First published: March 16, 2026

Guidelines for Retraction, Correction, and Expressions of Concern

In accordance with COPE guidelines, the editorial team exercises independent judgment in matters concerning the retraction, correction, or issuance of expressions of concern for published articles. Should an article be determined to involve academic misconduct, retraction proceedings will be initiated. Errors attributable to the authors will result in the publication of a correction, while those originating from the journal itself will be addressed through an erratum. Furthermore, if questions arise regarding the scientific integrity of an article, the Editorial Office may issue an expression of concern. The detailed protocols governing these independent editorial decisions are outlined below.

1 Retraction

An article may be considered for retraction if the editorial team identifies evidence or sustains suspicions of fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, manipulation of data, results, or conclusions, or other serious issues such as copyright infringement. The retraction process involves the following sequential steps:

1.1 Initial Verification. Upon receiving a complaint or identifying a potential issue, the editorial team conducts a preliminary assessment to determine whether a formal investigation is justified.

1.2 Contacting Authors and Institutions. The corresponding and first authors are contacted, informed of the specific concerns regarding their article, and requested to provide an explanation. If warranted, the Editorial Office may seek assistance from the authors' affiliated institutions in conducting the investigation. Comprehensive records of all related communications will be maintained by the Editorial Office.

1.3 Decision on Retraction. The Editorial Office Director evaluates the accumulated evidence, the authors' explanations, and any reports received from their institutions to ascertain whether the article meets the established criteria for retraction. Upon a positive determination, the Editorial Office is responsible for drafting and submitting the retraction notice online. Guidance on composing a retraction notice is available at: https://www.wjgnet.com/bpg/GerInfo/296. Bibliographic citations for retraction notices should include the phrase “Retraction of: [article title]”, and citations for the retracted article itself should include “Retraction in: [article title]”.

1.4 Author-Initiated Retraction Requests. For retraction requests originating from the authors, the Editorial Office must verify that the request aligns with the applicable retraction criteria. If the criteria are satisfied, the authors are responsible for drafting and submitting the retraction notice online. This submission must include a written request form signed by all authors, detailing the reasons for the retraction. Once the retraction process has been formally initiated, the authors may not withdraw their request. The retraction notice will proceed through the standard publication workflow and will be officially published online following payment of the applicable publication fee by the authors. The guidelines for writing a retraction note can be found at: https://www.wjgnet.com/bpg/GerInfo/296. Bibliographic citations for retraction notices should contain the phrase “Retraction of: [article title]”, and citations for retracted articles should contain the phrase “Retraction in: [article title]”.

2 Correction

A correction serves to notify readers of a significant error made by the author(s) that impacts the scientific integrity of the paper. To initiate this process, authors must complete the Correction Request Form and prepare the text for the Correction Announcement. Bibliographic citations for a republished article should include the phrase “Corrected and republished from: [article title]”, and citations for the original article should include the phrase “Corrected and republished in: [article title]”.

3 Expressions of Concern

An expression of concern may be issued by the Editorial Office during an ongoing investigation when it is deemed necessary to alert the readership promptly. This action is typically taken when potential issues are suspected but evidence is inconclusive, investigations are incomplete, or relevant information is not yet fully available. The expression of concern serves to inform readers that the article may be problematic while reserving the option for definitive action following the investigation's conclusion. It is the editor's responsibility to initiate appropriate investigative procedures, ascertain the investigation's outcome, and communicate that outcome to readers in a subsequent journal issue. Depending on the findings, the final outcome may necessitate the publication of a retraction notice. The bibliographic citation for an expression of concern is directly linked to the citation of the original article. Citations for expressions of concern should contain the phrase “Expression of concern for: [article title]”.