Spectrum of Mechanical Engineering and Operational Research (SMEOR) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and completeness of the scholarly record. Published articles form part of the permanent scientific record, and post-publication changes will therefore be made transparently and only where necessary.
A Correction may be published when an error or omission identified after publication materially affects the accuracy, interpretation, clarity, metadata, or integrity of an article but does not invalidate its overall findings or warrant retraction.
Corrections may address, among other matters, errors in data presentation, statistical analyses, figures, tables, equations, author or affiliation information, funding information, conflicts-of-interest disclosures, or other substantive elements of the published article.
Where a formal Correction is necessary, SMEOR will publish a separate correction notice that identifies the original article and clearly describes the nature of the error and the correction made. The notice will be freely accessible and linked to the original article. Where appropriate, the article itself may also be updated, provided that the change is transparently documented.
Minor typographical, grammatical, formatting, or production errors that do not affect the scientific meaning, interpretation, metadata, or integrity of the article may be corrected without publication of a separate formal notice where appropriate.
Further principles concerning the identification and assessment of errors in published articles are provided in the journal's Accuracy policy.
A Publisher's Note may be issued when a significant error introduced during the production or publication process requires clarification or correction. Such errors may include problems affecting metadata, presentation, formatting, production, or other publisher-controlled elements of the article.
Publisher's Notes will be freely available and linked to the affected article where appropriate.
SMEOR may publish an Expression of Concern when serious questions have been raised about the integrity or reliability of a published article but the available evidence is inconclusive, an investigation is ongoing, or a definitive editorial action cannot yet be taken.
An Expression of Concern is intended to alert readers to potentially significant unresolved issues. It will be linked to the article concerned and may subsequently be followed by a Correction, Retraction, or other appropriate action when sufficient information becomes available.
Publication of an Expression of Concern does not, by itself, constitute a determination that research or publication misconduct has occurred.
Retraction is a formal post-publication action used when there is clear evidence that the findings, conclusions, or other substantive content of a published article are unreliable, seriously compromised, or otherwise should not be relied upon.
A Retraction may be considered where, for example:
Retraction may be initiated following concerns raised by authors, editors, reviewers, readers, institutions, or other parties. Authors may also request retraction of their own article where they identify circumstances that materially undermine the reliability or integrity of the published work.
The decision to retract an article rests with the journal and will be made following appropriate assessment of the available evidence and, where relevant, the findings of an institutional or other competent investigation.
Research and publication misconduct concerns that may lead to post-publication action are assessed in accordance with the journal's Unethical Behaviour policy.
When an article is retracted, SMEOR will publish a Retraction Notice that is freely accessible and permanently linked to the affected article. The notice will identify the retracted article and explain the reason for the retraction to the extent appropriate and legally permissible.
Where possible, the notice will indicate whether the retraction resulted from author error, research or publication misconduct, an institutional investigation, or another identified cause. If the authors do not unanimously agree with the retraction, this may also be stated where relevant.
A retracted article will normally remain available as part of the scholarly record but will be clearly and prominently identified as retracted. The article and Retraction Notice will be linked to each other so that readers are made aware of the article's status.
Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record and alert readers to unreliable or seriously compromised published content. It is not intended primarily as a punitive measure against authors.
Complete removal of a published article is reserved for rare and exceptional circumstances. Removal may be considered where continued publication would create a serious legal risk, violate legally protected privacy or confidentiality rights, be subject to a binding legal or regulatory requirement, or create another exceptional risk that cannot reasonably be addressed through correction, retraction, or redaction.
Where an article must be removed, SMEOR will seek to preserve an appropriate bibliographic record and provide a notice explaining the reason for removal to the extent legally and ethically permissible.
Where a potentially serious concern is under investigation, the journal may postpone a final post-publication decision until sufficient information is available to determine the appropriate action.
Where the unresolved concern is sufficiently serious that readers should be informed while an investigation is ongoing, an Expression of Concern may be issued. The journal may take into account information or findings provided by institutions, research integrity bodies, funding organizations, regulatory authorities, or other competent organizations.
Significant post-publication changes will be documented transparently. SMEOR does not apply an arbitrary time limit to the correction or retraction of published material. Appropriate action may be taken whenever a significant error or integrity concern is identified, regardless of the time elapsed since publication.
Decisions concerning Corrections, Expressions of Concern, Retractions, and article removal will be based on the nature and seriousness of the issue, the available evidence, the journal's publication ethics policies, and the need to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.
SMEOR considers relevant guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Retraction Guidelines when considering whether a published article should be retracted and how the retraction should be communicated.
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