Corrections, Retractions & Expressions of Concern Policy

Pedagogical Perspective (PedPer) (eISSN: 2822-4841) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. When necessary, the journal will publish Corrections, Expressions of Concern, or Retractions to address errors or potential/confirmed misconduct, guided by COPE-oriented best practices.

1) Definitions

• Correction (Erratum/Corrigendum): A notice that corrects an error that does not invalidate the main conclusions of the article (e.g., author name, affiliation, minor factual/formatting errors, figure/table labeling, minor numerical errors).
• Expression of Concern: A public notice issued when there are serious concerns about an article, but the outcome of an investigation is pending or inconclusive.
• Retraction: A notice indicating that an article’s findings or integrity are unreliable due to major error or confirmed misconduct.
• Removal (Exceptional): Rarely used and only in exceptional circumstances (e.g., legal issues, serious privacy risks). If removal is necessary, the bibliographic record remains and a removal notice is posted.

2) When PedPer Issues a Correction

PedPer may issue a Correction when:

• An honest error is identified that affects accuracy or clarity but does not invalidate the main results/conclusions; or
• An update is necessary to ensure correct attribution (e.g., author name, ORCID, affiliation) or correct presentation.

How it appears: A separate Correction notice is published, dated, and linked to the original article. The original article remains available and clearly indicates that a Correction exists.

3) When PedPer Issues an Expression of Concern

PedPer may issue an Expression of Concern when:

• There is credible evidence of a serious problem (e.g., possible misconduct, unreliable data), and
• An investigation is ongoing, delayed, or cannot be completed promptly; or
• The available information is insufficient to reach a final conclusion, but readers should be alerted.

How it appears: A separate notice is published, dated, and linked to the article to inform readers while the matter is being examined.

4) When PedPer Retracts an Article

PedPer may retract an article when:

• Findings are unreliable due to major error (e.g., critical miscalculation, fundamental methodological flaw) or
• Misconduct is confirmed, including (but not limited to):
  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Manipulated images/data
  • Duplicate/redundant publication
  • Serious authorship violations
  • Undeclared conflicts of interest that significantly affect interpretation
  • Peer review manipulation

How it appears: The article remains accessible to preserve the scholarly record but is clearly marked “Retracted” (e.g., watermark and/or header). A Retraction notice is published, dated, and linked to the article, explaining the reason at an appropriate level of detail.

5) Initiation of Post-Publication Actions

Requests for Corrections/Expressions of Concern/Retractions may be initiated by:

• Authors
• Readers
• Reviewers
• Editors
• Institutions or third parties

Concerns should be submitted to: info@pedagogicalperspective.com with supporting evidence where possible.

6) Investigation and Decision Process

When a concern is raised, PedPer will:

1. Acknowledge receipt and conduct an initial assessment.
2. Secure records (submission files, peer review logs, correspondence).
3. Request a response and documentation from authors when appropriate.
4. Seek input from independent experts and/or contact relevant institutions/ethics committees for serious allegations.
5. Decide on the appropriate outcome: Correction, Expression of Concern, Retraction, or no action.

PedPer aims to handle cases fairly and confidentially, sharing information on a need-to-know basis.

7) Author Notification and Consent

• Authors will normally be informed and given an opportunity to respond before a final decision is made.
• PedPer may issue a Correction/Expression of Concern/Retraction even if some authors disagree, when necessary to protect the scholarly record.

8) Transparency, Permanence, and Indexing

All notices will be:

• Publicly accessible
• Clearly labeled (Correction / Expression of Concern / Retraction / Removal)
• Dated and signed/issued by the journal
• Linked to the original article and included in the article’s online record

Where applicable, PedPer will update relevant metadata (e.g., DOI records) to reflect the post-publication notice.

Related policies: Handling Allegations of Misconduct • Publication Ethics & Malpractice • Peer Review Policy