Correction and Retraction Policy

Abdimas: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Universitas Merdeka Malang is committed to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and permanent record of published community service research. Recognizing that errors may occasionally occur post-publication, the journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Retraction Guidelines to handle corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, and retractions.

1. Article Corrections (Corrigendum / Erratum)

Corrections are published when minor errors or omissions are identified that do not invalidate the overall findings, scientific integrity, or practical outcomes of the reported community service program.

  • Erratum: Published to correct significant errors introduced by the journal during the editing, layout, or typesetting process.

  • Corrigendum: Published to correct significant errors made by the authors during data collection, analysis, or manuscript preparation.

  • Procedure: The correction notice will be published in the next available issue, linked to the original article, and indexed properly on the journal’s OJS platform. The original article will remain accessible with a clear watermark or link indicating the correction.

2. Addendum

An Addendum is published if supplementary explanation, missed acknowledgments, or additional context regarding the field implementation, community partner agreement, or methodology is needed to ensure full transparency, without altering the original findings.

3. Expression of Concern

The Editorial Board may issue an Expression of Concern if:

  • There is well-founded evidence or allegation of research or publication misconduct, but the investigation is complex, inconclusive, or ongoing.

  • An investigation by the author's institution or funding body is delayed or fails to provide a clear resolution in a reasonable timeframe.

4. Article Retraction

Retraction is a formal mechanism used to correct the literature and alert readers to serious issues of integrity or validity.

  • Criteria for Retraction: An article will be retracted if the Editorial Board finds clear evidence of:

    • Major research misconduct (e.g., fabrication or falsification of field data, implementation photos, or community engagement results).

    • Severe plagiarism or self-plagiarism.

    • Redundant publication (the work was published elsewhere without proper cross-referencing).

    • Unethical research conduct or failure to obtain proper consent/ethics approval from community partners.

    • Unreliable or misleading main conclusions due to fundamental scientific or practical errors.

  • Retraction Process:

    1. The HTML and PDF versions of the article will be updated with a prominent "RETRACTED" watermark across all pages.

    2. A formal Retraction Notice titled "Retraction: [Article Title]" will be published in the journal, explaining the detailed reason for the retraction and identifying who initiated it (authors or editors).

    3. The original article will remain publicly accessible on the OJS website for historical and legal archiving purposes, accompanied by the formal Retraction Statement.

5. Article Removal

In extremely rare cases, an article may be completely removed from the online platform. Removal occurs only if:

  • The article is subject to a legal court order or statutory ruling.

  • The content poses a direct, severe health, safety, or legal risk to the community or general public.

  • The publication violates fundamental human rights or privacy rights of community members/participants.

6. Reporting and Inquiries

Authors, reviewers, and readers who identify errors or potential grounds for retraction are encouraged to report them immediately with supporting evidence via email to the Editorial Office at [email protected].