ARTICLE RETRACTION AND WITHDRAWAL POLICY
Akademik Tarih ve Düşünce Dergisi (Academic Journal of History and Idea – ATDD) is committed to protecting the integrity, reliability, and transparency of the scholarly record. The journal follows internationally recognized standards of scholarly publishing and research integrity, including the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
This policy distinguishes between retraction of published articles and withdrawal of unpublished manuscripts.
1. Article Retraction Policy
Retraction of Published Articles
Retraction is an editorial mechanism used to correct the scholarly record when a published article is found to be unreliable or seriously compromised.
A published article may be considered for retraction when there is clear evidence of circumstances such as:
- serious errors that invalidate the principal findings or conclusions;
- fabrication or falsification of research data;
- substantial plagiarism or other serious academic misconduct;
- serious violations of research or publication ethics;
- fraudulent or seriously compromised peer review;
- serious authorship or duplicate-publication problems; or
- other circumstances that materially undermine the reliability or integrity of the published article.
A retraction request or concern may be submitted by authors, editors, reviewers, readers, institutions, or other relevant parties.
All concerns are assessed on the basis of the available evidence. Where necessary, the journal may request explanations or supporting documentation from authors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties.
The Editor-in-Chief has final editorial responsibility for decisions concerning the retraction of published articles. The Editorial Board may be consulted where appropriate.
Where a research-integrity investigation has been conducted by an institution or other responsible body, its findings may be considered by the journal. However, editorial decisions concerning the published scholarly record remain the responsibility of the journal.
Retraction Procedure
When retraction is considered necessary:
- the original article remains part of the scholarly record whenever technically and legally possible;
- the article is clearly identified as “Retracted”;
- a formal retraction notice is published;
- the reason for retraction is stated clearly in the notice; and
- relevant bibliographic and metadata records are updated where technically possible.
A retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record and protect readers, not to punish authors.
2. Correction and Other Post-Publication Actions
Not every error or concern requires retraction.
Where an identified error does not undermine the reliability or principal conclusions of a published article, the journal may publish a Correction or Erratum instead.
Where substantial concerns exist but the available evidence is not yet sufficient to justify retraction, the journal may publish an Expression of Concern.
Article removal is reserved for exceptional circumstances, such as serious legal, privacy, confidentiality, or demonstrable public-harm considerations.
Detailed criteria and procedures for Corrections, Expressions of Concern, Retractions, and exceptional Article Removal are set out in the journal's Publication Ethics, Integrity and Post-Publication Policy.
3. Post-Publication Concerns
Authors, readers, reviewers, institutions, and other members of the scholarly community may report substantive concerns regarding published articles to the journal's Editorial Office.
Such concerns will be assessed fairly, confidentially, proportionately, and on the basis of available evidence.
Academic disagreement or criticism of an article's interpretation does not, by itself, constitute grounds for retraction.
4. Article Withdrawal Policy
Withdrawal of Unpublished Manuscripts
Withdrawal refers to the removal of a manuscript from the editorial or peer-review process before publication. It is distinct from the retraction of a published article.
Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before the peer-review process begins by submitting a written request to the Editorial Office.
Once peer review has begun, withdrawal requests are accepted only in exceptional and justified circumstances. The Editorial Office will assess such requests individually, taking into account the stage of the editorial process and the circumstances presented by the authors.
Where a manuscript has reached an advanced stage of peer review or production, the journal may decide that the editorial process should continue.
Author Responsibility During Review
Authors are expected to cooperate with the editorial and peer-review processes and to respond to requests for revision or clarification within the timeframes communicated by the journal.
If authors fail to respond to editorial or revision requests after two reminders, or if no response is received for an extended period, the manuscript may be administratively rejected or closed by the journal.
Ethical Considerations
Authors should not withdraw a manuscript after peer review has begun for the purpose of submitting substantially the same work to another journal, unless there is a valid and justified academic reason.
The journal may take appropriate editorial action where a withdrawal request is inconsistent with accepted principles of publication ethics.
5. Final Editorial Responsibility
The Editor-in-Chief has final editorial responsibility for decisions concerning published articles and manuscript withdrawal.
The Editorial Board may be consulted where appropriate.
The journal may seek information or clarification from authors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties before making a decision.
All decisions are made with the aim of maintaining the integrity, reliability, transparency, and continuity of the scholarly record.
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
ATDD follows the relevant principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling retraction, withdrawal, correction, and other publication-ethics matters.