Probecell Science is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent, and reliable scholarly record. The journal recognizes that errors or concerns may occasionally be identified after publication. When this occurs, the journal will assess the matter carefully and take appropriate action based on the nature, significance, and impact of the issue.
Post-publication actions may include a correction, corrigendum, metadata correction, authorship correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction. The journal will maintain a transparent connection between the original article and any post-publication notice.
1. Correction
A correction is issued when an error in a published article affects the accuracy, clarity, or completeness of the published record but does not invalidate the main findings or conclusions of the article.
Examples may include:
- Incorrect or incomplete information;
- Errors in a table or figure that do not alter the main conclusions;
- Incorrect author affiliation;
- Errors in references;
- Typographical or factual errors that affect interpretation;
- Errors in supplementary information; or
- Other substantive errors identified after publication.
When a correction is required, the journal will publish a separate correction notice describing the error and the corresponding correction. The notice will be linked to the original article, which will remain part of the scholarly record. Where technically and editorially appropriate, the online article may be updated to incorporate the correction, with a clear indication that a correction has been made.
2. Corrigendum
A corrigendum is used when an error in a published article is identified as originating from the authors.
Examples may include:
- An incorrect author affiliation;
- An error in a table or figure;
- An omitted acknowledgment;
- An incorrect funding statement;
- An error in author information; or
- Another author-originated error that does not invalidate the main conclusions.
A corrigendum will clearly identify the original article and describe the correction. The use of the terms "correction" and "corrigendum" may depend on the nature and source of the error. The journal may use the general term "Correction" for consistency in the published record while identifying the responsible source of the error within the notice.
3. Publisher's Correction
A publisher's correction may be issued when an error was introduced during editorial processing, typesetting, formatting, production, publication, or metadata handling.
Examples include:
- Production errors;
- Incorrect pagination;
- Incorrect article metadata;
- Formatting problems;
- Errors introduced during typesetting;
- Incorrect DOI metadata; or
- Other publication-process errors.
The correction will clearly describe the error and the correction made.
4. Metadata Corrections
Metadata corrections may be required when information associated with an article is incorrect or incomplete. Metadata may include:
- Article title;
- Author names;
- Author affiliations;
- Corresponding-author information;
- ORCID;
- DOI metadata;
- Publication date;
- Volume or issue;
- Article type;
- Keywords;
- Funding information; or
- Other bibliographic information.
Minor metadata errors may be corrected directly on the article webpage and in relevant indexing metadata. For significant metadata corrections, the journal may publish a formal correction notice. Where applicable, corrected metadata will also be updated with relevant DOI and indexing services.
5. Authorship Corrections
Authorship changes after publication are handled carefully because authorship forms part of the permanent scholarly record. Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors must normally include:
- A clear explanation of the requested change;
- Written agreement from all affected authors;
- Confirmation from the corresponding author; and
- Supporting documentation where appropriate.
The journal will not unilaterally determine authorship disputes. If authors cannot reach agreement, the journal may refer the matter to the relevant institution, employer, ethics committee, or research organization. Where an authorship correction is approved, the journal will publish an appropriate correction notice and update the article metadata.
6. Retraction
Retraction is reserved for circumstances in which the reliability or integrity of a published article is seriously compromised. An article may be considered for retraction when there is reliable evidence of:
- Fabrication of data;
- Falsification of data or results;
- Substantial plagiarism;
- Duplicate or redundant publication;
- Serious ethical violations;
- Major manipulation of images or data;
- Fraudulent or manipulated peer review;
- Major undisclosed conflicts of interest that substantially affect the article;
- Unreliable or invalid results that materially affect the main conclusions; or
- Other circumstances that seriously compromise the integrity of the published record.
Retraction may be initiated by the journal, requested by the authors, or recommended by the authors' institution or another appropriate authority. Before retracting an article, the journal will normally assess the available evidence and, where appropriate, provide the authors with an opportunity to respond. Retraction does not necessarily imply that all authors were responsible for the problem.
