Retractions, Corrections and Withdrawal Policy

The Malaysian Journal of Chemical Engineering and Technology (MJCET) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, transparency and integrity of the scholarly record. The journal handles retractions, corrections, expressions of concern and manuscript withdrawals in a fair, consistent and timely manner, guided by recognised publication ethics principles and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices.

The journal assesses each case on its individual merits, considers the available evidence and provides relevant parties with a reasonable opportunity to respond. Editorial decisions prioritise research integrity and the reliability of the published record.

1. Retraction Policy

1.1 Grounds for Retraction

MJCET may retract a published article when credible evidence demonstrates that its findings, conclusions or publication integrity are substantially compromised. Grounds for retraction include, but are not limited to:

• Plagiarism or substantial unattributed duplication of published work.
• Fabrication or falsification of data, results, images or research records.
• Serious breaches of research ethics, including the absence of required ethical approval or consent where applicable.
• Substantial errors that invalidate or materially undermine the findings or conclusions.
• Duplicate or redundant publication that significantly misrepresents the originality of the work.
• Manipulation of the peer review or publication process.
• Authorship misconduct or other serious publication ethics violations that compromise the integrity of the article.
• Other circumstances in which retraction is necessary to correct the scholarly record.

Retraction does not necessarily imply that every author was responsible for the misconduct. The journal will state the reasons for retraction as clearly and accurately as the available evidence permits.

1.2 Investigation and Assessment

Concerns about a published article may be raised by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, research institutions, funders or other parties with relevant evidence.

Upon receiving a concern, the editorial team will:

1. Conduct a preliminary assessment to determine whether the concern warrants further investigation.
2. Examine the available evidence, including the article, supporting data, similarity reports, research records and relevant correspondence, where applicable.
3. Contact the corresponding author and other relevant parties to request an explanation or supporting documentation, where appropriate.
4. Seek independent expert advice or consult the relevant institution when the matter requires specialist assessment or institutional investigation.
5. Evaluate the evidence and determine the appropriate action in accordance with the seriousness and nature of the concern.

The journal will handle investigations as confidentially as reasonably possible, subject to the need to establish the facts and communicate with relevant parties. The absence of a response from an author will not automatically prevent the journal from reaching a decision based on sufficient evidence.

1.3 Retraction Decision

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the final editorial decision on retraction, based on the available evidence and the journal's publication ethics procedures.

Where the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest or is otherwise directly involved in the case, an independent editor or appropriately appointed editorial board member will oversee the investigation and decision.

The journal may notify the authors' institutions, research funders or other relevant organisations where the circumstances justify such action. Institutional findings will be considered where available, but the journal retains responsibility for decisions concerning the publication record.

1.4 Retraction Notice and Preservation of the Record

MJCET will publish a formal retraction notice and link it clearly to the original article. The notice will normally include:

• The article title and author names.
• The original publication details and DOI, where available.
• The date of the retraction.
• A clear explanation of the reason for retraction, consistent with the evidence and any applicable confidentiality requirements.
• Identification of the party or parties initiating the retraction, where appropriate.

The original article will normally remain accessible to preserve the scholarly record and will be clearly marked as “Retracted.” The retraction notice will be freely accessible and permanently linked to the original article.

The journal will update relevant article metadata and notify indexing or abstracting services where appropriate and where the necessary mechanisms are available. Retraction notices and associated records will remain accessible even if the journal's website or publishing platform changes.

1.5 Expression of Concern

MJCET may publish an Expression of Concern when credible issues arise regarding the reliability, integrity or ethical compliance of a published article, but the investigation remains incomplete or the available evidence does not yet support a final decision.

An Expression of Concern will identify the article, explain the nature of the concern to the extent possible and indicate the status of the matter where appropriate. It will be linked to the original article and remain part of the scholarly record.

Following further investigation, the journal may maintain the Expression of Concern, issue a correction or retract the article, as appropriate. The journal will update the record when the outcome of the investigation is established.

2. Correction Policy

2.1 Grounds for Correction

MJCET may publish a correction when an error or omission in a published article requires amendment but does not justify retraction. Corrections may be appropriate for:

• Errors in data, calculations, tables, figures or descriptions that do not invalidate the principal findings.
• Incorrect author names, affiliations, acknowledgements or other publication metadata.
• Errors introduced during copy-editing, typesetting or production.
• Material omissions or inaccuracies that affect the clarity, accuracy or interpretation of the article.
• Other errors that can be rectified transparently without misleading readers about the reliability of the research.

If an error substantially undermines the validity of the article, the journal will assess whether retraction or another form of editorial notice is more appropriate.

2.2 Types of Corrections

MJCET may use the following correction categories:

• Erratum: a correction addressing an error introduced during the journal's editorial or production process.
• Corrigendum: a correction addressing an error identified by the author or authors after publication.

The journal may use a general Correction notice where this terminology is more appropriate for the publishing platform or the circumstances of the case.

Minor typographical or formatting changes that do not affect meaning may be corrected directly without a formal notice. Substantive amendments will be documented through a correction notice so that readers can identify the nature of the change.

