Retraction and Correction Policy

Muthanna Journal of Engineering and Technology (MJET) retraction and correction policy is based on the guidelines and standards developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Retractions:
Retractions are used to remove a published paper from the scientific record. It should not be done lightly and can only occur under extraordinary circumstances. The retraction may be initiated by the editors of a journal, or by the author(s) of the papers (or their institution).

Retraction by an editor will be issued upon several conditions:
1- severe plagiarism (severe will be determined by the Editor and verified by plagiarism checking software)
2- Data recycling in a purportedly original research article
3- Double publications
4- Data fabrication
5- Faulty or unreliable findings, and other harmful practices.

In this case, a retraction notice will be published. This notice will include the title and author\s of the article, the reason for the retraction, and who is retracting the article. It will be published online with a link to the online version of the article and included in the table of contents of that issue. Before publishing the notice of retraction, the authors should send a signed statement to the editorial office.

Corrections:
Corrections could be made in the published paper article if it seriously affects the results. Corrections are published in subsequent issues under Corrections and Addendum.

MJET should consider issuing a correction if:

1- Only a small portion of an otherwise reliable publication reports flawed data or proves to be misleading, in a way that does not severely affect any findings.
2- The Author or Contributor list is incorrect.
3- A Correction rather than a Retraction would better serve the scientific community.

Corrections to peer-reviewed content fall into one of three categories:

  • An Erratum (Publisher correction): to notify readers of a critical error made by publishing/journal staff (usually a production error) that negatively impacts the publication record, the scientific integrity of the article, or the reputation of the Authors or the journal.
  • Corrigendum (Author correction): to notify readers of an important error made by the Authors, that negatively impacts the publication record or the scientific integrity of the article, or the reputation of the Authors or the journal.
  • Addendum: an addition to the article by its Authors to explain inconsistencies, to expand the existing work, or otherwise explain or update the information in the main\work.

The decision of whether a correction should be issued is made by the Editor(s) of a journal, sometimes with advice from Reviewers or Editorial Board members. Handling Editors will contact the Authors of the paper concerned with a request for clarification, but the final decision about whether a correction is required and which type rests with the Editors.