Corrections & Retractions

(Last updated on October 28, 2024, in alignment with the latest Committee on Publication Ethics – COPE guidelines.)

In accordance with the generally accepted standards of scholarly publishing, FUP Journals adhere to the principle that articles that have been published should remain extant, exact, and unaltered to the maximum extent possible. This commitment ensures the integrity of published work and fosters trust in the scholarly communication process.

In cases of serious errors or (suspected) misconduct, FUP publishes corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern on behalf of the journals.

 

Corrections

In cases of serious errors that affect or significantly impair the reader’s understanding or evaluation of the article, the journal publishes a correction note that is linked to the published article. The published article will be left unchanged.

If you wish to notify FUP Journals of an error in your publication that may warrant a correction, please email FUP Journals at redazione.riviste@fup.unifi.it, with: relevant details (article citation, DOI, description of the error), proposed correction text, supporting files and/or revised figures (if applicable).

On this page, COPE Post-publication discussions and corrections, you’ll find practical examples of how post-publication corrections are managed across all types of editorial production.

 

Retractions

In accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines: Version 2, Journal Editors should consider retracting a publication if:

  • They have clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either as a result of major error (eg, miscalculation or experimental error), or as a result of fabrication (eg, of data) or falsification (eg, 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 (ie, cases of redundant publication).
  • It contains material or data without authorisation for use.
  • Copyright has been infringed or there is some other serious legal issue (eg, 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 (aka, 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.

Notices of retraction should clearly link to the retracted article in all online versions and distinctly identify it by including the title and authors in the heading.  They must be labeled as retractions to differentiate them from other corrections and should be published promptly to minimize harm.  Additionally, retraction notices need to be accessible to all readers, stating who is retracting the article and the reasons for the retraction, while using objective and factual language without inflammatory remarks.

If you wish to notify FUP Journals of concerns pertaining to the integrity, validity, or reliability of an article, please email FUP journals support at journalsupport@fup.unifi.it, and include the editorial team of the journal in the copy. Insert in your email the full citation and DOI of the article in question, and details as to your specific concerns.