Post-Publication and Accountability Policy
Corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, withdrawals, post-publication discussion, complaints and appeals
The Asian Journal of Computer Science and Technology (AJCST) is committed to protecting the accuracy, integrity and reliability of the scholarly record after publication. Concerns about published content are assessed fairly, proportionately and with appropriate confidentiality. Where relevant, AJCST refers to guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and applies its own Publication Ethics & Publication Malpractice Statement.
1. Correction Policy
AJCST may publish a correction when an error affects the accuracy, interpretation, attribution or integrity of an article but does not invalidate the work as a whole. A formal correction should identify the affected article, explain the change clearly and be linked to the published Version of Record. Corrections involving authorship, research-integrity matters or other ethical issues should also be handled consistently with the Publication Ethics & Publication Malpractice Statement.
Minor typographical, formatting or production errors that do not alter meaning or the scholarly record may be corrected without a separate formal notice when appropriate. Material changes should not be made silently.
2. Retraction Policy
AJCST may retract a published article when its findings are unreliable because of a major error or research misconduct, or when there is evidence of plagiarism, duplicate or redundant publication, fabricated or falsified data, serious ethical non-compliance, manipulated peer review, copyright infringement or another problem that materially compromises the article. Retraction decisions should be proportionate to the concern and informed, where applicable, by the COPE Retraction Guidelines.
A retraction notice should state the reason for the action and, where appropriate, identify who initiated it. The original article should normally remain in the scholarly record and be clearly marked as retracted. Removal without an explanatory record should be reserved for compelling legal, privacy or safety circumstances.
3. Expressions of Concern
AJCST may issue an Expression of Concern when significant questions about the integrity or reliability of a published article remain unresolved and an investigation is incomplete, inconclusive, substantially delayed or dependent on information from an institution, funder, ethics body or another responsible organisation. The notice should be linked to the article and updated when the matter is resolved. This approach is consistent with the post-publication principles described in the COPE Core Practices.
4. Article Withdrawal
Withdrawal may be considered for an article that has been accepted or posted online before final publication when serious errors, duplicate publication, legal concerns or ethical violations make continued publication inappropriate. The action should be documented transparently.
If a public record already exists, AJCST should retain an appropriate notice explaining the withdrawal rather than removing the record without explanation, except where legal, privacy or safety considerations require otherwise. Relevant privacy matters should be assessed with reference to the AJCST Privacy Policy.
5. Article Replacement
Article replacement is exceptional. If a published article contains serious flaws but a corrected version is necessary to protect readers or the scholarly record, AJCST may retract the original publication and issue a corrected replacement. The replacement and retraction notice should be permanently cross-linked so that the publication history remains transparent.
6. Post-Publication Discussion
AJCST welcomes reasoned scholarly discussion about published articles. Readers and authors may submit comments, letters, clarifications or concerns to the AJCST editorial office. Where appropriate, the authors of the original article may be invited to respond. Correspondence may be considered for publication when it makes a meaningful scholarly contribution and meets the journal’s editorial and ethical requirements. The journal may also consult COPE guidance on handling post-publication critiques.
7. Complaints and Appeals
Complaints and appeals should be submitted in writing to the editorial office. The communication should identify the relevant manuscript or article, describe the issue, explain the grounds for the complaint or appeal and include supporting information. Complaints and appeals should be considered fairly and without unnecessary delay in accordance with the journal’s Publication Ethics & Publication Malpractice Statement.
An appeal against an editorial decision should identify a material error in the review or decision process. An appeal does not guarantee reconsideration, acceptance or publication. Where the complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief or another editor directly involved in the matter, it should be assigned to an independent senior editor or publisher representative who was not involved in the original decision. For peer-review-related appeals, readers and authors may also consult the AJCST Peer Review Process.
8. Research Misconduct and Institutional Cooperation
When a post-publication concern suggests possible research or publication misconduct, AJCST may request explanations or supporting records, consult independent experts, review editorial and peer-review records, apply relevant COPE guidance or contact the appropriate institution, employer, funder, ethics body or other responsible organisation. Cooperation with institutions may be informed by COPE guidance on cooperation between research institutions and journals.
Possible outcomes include no further action, a correction, an Expression of Concern, retraction, withdrawal or another proportionate notice needed to protect the scholarly record. Related allegations and investigations should be managed under the AJCST Publication Ethics & Publication Malpractice Statement.
9. Transparency and Record Keeping
Post-publication notices should be clearly identified, dated and linked to the affected article whenever technically possible. AJCST aims to preserve the publication history and avoid changes that could mislead readers about what was originally published or why later action was taken. Published records remain discoverable through the journal’s Current Issue and Archives.
10. Version Control and Transparency
AJCST dates formal corrections, Expressions of Concern, retractions, withdrawals and replacement notices, links them permanently to the affected publication and states the change and its reason clearly. The journal avoids silent alteration of the scholarly record when a change materially affects interpretation, attribution, integrity or publication status.
11. Contact
Centre for Research and Innovation (CRI)
9/865, Maruthi Nagar, Rakkipalayam Post, Coimbatore - 641031, Tamil Nadu, India.
Email: editorial@crijournals.org
AJCST contact page: https://ajcst.co/index.php/ajcst/about/contact
