Retraction Policy

Retraction Policy

Retraction Policy

1. General Principles

The journal “Psychological Journal” is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and adheres to international standards of publication ethics.

The retraction procedure is carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and best practices of international academic publishing.

2. Grounds for Retraction

An article may be retracted in the case of:

  • plagiarism or self-plagiarism
  • data fabrication or falsification
  • serious errors affecting the reliability of the results
  • duplicate publication
  • inappropriate or fraudulent authorship
  • violations of ethical standards (involving humans, animals, or personal data)
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest
  • manipulation of the peer review process

3. Initiation of Retraction

The retraction process may be initiated by:

  • the editorial office
  • the author(s)
  • reviewers
  • readers or other concerned parties
  • institutions or organizations

4. Investigation Procedure

The process includes several stages:

4.1. Initial Assessment

The editorial office evaluates whether there are sufficient grounds for retraction.

4.2. Author Notification

The author(s) are contacted and requested to provide an explanation.

4.3. Investigation

If necessary:

  • independent experts are involved
  • additional analysis of materials is conducted

4.4. Decision-Making

The final decision is made by the editor or editorial board.

5. Outcomes

Possible outcomes include:

  • correction (corrigendum / erratum)
  • publication of an expression of concern
  • full retraction of the article

6. Retraction Process and Notice

In the case of retraction:

  • the article remains accessible online
  • it is clearly marked as “Retracted”
  • a separate retraction notice is published
  • the reasons for retraction are clearly stated
  • the retraction is linked to the article’s DOI

7. Transparency and Notification

Information about retractions:

  • is publicly available
  • is published on the journal’s website
  • may be communicated to indexing databases

8. Cooperation with Institutions

In cases of serious misconduct, the journal may:

  • contact the author’s institution
  • request a formal investigation

9. Appeals

Authors have the right to appeal retraction decisions.

Appeals must:

  • be submitted in writing
  • include detailed justification

Appeals are reviewed independently, and the final decision is binding.

10. Timeline

The journal aims to complete the retraction process within: