Publication Ethics, Integrity and Post-Publication Policy

PUBLICATION ETHICS, ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND POST-PUBLICATION POLICY

Akademik Tarih ve Düşünce Dergisi (Academic Journal of History and Idea – ATDD) is committed to maintaining the integrity, reliability, transparency, and continuity of the scholarly record. The journal follows internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing and research integrity, including the COPE Core Practices.

This policy complements the journal's existing Publication Ethics, Peer Review, Plagiarism, Corrections, Retraction, Copyright, and Generative AI policies and specifically addresses concerns arising after publication.

1. Academic Integrity and Post-Publication Assessment

ATDD recognizes that editorial responsibility continues after an article has been published. When a substantive error, research-integrity concern, ethical issue, or other matter affecting the reliability of a published article is identified, the journal may conduct an editorial assessment and take an appropriate post-publication action.

Post-publication actions are determined case by case, taking into account the nature, seriousness, and available evidence concerning the issue.

The primary purpose of such actions is to correct and preserve the scholarly record, not to punish authors.

2. Correction

A Correction may be published when an error is identified in a published article but the error does not undermine the overall reliability or principal conclusions of the work.

Corrections may concern, for example:

factual or bibliographic errors;
author or affiliation information;
tables, figures, or other published elements; or
other errors that can be corrected without retracting the article.

The decision to publish a Correction is made by the Editor-in-Chief and, where appropriate, the Editorial Board, based on the nature and significance of the error.

A correction notice will be clearly linked to the original article. Where appropriate, relevant bibliographic and metadata records will also be updated.

3. Expression of Concern

ATDD may publish an Expression of Concern when there are substantial and credible concerns regarding a published article, but the available evidence is not yet sufficient to justify retraction.

This may apply when:

an investigation is ongoing;
relevant evidence is incomplete;
clarification is required from the authors or their institution; or
an investigation has been substantially delayed or remains inconclusive.

An Expression of Concern does not itself establish misconduct or invalidate the article.

The decision to publish an Expression of Concern is made by the Editor-in-Chief and, where appropriate, the Editorial Board, based on the available evidence and the circumstances of the case.

Depending on the outcome of subsequent assessment or investigation, it may be followed by a Correction, Retraction, or other appropriate editorial action.

4. Retraction

ATDD may retract a published article when there is clear evidence that the article is unreliable or seriously compromised to the extent that its findings or conclusions should no longer be regarded as part of the reliable scholarly record.

Grounds for retraction may include, but are not limited to:

fabrication or falsification of data;
substantial plagiarism;
serious research or publication-ethics violations;
major errors that invalidate the principal findings or conclusions;
fraudulent or compromised peer review;
serious authorship or duplicate-publication problems; or
other circumstances that materially undermine the reliability or integrity of the article.

The decision to retract a published article is an editorial decision made by the Editor-in-Chief and, where appropriate, the Editorial Board, based on the available evidence and applicable ethical standards.

A retraction does not require the consent of the authors when the available evidence establishes that retraction is necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Where a research-misconduct investigation has been conducted by an institution or other responsible body, its findings may be considered by the journal. However, the journal retains editorial responsibility for decisions concerning the published scholarly record.

A retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record and protect readers, rather than to punish authors.

A retracted article will remain part of the scholarly record whenever technically and legally possible, but will be clearly identified as “Retracted.”

A retraction notice will identify the article and provide the reason for retraction. The notice will remain linked to the original publication and, where technically possible, relevant bibliographic and indexing metadata will be updated.

5. Article Removal

Removal of a published article is an exceptional measure and is not used as a substitute for ordinary correction or retraction.

ATDD does not ordinarily remove or delete published articles because of scholarly disagreement, criticism, or correctable errors.

Removal may be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as:

serious legal requirements;
substantial privacy or confidentiality violations;
significant risks arising from continued public availability; or
other circumstances in which continued public access would cause serious and demonstrable harm.

The decision to remove an article is made by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the journal's publisher or owner, where appropriate, taking into account applicable legal, ethical, and scholarly considerations.

Where removal is necessary, ATDD will preserve the bibliographic record whenever possible and provide an appropriate editorial notice explaining the action.

6. Post-Publication Concerns and Scholarly Communication

Authors, readers, reviewers, and other members of the scholarly community may communicate substantive concerns regarding published articles to the Editorial Office through the journal's official communication channels.

Where possible, concerns should include sufficient information and supporting evidence to allow the journal to assess the matter responsibly.

ATDD will assess such concerns impartially, confidentially, and on the basis of available evidence.

Post-publication criticism or disagreement with an article's interpretation does not, by itself, constitute grounds for correction or retraction.

7. Preservation of the Scholarly Record

ATDD considers the preservation of the scholarly record a fundamental editorial responsibility.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, retractions, and exceptional removals will be documented in a manner that enables readers, researchers, authors, and indexing services to identify the relationship between the original publication and any subsequent editorial action.

Where technically possible, relevant notices will be clearly linked to the original article and reflected in associated bibliographic metadata.

The journal will not ordinarily overwrite or silently delete the original scholarly record.

8. Editorial Authority and Decision-Making

The Editor-in-Chief has final editorial responsibility for decisions concerning the correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction of published content.

Where appropriate, the Editorial Board may be consulted and may contribute to the assessment of the matter.

Where necessary, the journal may seek clarification or supporting documentation from authors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties before reaching a decision.

In cases involving potential research misconduct, ATDD may communicate with the relevant institution or responsible body. Institutional findings may inform the journal's assessment, but editorial decisions concerning the published record remain the responsibility of the journal.

Article removal is subject to the exceptional circumstances specified in Section 5 and may involve consultation with the publisher or owner of the journal, particularly where legal or confidentiality considerations arise.

9. Transparency and Policy Review

ATDD is committed to handling post-publication issues promptly, fairly, proportionately, and transparently.

The journal may revise this policy when internationally recognized standards of scholarly publishing, research integrity, or publication ethics evolve.

The purpose of all post-publication actions is to protect readers, correct the scholarly record, and maintain the reliability, credibility, and academic integrity of ATDD's published content.