Corrections, expressions of concern and retractions

Editorial & peer review · editorial note

The scholarly record is not frozen once a paper is published. Errors are found, data are re-examined, and occasionally serious problems come to light that change what a published article can be taken to mean. Journals handle these situations through a defined set of notices, so that readers can see what changed and why. Knowing how corrections and retractions work helps an author respond properly to a mistake. This page explains the main notices and what you should confirm on the journal's official pages.

Why the record has to be corrected

Published research is used by others, sometimes in ways that affect safety or further study. If a claim is wrong or a result cannot be relied upon, leaving it unmarked would mislead readers who trust the literature. Corrections exist so that the record stays as accurate as it can be without pretending that mistakes never happen.

Correcting a paper is not the same as condemning its authors. Most corrections follow honest errors, and the notice is a sign that the journal is maintaining its standards rather than hiding a problem.

Corrections and errata

A correction changes a detail in a published article, such as a value, a figure, a name or a statement, without altering the study's main conclusions. The original article usually remains available and is linked to the correction, so readers can see both what was published and what was amended.

Corrections are appropriate when the science stands but something in the presentation was wrong. They are recorded formally because the paper may already have been cited, and readers need to know which version to rely on.

Expressions of concern

An expression of concern is issued when the journal has reason to question an article but the matter is not yet resolved. It flags uncertainty to readers while an investigation continues. Once the question is settled, the notice is replaced by an outcome, which may be a correction, a retraction or a statement that no action is needed.

This notice protects readers in the interval without prejudging the result. It is a temporary marker rather than a final judgement.

Retractions

A retraction withdraws a published article from the citable record because its findings cannot be relied upon. The reasons range from honest error that cannot be corrected to misconduct such as fabricated or falsified data. The retraction notice states the reason clearly, and the original article is usually retained but marked as retracted.

Retraction is not the same as removal. Keeping the article visible, with a prominent notice, is what allows readers and databases to update their records correctly and prevents the retracted claims from continuing to circulate unmarked.

The main notices compared

The table below summarises the notices and what each one signals. Journals may use slightly different names, and the definitions they publish take precedence over any general summary.

Notice	What it signals	What happens to the article
Correction	A detail was wrong	Remains, with a linked amendment
Erratum	A publisher-side error	Remains, with a linked note
Expression of concern	Matter under investigation	Remains, flagged temporarily
Retraction	Findings cannot be relied on	Remains, marked as retracted
Replacement	A revised version is issued	Version history is recorded

What authors should do if they find an error

If you discover a problem in your own published work, contact the journal promptly and explain the situation accurately. Honest self-correction is treated far more favourably than concealment, and a clear account of what went wrong and how it affects the conclusions helps the editors act quickly. Do not wait until someone else finds it.

If you believe someone else's published work is wrong, the usual route is to raise it with the journal, providing specific evidence rather than a general objection. The journal will consider whether a notice is warranted, and the decision rests with its editors.

What to confirm on the official pages

Journals publish their policies on corrections and retractions, and these can change. The following points are worth checking before a situation arises.

How to report an error in a published article.
What the journal's policy says on corrections and retractions.
Whether the journal follows recognised integrity guidelines.
How notices are linked to the original article.
Whether permanent identifiers are updated alongside the notice.

Preserving trust in the record

A literature that corrects itself is more trustworthy than one that never admits a mistake. Notices are the mechanism that keeps the record honest while preserving the history of what was published. Readers benefit when problems are marked clearly rather than quietly removed.

Authors benefit too, because a clear policy reduces the fear that a minor error will be treated as misconduct. Because the specific policies and procedures are set by the publisher, read the journal's official pages for the current rules on corrections, concerns and retractions.

Corrections, expressions of concern and retractions let the scholarly record stay accurate as knowledge develops and as problems come to light. They are a sign of a functioning journal, not a scandal, and honest self-correction is always preferable to concealment. Policies differ between publishers and can change, so confirm the current rules on the journal's official pages.

Research integrity. Sound science rests on honest reporting, transparent methods and respect for ethical standards. Nothing on this site replaces the journal’s official instructions or the policies of your institution. When in doubt, confirm the current requirements with the editorial office and check the journal’s official pages.