correct significant errors made by the editorial office (e.g., overlooked revisions or production mistakes). 

Corrigendum: Published to correct significant errors made by the authors. 

Procedure:

Corrections may be initiated by authors, editors, or readers.

The editorial team evaluates the request and consults with the authors if necessary.

Approved corrections are published as separate documents linked to the original article, marked as “Correction.”

 

Article Retraction

Definition: Retraction is the formal withdrawal of an article due to serious ethical breaches or unreliability of the results.

Reasons for Retraction:

  • unreliable results, whether due to misconduct (e.g., fabricated data or image manipulation) or honest error;
  • duplicate publication or plagiarism;
  • false authorship;
  • compromised peer review process;
  • unethical research practices.

Procedure:

Retraction requests may be submitted by authors, editors, or third parties.

The journal conducts an investigation, consulting external experts if necessary.

The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or their deputy.

Outcomes:

The published article is watermarked “Retracted”;

The title is changed to “Retraction: [Article Title]”;

A separate retraction notice is published with its own DOI.

 

Special Cases

Mass Manipulations and “Paper Mills”: Articles may be retracted collectively if found to be part of systematic fraudulent activity. 

Undisclosed Use of AI: Hidden or undeclared use of AI systems for text, images, or data generation is considered a serious breach and may result in retraction. Authors must transparently declare all AI-assisted work. 

Authorship Falsification: Manuscripts found to contain false or coerced authorship, or the use of someone else’s personal identifiers (e.g., name, ORCID), are subject to retraction. 

 

Expression of Concern

If there are serious doubts regarding the validity of an article or potential ethical violations, but insufficient evidence exists for immediate retraction, the editorial office may issue an Expression of Concern. This notice has its own DOI, is linked to the original article, and briefly explains the reasons for its publication. It remains in place until the investigation is concluded.

 

Timeliness and Accessibility

All decisions regarding corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions are made promptly to maintain scholarly integrity.

Retracted articles remain accessible in the journal archives with a clear “Retracted” label. Complete removal is only permitted in exceptional cases required by law (e.g., data protection, copyright, court orders, or security concerns).