Corrections & Retractions

1. The version of record

The article published online is final and complete. In common with other publishers, IJKR does not amend it in place, because doing so would leave two different versions in circulation with the same DOI and no record of the difference.

Typographical corrections to author names, affiliations, the article title, the abstract, or the keywords are the only changes that can be made to the online file itself, and even then an accompanying notice is published so the difference is documented.

Requests to change a published article go to editor@ijkr.org from the corresponding author, quoting the DOI and describing the specific error and its effect on the conclusions. Changes that do not materially affect a reader's understanding — a spelling slip, a grammatical error, a formatting inconsistency — are not corrected.

2. Which notice applies

Every notice is linked bidirectionally with the original article, carries its own DOI, and is free to read.

Notice	Used when	Error made by
Erratum	An error introduced during production or publication that affects the publication record, the integrity of the paper, or the reputation of the authors or journal — including failure to apply proof corrections supplied on time.	The journal
Corrigendum	An important error made by the authors — a wrong value, a mislabelled figure, an incorrect affiliation or funding statement. All authors must sign the corrigendum before it is published.	The authors
Addendum	A peer-reviewed addition of information that does not contradict the original — for example significant material available at the time but inadvertently omitted, or a clarification requested by readers. Published rarely, and only where the editors judge it essential to understanding.	Neither — an addition
Expression of concern	A credible concern exists but the investigation is unresolved, or an institutional inquiry is ongoing and its outcome is not yet available. Replaced by a correction or retraction once the matter concludes.	Undetermined
Retraction	Findings are unreliable, whether through honest error or misconduct; the work is plagiarised, redundantly published, or based on unethical research; or authorship or peer review was falsified.	Either
Removal	Exceptional cases only: content that is defamatory, infringes legal rights, or presents a serious risk if acted upon. The metadata and a notice remain in place; only the full text is withdrawn.	n/a

Errata are not issued for typing errors unless a simple error is significant — for example an incorrect unit. A significant error in a figure or table is corrected by publishing the corrected figure or table as part of the notice; the item is republished only where the editor considers it necessary.

3. How a retraction is handled

1
Assessment
The editors assess the concern against the COPE retraction guidelines and may consult independent experts or the authors' institution.
2
Author response
All authors are informed of the specific grounds and given a reasonable period to respond. All authors are asked to agree the wording of the notice; dissent is recorded in the notice itself.
3
Publication of the notice
A retraction notice is published in the next issue, titled "Retraction: [article title]", stating who is retracting and the precise reason. It is paginated, indexed, and given its own DOI.
4
The article stays online
The original PDF and HTML remain accessible, watermarked "RETRACTED" on every page, with a link to the notice. Nothing is deleted; the record of what was published must stay complete.
5
Metadata and indexers
The Crossref record is updated with the retraction relationship, and indexing services are notified so downstream databases reflect the status.

A retraction is not a judgement of intent

Retractions correct the literature. Many arise from honest error, and the notice says so plainly where that is the case. Authors who self-report an error that invalidates their findings are credited for doing so in the notice.

4. Timelines and citation

5 working days

To acknowledge a correction request or a reported concern.

4–8 weeks

Typical time to publish a corrigendum or erratum once the facts are agreed.

No fee

Notices carry no charge to authors or readers, in either direction.

Notices are citable in their own right. Retracted work should not be cited as valid evidence; where it must be discussed, cite it with the retraction status stated explicitly — for example "[12] (retracted)". Guidance on reference format is in section 6 of the Author Guidelines.