Retraction Policy

Scholarly Record Integrity

 

Permanence of the Scholarly Record. Journal of Social Cognition and Communication follows the COPE Retraction Guidelines. Retractions are reserved for articles with flaws so serious that their findings or conclusions can no longer be relied upon. We ensure that such changes are transparently communicated to indexing services, including WoS and Scopus.

The primary purpose of a retraction is to maintain the integrity of academic literature. It is an administrative action taken to ensure readers are alerted to unreliable data or unethical conduct.

1. Criteria for Retraction

In alignment with international standards, the journal will retract a publication if:

  • There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either as a result of research misconduct (data fabrication/falsification) or major honest error.
  • The work constitutes plagiarism, redundant publication, or was published without proper legal/ethical authorization.
  • The peer review process was found to be compromised or manipulated.
  • Authors failed to disclose major conflicts of interest that would have invalidated the evaluation.
  • The research is found to be based on unethical protocols.
2. Implementation and Metadata

To ensure the retraction is recognized by databases like Scopus and Crossref:

  • A separate Retraction Notice will be published with a unique DOI and linked bi-directionally to the original article.
  • The original article (PDF and HTML) is not removed from the site but is prominently watermarked with "RETRACTED" on every page.
  • The metadata of the article will be updated to include the retraction status to prevent further uncorrected citations.
3. Editorial Expressions of Concern (EEoC)

The Editor-in-Chief may issue an Expression of Concern if an investigation into a highly suspicious article is prolonged or if there is inconclusive evidence but strong suspicion of misconduct. This serves as an interim warning to the scholarly community while full due process is observed.

4. Investigation Process

Investigations may be initiated by editors, authors, or external whistleblowers. The Editor-in-Chief will lead the investigation, often in consultation with the Editorial Board or the authors' home institutions. Retractions will not be issued without providing the authors a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations.

Global Trust in Research

By maintaining a rigorous retraction policy aligned with WoS and Scopus requirements, we uphold the credibility of interdisciplinary research and fulfill our duty as stewards of the scholarly record.