Corrections & Retractions

An erratum is published when an otherwise scientifically sound article contains minor errors. In addition, the online full-text article is updated on The Journal website, and the PDF is replaced. (Note: Authors may incur charges to replace the PDF). The following types of changes are included in errata:

• Mistakes or typographical errors in author names, degrees, and affiliations; a change in an author’s preferred name
  See also, Author Changes.
• Inadvertent mistakes in scientific content (for example, an unclear sentence in a method, the wrong technical term, a typographical error in data)
• Errors introduced during production

If The Journal editors are notified of potential ethics violations in a published article, they will thoroughly evaluate the allegations. They will consider retracting the article according to the following guidelines from COPE:

• They have clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either as a result of major error (example: miscalculation or experimental error), or as a result of fabrication (example: of data) or falsification (example: image manipulation).
• It constitutes plagiarism.
• The findings have previously been published elsewhere without proper attribution to previous sources or disclosure to the editor, permission to republish, or justification (that is, cases of redundant publication).
• It contains material or data without authorization for use.
• Copyright has been infringed or there is some other serious legal issue (for example, libel, privacy).
• It reports unethical research.
• It has been published solely on the basis of a compromised or manipulated peer review process.
• The author(s) failed to disclose a major competing interest (a.k.a. conflict of interest) that, in the view of the editor, would have unduly affected interpretations of the work or recommendations by editors and peer reviewers.