Correction and Retraction Policy

1. Policy Statement

KOMUNITAS: Jurnal Ilmu Sosiologi (COMMUNITY: Journal of Sociology) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record. The journal recognizes that errors or concerns may occasionally be identified after an article has been published. This policy establishes procedures for correcting, retracting, or issuing expressions of concern regarding published articles when necessary.

All decisions concerning corrections and retractions are made by the editorial team based on the nature and seriousness of the issue, the available evidence, the principles of publication ethics, and the need to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

2. Corrections

A correction may be issued when an error in a published article affects the accuracy, clarity, completeness, or interpretation of the publication but does not invalidate its principal findings or conclusions. Corrections may concern errors in text, data presentation, figures, tables, author information, affiliations, acknowledgments, funding information, or other relevant content.

Authors should promptly notify the editorial office if they discover a material error in their published article. Readers and other parties may also report potential errors to the journal, providing sufficient information and supporting evidence for editorial assessment.

The editorial team will assess the reported issue and may consult the authors or independent experts where appropriate. If a correction is warranted, the journal will publish a clearly identified correction notice linked to the original article. The notice will describe the correction and provide sufficient information to understand the nature of the change.

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect the meaning, interpretation, or integrity of the article may be corrected without a separate correction notice, at the discretion of the editorial team and subject to the journal's publishing procedures.

3. Retractions

Retraction may be considered when the reliability or integrity of a published article is seriously compromised. Grounds for retraction may include, but are not limited to:

• Clear evidence that the findings are unreliable due to major errors, fabricated data, falsified data, or serious methodological problems.
• Plagiarism or substantial unattributed use of another person's work.
• Duplicate publication or substantial overlap with previously published work without appropriate disclosure or justification.
• Serious breaches of research ethics, including violations involving research participants, consent, or required ethical approval, where applicable.
• Undisclosed manipulation of data, images, citations, or other material that materially compromises the article.
• Evidence of serious authorship or publication misconduct that undermines the integrity of the published work.
• Other circumstances in which retraction is necessary to correct the scholarly record.

Retraction is not intended to punish authors for honest errors or to resolve scholarly disagreement alone. The decision must be proportionate to the evidence and the seriousness of the issue.

4. Retraction Procedure

When a potential ground for retraction is identified, the editorial team will conduct an initial assessment of the available information. The journal may contact the corresponding author and, where necessary, other authors or relevant institutions to request an explanation or supporting documentation.

Authors will ordinarily be given an opportunity to respond to the concerns raised. However, the journal may proceed on the basis of the available evidence if a response is not received within a reasonable period or if other circumstances require action to protect the scholarly record.

The editorial team may seek independent expert advice and may refer serious research integrity concerns to the relevant institution or organization where appropriate. The journal will consider the evidence fairly and will not treat an allegation alone as proof of misconduct.

If retraction is warranted, the journal will publish a retraction notice that identifies the affected article, states the reason for retraction as clearly as possible, and indicates who is retracting the article where this information can appropriately be disclosed. The notice will be linked to the original publication and made clearly identifiable to readers.

5. Expressions of Concern

If credible concerns have been raised about a published article but the available evidence is insufficient to reach a final decision, or an investigation is ongoing and may take considerable time, the journal may publish an expression of concern.

An expression of concern will identify the article and explain the nature of the concern to the extent that it can be disclosed responsibly. It may be updated or followed by a correction or retraction notice when further information becomes available.

6. Editorial Responsibility and Fairness

Decisions regarding corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern are the responsibility of the editorial team. The journal will consider the evidence, the significance of the error or alleged misconduct, the responses received, and the potential implications for readers and the scholarly record.

The journal will seek to maintain confidentiality during assessments and investigations, subject to the need to communicate with relevant parties and protect research integrity. All parties will be treated fairly, and relevant conflicts of interest will be managed in accordance with the journal's Conflict of Interest Policy.

7. Article Availability and Publication Records

When an article is retracted, the original publication will generally remain accessible to preserve the scholarly record, but it will be clearly marked as retracted and linked to the retraction notice. The article will not be silently removed or altered in a way that conceals the retraction, except where removal is required by law or necessary to address exceptional legal, privacy, or safety concerns.

The journal will update the relevant publication records and DOI metadata where applicable and technically supported. Any correction or retraction notice will be made accessible to readers and linked to the affected article through the journal's publishing platform.

8. Communication and Reporting

Authors, readers, reviewers, and other concerned parties may report potential errors or publication integrity issues to the editorial office through the journal's official communication channels. Reports should identify the article concerned, explain the issue, and include supporting evidence where available.

The journal will assess reports in a timely and impartial manner. The person submitting a report may be contacted for clarification where necessary, although the journal may not be able to disclose confidential details of an ongoing assessment or investigation.

9. Relationship with Other Editorial Policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with the journal's policies on Publication Ethics, Allegations of Research Misconduct, Plagiarism, Authorship, and Conflict of Interest. Where a concern involves possible research misconduct, the journal may apply the relevant procedures in addition to the correction or retraction process described here.

10. Policy Review

KOMUNITAS: Jurnal Ilmu Sosiologi (COMMUNITY: Journal of Sociology) may review and update this policy when necessary to reflect developments in scholarly publishing standards and publication ethics. The editorial team is responsible for implementing the policy and maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the journal's published record.