Corrections Policy

The Journal and MediHealth Academy are committed to ensuring the accuracy and transparency of the scholarly record. Corrections are made when material errors or inaccuracies in published work are identified.

1. Types of Post-Publication Notices:

• Erratum: Corrects minor, post-acceptance errors introduced by the journal/publisher during typesetting, formatting, or production.
• Corrigendum: Corrects an error made by the author(s) that was present in the original submitted manuscript and missed by both the authors and reviewers during the editing process.
• Retraction: Removes content that is misleading, unethical, or invalid.
• Addendum: Provides additional clarification or context to an already published article.

Each correction is:

• Clearly labeled,
• Linked to the original article,
• Indexed and citable.

Correction and Retraction Procedure:

Errors that impact the scholarly record, scientific integrity of the article, or the reputation of the authors or Journal will be corrected promptly, in coordination with the publisher. Corrections will be made as soon as possible, and will also be printed in an erratum sheet that appears in the next issue, along with the corrected digital version of the article. The corrected article will include a footnote indicating the date of correction, as well as the volume and issue in which the erratum will appear.

• Erratum: A significant error made by the Journal affecting the scholarly record, scientific integrity, or reputation of the authors or the Journal.
• Corrigendum: A significant error made by the authors that affects the scholarly record, scientific integrity, or the reputation of the authors or the Journal.

Editorial Responses:

All submitted corrections will be assessed by the Editorial Board. Where deemed necessary, they will undergo peer review, which may include consultation with the original reviewers. All parties will remain anonymous to the extent possible. Editorial responses are subject to oversight by the editorial team and will be published after full consultation with all interested parties.

• Editorial expression of concern: Notifies the addition of information to an article, for example, in response to a reader’s request for clarification or correction of a significant omission.
• Retraction: Notifies the readership of unsound results or misconduct after an investigation by the editor and publisher. The original article will remain available but will be marked as retracted through a published note from the editor.
• Article removal: In rare instances, an article may be removed due to legal action. The removal will be marked in the issue’s table of contents, with a notice indicating the removal replacing the article’s content.

Clarification and Appeals:

If any part of the editor’s decision letter or review material is unclear or inconsistent, authors may request clarification from the editor by emailing the editorial office. All correspondence regarding the submission should be sent by the corresponding author to the editorial office (not directly to the editor).

• Written clarification requests may be uploaded to the peer review system, where they will only be visible to the editor and associate editor. Reviewers will not see the authors’ clarification requests.
• The editor will decide whether to consult with the associate editor and provide a response, which will be archived in the system. Reviewers will not see the editor’s response.
• This written clarification process ensures proper record-keeping, allows the editor sufficient time to reflect on their answers, and facilitates consultation before responding.

The Journal does not provide or approve formal revision plans. Editors will consider the author’s requests and provide feedback, but clarification does not guarantee a positive outcome, nor should it be considered as approval for specific revisions. Any revised manuscript will be evaluated by the entire review team.

Unethical Practices:

The Journal disapproves of unethical practices, such as:

• Plagiarism: Republishing content without proper attribution,
• Fabrication: Publishing data or results that do not exist,
• Duplication: Using data from another publication, including republishing an article in a different language,
• Salami slicing: Splitting study results into multiple publications,
• Data manipulation/falsification: Distorting research data to present false results.

The Journal employs software to evaluate submitted manuscripts for plagiarism and duplicate publication. Authors must acknowledge any prior publication of study results, in whole or in part, including abstracts.

Human and Animal Rights:

For experimental, clinical, and human drug studies, approval by the ethics committee is required, along with a statement confirming adherence to international agreements, such as the WMA Declaration of Helsinki ("Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects," amended in October 2013). For experimental animal studies, authors must indicate that procedures followed are in accordance with animal rights guidelines, including the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and that approval was obtained from the animal ethics committee. The ethics committee approval document should be submitted along with the manuscript.

The Methods section must include details regarding ethics committee approval, adherence to international guidelines, and proof of informed consent, especially for case reports where data or media may reveal a patient's identity. For individuals under 18 years of age, a consent form signed by both parents or a legal guardian is required.