Policy on Post-Publication Discussions, Corrections, and Retractions

Regeneration, Reconstruction & Restoration (Triple R) Journal is committed to upholding the integrity, accuracy, and transparency of the permanent scholarly record. In line with the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), this policy outlines the formal procedures for managing post-publication academic discourse, corrections, revisions, retractions, and exceptional article removals.

1- Post-Publication Discourse and Letters to the Editor

Scientific knowledge evolves through ongoing evaluation and constructive critique. Regeneration, Reconstruction & Restoration (Triple R) Journal encourages academic discourse regarding its published content through formal editorial channels:

Letters to the Editor: Readers and members of the scientific community are invited to submit critical or constructive commentary concerning the methodology, findings, or interpretations of published articles.

Editorial Review: All submitted letters are subject to editorial screening to ensure constructive academic tone, scientific relevance, and the absence of defamatory or unprofessional language.

Right of Reply: If a letter is accepted for publication, the authors of the original article will be invited to provide a formal response. Where possible, the letter and the author’s response will be published concurrently and linked to the original publication.

2- Post-Publication Corrections

When unintentional errors are identified that do not undermine the overall validity or core conclusions of the research, the journal will issue a formal correction notice. In accordance with digital archiving standards, the original article is preserved in the academic record and bi-directionally linked to the correction:

-Erratum (Publisher-Led Corrections): Issued to rectify minor administrative, typesetting, metadata, or production errors introduced during the editorial process, as well as minor factual corrections (e.g., typographical errors, author name misspellings, or affiliation inaccuracies).

Corrigendum (Author-Led Corrections): Issued when authors identify significant scientific errors after publication (e.g., mislabeled figures, minor data errors, or computational inaccuracies) that affect the interpretation of results but do not invalidate the study's overall conclusions.

Changes in Authorship: Post-publication additions, deletions, or rearrangements of authorship must be justified, agreed upon in writing by all co-authors, approved by the Editor-in-Chief, and formally documented via a published Erratum/Corrigendum.

3- Post-Publication Updates and Addenda

-In instances where substantial new supplementary analyses or context emerge that do not invalidate the original work, authors may request an **Addendum** or **Formal Update**.

-All requested updates are subject to peer review or editorial assessment. If approved, an addendum will be published, assigned a unique DOI, and prominently linked to the primary article.

4- Article Retraction Policy

Retraction is a formal mechanism reserved for articles whose findings or conclusions are fundamentally undermined, invalid, or ethically compromised. Regeneration, Reconstruction & Restoration (Triple R) Journal strictly follows the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

4.1. Grounds for Retraction

Retraction will be executed under the following circumstances:

-Clear evidence that findings are unreliable due to severe scientific misconduct (data fabrication or falsification) or major honest error (e.g., fatal methodological flaw or miscalculation).

-Pervasive plagiarism, redundant/duplicate publication without proper acknowledgment, or major copyright infringement.

-Unethical research conduct, including failure to obtain mandatory institutional ethics committee approval or patient informed consent.

-Undisclosed major conflicts of interest that compromise the integrity of the peer review or publication process.

4.2. Retraction Procedure

1. Investigation: Concerns raised by readers, reviewers, editors, or authors prompt an editorial inquiry, which may involve independent third-party expert consultation and institutional contact.
2. Author Communication: The corresponding author is formally notified and provided an opportunity to respond. The retraction process proceeds regardless of whether authors agree, provided the editorial evidence justifies it.
3. Formal Retraction Notice: A formal, open-access Retraction Notice is published, detailing:

   -The explicit reasons for the retraction.

   -Who is initiating the retraction (authors, editors, or publisher).

   -Author agreement/disagreement status.

4. Preservation of the Record: To maintain complete academic transparency:

   -The original full-text PDF is retained online but clearly and indelibly watermarked "RETRACTED" across all pages.

   -The electronic abstract page is updated with a prominent link to the Retraction Notice.

   -Major indexing and citation databases are notified to update indexing metadata accordingly.

5. Corrections to Retractions: If an inaccuracy or omission is discovered in an issued Retraction Notice, a formal corrected retraction notice will be promptly published.

5- Article Removal and Withdrawal (Exceptional Cases)

Under standard scholarly publishing norms, published articles are never deleted. However, in extraordinarily rare situations, an article may be permanently removed or withdrawn from the journal's website if:

-The content is subject to a formal court order or legal injunction.

-The article contains unlawful, defamatory, or privacy-violating material that poses imminent legal or physical harm.

-Serious copyright infringement necessitates full removal.

In such cases, the full-text content will be removed, and a formal “Withdrawal Notice” explaining the legal or ethical necessity of the removal will permanently replace the article page.

6- Editorial Contact

Authors, reviewers, and readers who identify potential errors, ethical breaches, or scientific integrity issues in published articles are encouraged to contact the Editorial Office:

Editorial Office Contact: tripler@sbmu.ac.ir