Retraction, Correction, and Withdrawal Policy

Post-Publication Corrections, Retractions, and Withdrawals

Synthesis: A Multidisciplinary Research Journal is committed to preserving the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. This policy outlines the procedures for managing post-publication updates, including retractions, corrections, and withdrawals, in accordance with established best practices and COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

Retraction Policy

A retraction will be issued when a published article is found to contain significant ethical or scientific issues, including:

  • Serious research misconduct, such as plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, or failure to disclose competing interests

  • Major methodological or analytical errors that invalidate the study’s findings or conclusions

  • Confirmed misconduct as determined by an institutional or independent investigation

Retraction notices will:

  • Be clearly linked to the original article

  • Remain permanently accessible in the journal archive

  • Provide a transparent explanation of the reason for retraction

  • Identify whether the retraction was initiated by the authors, editors, or publisher

All retractions will be handled in full alignment with COPE Retraction Guidelines.

Correction Policy

A correction (erratum or corrigendum) may be issued to address minor errors that do not compromise the integrity, reliability, or interpretation of the research. These may include:

  • Typographical errors

  • Updates to author names, affiliations, or acknowledgments

  • Clarification of funding information

  • Adjustments to references or minor factual details

Corrections will be published as separate, citable notices, clearly linked to the original article.

Withdrawal Policy

Pre-review withdrawal:
Authors may request withdrawal of their manuscript only before peer review begins and under legitimate circumstances, such as unintentional duplicate submission or substantive author error.

Post-review withdrawal:
Once the peer-review process has commenced, withdrawal requests are permitted only in exceptional cases and must receive approval from the Editor-in-Chief.

Unauthorized or unethical withdrawal—including attempts to withdraw an accepted manuscript without valid justification—may result in:

  • Temporary or permanent submission restrictions

  • Notification of institutional authorities when warranted

By enforcing these procedures, Synthesis ensures that the scholarly record remains accurate, trustworthy, and responsibly maintained, while providing transparent mechanisms to correct or update published content when necessary.