7. Retraction Notice
When an article is retracted, the journal will publish a separate Retraction Notice. The notice will:
- Identify the original article;
- Provide the article title, authors, DOI, and relevant bibliographic information;
- Clearly state that the article has been retracted;
- Provide the reason or reasons for retraction;
- Identify whether the retraction was initiated by the authors, editors, publisher, institution, or another appropriate party, where applicable; and
- Maintain a permanent link to the original publication.
The original article will remain identifiable in the journal archive and will be clearly marked RETRACTED. Where technically possible, the original article will remain accessible to preserve the scholarly record, but the retraction status will be displayed prominently on the article webpage and PDF.
8. Expression of Concern
An Expression of Concern may be issued when the journal becomes aware of a potentially serious problem concerning a published article but does not yet have sufficient evidence to issue a correction or retraction.
An Expression of Concern may be appropriate when:
- An investigation into possible research misconduct is ongoing;
- Ethical approval is questioned and the matter has not yet been resolved;
- The reliability of data is under investigation;
- Substantial authorship concerns remain unresolved;
- There is uncertainty regarding the integrity of the peer-review process; or
- Information from an institution or other credible source requires further investigation.
An Expression of Concern does not itself establish that misconduct or error has occurred. The notice will explain the nature of the concern and will be linked to the affected article. When the investigation is completed, the journal will update the scholarly record with an appropriate outcome, which may include no further action, a correction, or retraction.
9. Relationship Between Original Article and Post-Publication Notices
The journal will preserve the identity and traceability of the original publication. Where a correction, corrigendum, Expression of Concern, or retraction is issued:
- The original article will retain its DOI;
- The original article will remain identifiable in the journal archive;
- The post-publication notice will have its own identifiable record where appropriate;
- The notice will be electronically linked to the original article;
- The article's publication history will remain transparent; and
- Relevant DOI and indexing metadata will be updated when applicable.
The journal will not replace a published article with an unmarked corrected version in a manner that obscures the publication history.
10. Article Version and Correction History
When an article is corrected, the journal may update the online version where appropriate. The article webpage should indicate that a correction has been made and provide a link to the correction notice. Where technically feasible, the journal will maintain an appropriate publication history so that readers can distinguish the original publication from subsequent corrections or amendments.
11. Removal of Published Articles
Published articles will not normally be removed from the journal archive. Removal will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as where continued availability creates a serious legal, ethical, privacy, or security risk. Where removal is necessary, the journal will retain an appropriate bibliographic record and provide a notice explaining that the article has been removed and the reason for the action, to the extent legally and ethically permissible.
12. Appeals and Requests for Post-Publication Action
Authors, readers, editors, institutions, and other relevant parties may contact the journal regarding suspected errors or ethical concerns in a published article. Requests should provide:
- The article title;
- DOI or URL;
- A specific description of the concern;
- Supporting evidence where available; and
- The requester's contact information.
The journal will assess the information and may request additional documentation before taking action. A post-publication action will be based on the available evidence and the seriousness of the concern rather than on the identity or position of the person raising the concern.
13. Communication with Authors and Institutions
When appropriate, the journal will communicate with the affected authors before issuing a correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction. For serious research-integrity concerns, the journal may contact the authors' institution, research organization, ethics committee, funding body, or other relevant authority. Institutional investigations and journal investigations may proceed independently. The journal may defer a final editorial decision while awaiting relevant institutional information when doing so is appropriate.
14. Updating DOI and Indexing Metadata
When a correction, corrigendum, authorship correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction is published, the journal will update the relevant DOI metadata and bibliographic records where applicable. The journal will make reasonable efforts to ensure that Crossref and other relevant indexing or abstracting services receive accurate post-publication information. The original DOI will not normally be changed solely because an article has been corrected or retracted.
15. Responsibility for Post-Publication Decisions
Post-publication decisions are made by the journal's editorial team based on the available evidence and applicable publication-ethics principles. Where an editor has a conflict of interest, another qualified editor may be assigned to assess the matter. The publisher supports the editorial process and the preservation of the scholarly record but does not improperly interfere with editorial decisions.