Article Retraction and Withdrawal

The Journal of Spirituality and Counseling (JSC) upholds academic integrity and follows international best practices in handling article retraction and withdrawal, guided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Article Withdrawal

Authors may request withdrawal of their manuscript before publication if they have valid reasons (e.g., duplicate submission, major errors, or ethical concerns).

• A withdrawal request must be sent in writing to the Editor-in-Chief, stating the reasons.

• If approved, the manuscript will be marked as “Withdrawn” in the journal system.

• Withdrawal after acceptance or during production is strongly discouraged and will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

2. Article Retraction

Retraction may occur after publication when:

• Clear evidence shows that the findings are unreliable due to misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification) or honest error.

• The article has been published elsewhere without proper citation or permission (duplicate publication).

• The article contains unethical research or violates professional standards.

• Authors failed to disclose conflicts of interest that could affect the integrity of the work.

Retracted articles will remain accessible online but will be clearly marked with the word “Retracted” on each page, along with an explanation of the reason for retraction.

3. Article Correction

If minor errors that do not affect the overall findings are identified, the journal may issue a correction notice (erratum or corrigendum) instead of a full retraction.

4. Retraction Responsibility

Retractions may be initiated by the authors, the editor, or the publisher. The decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the editorial board, following COPE guidelines.