2.3 Correction Requests and Assessment

Correction requests may be submitted by authors, readers, editors, institutions or other parties with relevant evidence. Requests should identify the article, describe the error and provide supporting information where available.

The editorial team will assess the significance of the error, its effect on the article's interpretation and the appropriate method of correction. The journal may request explanations, supporting data or independent expert advice before making a decision.

The Editor-in-Chief or an authorised editor will determine whether a correction is warranted. Where a request concerns a potential conflict of interest, research misconduct or a substantial validity issue, the journal may initiate a separate investigation under its relevant policies.

2.4 Publication and Linking of Corrections

A formal correction notice will identify the original article and describe the correction clearly. It will be linked to the original article and made freely accessible.

Where the article itself is amended, the journal will indicate that a correction has been made and provide a link to the correction notice. The journal will preserve an appropriate record of the amendment and update relevant metadata or indexing records where necessary and feasible.

Corrections will not be used to conceal research misconduct or to make substantive changes that misrepresent the original publication. Where a correction cannot adequately address the problem, the journal will consider an Expression of Concern or retraction.

3. Manuscript Withdrawal Policy

3.1 Scope and Conditions for Withdrawal

Withdrawal applies to a manuscript that has not yet been published. It is distinct from retraction, which concerns an article already published as part of the scholarly record.

An author may request withdrawal during the editorial process by providing a valid reason and written confirmation from all co-authors. The journal will consider the stage of processing, the reason for the request and any relevant ethical or procedural concerns.

MJCET encourages authors to resolve questions about their submission promptly and to avoid submitting the same manuscript to another journal while it remains under consideration.

3.2 Withdrawal Requests

A withdrawal request must:

• Be submitted in writing by the corresponding author to the editorial office.
• Identify the manuscript title, submission reference and all authors.
• State the reason for withdrawal.
• Include confirmation that all co-authors agree to the withdrawal.

The journal may request additional confirmation where authorship disputes, conflicting instructions or other concerns arise. A withdrawal will take effect only after the editorial office confirms its acceptance in writing.

3.3 Editorial Assessment

The editorial office will assess each request fairly, taking account of the manuscript's status and the circumstances of the request.

The journal may delay acceptance of a withdrawal request while it verifies author agreement or investigates credible concerns about research integrity, duplicate submission, authorship or other publication ethics matters. The journal will communicate the outcome to the corresponding author.

Withdrawal requests made after acceptance or during production will receive particular scrutiny because editorial, review and production work may already have been completed. The journal will consider the justification and any potential effect on the integrity of the publication process.

3.4 Unethical or Disputed Withdrawal

MJCET may investigate a withdrawal request where there is evidence or reasonable suspicion that:

• The manuscript has been submitted simultaneously to another journal.
• The authors are attempting to avoid an adverse editorial decision or an investigation into potential misconduct.
• The authors disagree about withdrawal or the right to withdraw the manuscript.
• The request is intended to conceal plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, authorship disputes or other ethical violations.
• The manuscript has already been published or the request misrepresents its publication status.

The journal will not assume misconduct solely because an author requests withdrawal. Any suspected breach will be assessed on the available evidence, and relevant authors will be given an opportunity to respond where appropriate.

3.5 Outcome and Recordkeeping

When a withdrawal is approved, the manuscript will be removed from the active editorial workflow, and the corresponding author will receive written confirmation.

The journal may retain the submission, correspondence, review history and decision records for legitimate editorial, administrative and research integrity purposes, subject to applicable confidentiality and data protection requirements.

A manuscript that has not been published will not ordinarily require a public withdrawal notice. However, where a manuscript has been made publicly available as an accepted or in-press article, the journal will take appropriate steps to correct the public record and explain the status of the work.

4. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal a decision concerning correction, retraction or withdrawal by submitting a reasoned written explanation with relevant supporting evidence to the editorial office.

The journal will review appeals fairly and may seek independent advice where appropriate. An appeal will be assessed by an editor who is not conflicted by the matter whenever reasonably possible. The journal may uphold, revise or reconsider the original decision based on the evidence.

Complaints about the handling of a case may be submitted to the journal through its official contact channel. The journal will assess complaints in accordance with its editorial procedures and relevant publication ethics principles.

5. Editorial Independence and Confidentiality

All decisions under this policy will be based on the evidence, the seriousness of the issue and the need to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record. Decisions will not be influenced by an author's institutional position, reputation, nationality or potential commercial or personal interests.

Editors and editorial board members must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and withdraw from handling a case where their impartiality may reasonably be questioned. The journal will protect confidential information to the extent reasonably possible while allowing a fair and appropriate investigation.

6. Relationship with Other Journal Policies

This policy should be read alongside MJCET's Publication Ethics Policy, Peer Review Policy, Plagiarism and Research Integrity Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy and Generative AI Policy.

Where a concern involves suspected misconduct, the journal may apply more than one policy and take proportionate action based on the available evidence. Corrective actions are intended to protect readers, uphold research integrity and maintain a reliable scholarly record.

MJCET will review this policy periodically and update it when necessary to reflect developments in publication ethics and editorial practice.