Retraction Policy

The Iraqi Journal for Applied Science (IJAS) is committed to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record. When a published article is found to contain significant errors or evidence of research or publication misconduct, the journal will take appropriate corrective action in accordance with internationally recognized publication ethics standards.

Retractions are issued to correct the scientific literature, protect readers, and maintain confidence in scholarly communication. They are not intended to punish authors but to preserve the integrity of the published record.

This policy follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and internationally recognized best practices for scholarly publishing.

1. Grounds for Retraction

A published article may be retracted when reliable evidence demonstrates one or more of the following:

Plagiarism or substantial unattributed copying.
Duplicate or redundant publication.
Data fabrication or falsification.
Manipulation of images, figures, or research results.
Major methodological, analytical, or computational errors that invalidate the findings.
Ethical violations involving human participants or animal research.
Failure to obtain required ethical approvals.
Undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the credibility of the research.
Unauthorized use of copyrighted material, datasets, or intellectual property.
Peer-review manipulation.
Authorship manipulation or fraudulent authorship.
Citation manipulation.
Paper mill involvement.
Any other serious breach of publication ethics that compromises the reliability of the published work.

2. Identification of Concerns

Concerns regarding published articles may be raised by:

Authors.
Readers.
Reviewers.
Editors.
Editorial Board members.
Academic institutions.
Funding organizations.
Research integrity offices.
Other stakeholders.

All allegations are treated seriously and investigated confidentially.

3. Investigation Procedure

Upon receiving a concern, the Editorial Office initiates an evidence-based investigation.

The investigation may include:

Preliminary editorial assessment.
Review of plagiarism or similarity reports.
Communication with the corresponding author.
Requests for original data, ethics approvals, or supporting documentation.
Consultation with reviewers or independent subject experts.
Consultation with research institutions or funding agencies where appropriate.
Review by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board.

Investigations are conducted fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with COPE guidance.

4. Author Response

Authors will be informed of the concerns and provided with an opportunity to respond.

Authors may be asked to submit:

Original research data.
Ethics approval documentation.
Laboratory records.
Additional supporting evidence.
Written explanations.

Failure to respond within a reasonable period may result in editorial decisions based on the available evidence.

5. Editorial Decisions

Following the investigation, the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board may decide to:

Maintain the published article without changes.
Publish a Correction.
Publish a Corrigendum.
Publish an Erratum.
Publish an Expression of Concern.
Retract the article.
Remove the article in exceptional legal circumstances.

Editorial decisions are based solely on the available evidence and the need to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

6. Retraction Notice

When an article is retracted, the journal will publish a formal Retraction Notice.

The notice will:

Be freely accessible.
Be permanently linked to the original article.
Clearly identify the retracted publication.
State the reason(s) for retraction.
Identify who initiated the retraction, where appropriate.
Be assigned its own publication record where applicable.

Retraction notices are intended to provide transparency without using defamatory language.

7. Preservation of the Scholarly Record

To preserve the integrity of the scientific record:

The original article will remain publicly accessible.
Every page of the article will be clearly marked "Retracted."
The DOI will continue to resolve to the article.
Links between the article and the Retraction Notice will be maintained.
Citation databases will be updated where applicable.

Readers are advised not to rely on the findings of retracted publications.

8. Expressions of Concern

When there is credible evidence suggesting potential problems but the available information is insufficient to support an immediate correction or retraction, IJAS may publish an Expression of Concern.

Such notices remain associated with the article until the investigation has been completed and a final editorial decision has been reached.

9. Corrections and Amendments

Errors that do not invalidate the overall conclusions of a published article may be corrected through:

Erratum.
Corrigendum.
Editorial Correction.
Amendment Notice.

Corrections will remain permanently linked to the original publication.

10. Withdrawal Before Publication

Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before publication by contacting the Editorial Office.

Requests submitted after acceptance or during production will be evaluated individually.

The journal reserves the right to refuse withdrawal requests where publication ethics concerns exist.

11. Removal of Published Articles

Complete removal of published content is considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as:

Court orders.
Defamation.
Serious legal restrictions.
Risks to public safety.
Breaches of privacy or confidentiality that cannot be resolved through correction or retraction.

Where removal is necessary, bibliographic information and an explanatory notice will remain available whenever legally permissible.