Correction and Retraction Policy

The Asian Journal of Qualitative Research (AJQR) issues corrections, retraction statements, and other post-publication updates, including Editor’s Notes and Editorial Expressions of Concern on published content. The following are categories of corrections and post-publication updates applicable to peer-reviewed research and review-type articles, as well as certain non-peer-reviewed content. Significant errors in Supplementary Information and Extended Data are corrected in the same manner as amendments to the main article. Except for Editor’s Notes, all amendments are bi-directionally linked to the original article and indexed.

AJQR includes the Crossmark button on the HTML and online PDFs of all articles, allowing readers to verify that they are viewing the most up-to-date version. By clicking the Crossmark button, readers can access a record of all formal amendments and corrections.

Types of Corrections and Amendments

Author Correction: Issued to correct significant errors made by authors that impact the integrity of the research, publication record, or reputation of the authors or journal.
Author Name Change: Authors who change their names post-publication may request a correction according to AJQR’s name change policy.
Publisher Correction: Issued when significant errors made by the journal affect the integrity of the publication or misrepresent findings.
Addendum: Published when important additional information relevant to the reader’s understanding of the article emerges post-publication.
Editor's Note: A notification alerting readers of an inquiry initiated by the journal regarding concerns about a published article. These notes appear only in the online HTML version and are not indexed.
Editorial Expression of Concern: A formal statement from the editors highlighting serious concerns regarding the integrity of a published paper. These are bi-directionally linked to the original article, assigned a DOI, and indexed in major scholarly databases.

Publishing an Editor’s Note or Editorial Expression of Concern aligns with Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) recommendations and helps inform readers while an investigation is underway. Once resolved, these notes may be replaced by a formal correction or retraction.

Retraction Policy

An article may be retracted when its integrity is significantly compromised due to errors in research design, analysis, or reporting. Violations of publication or research ethics may also lead to retractions. The original article will be marked as retracted, but a PDF version will remain accessible, with the retraction statement linked bi-directionally to the original article. Retraction statements generally include author assent or dissent.

For transparency, when corrections affect data in figures, tables, or text, the amendment notice will reproduce the original data. If modifying older articles is not feasible, the article will remain unchanged but will contain a bi-directional link to the published amendment notice.

Removal of Published Content

In exceptional cases, AJQR reserves the right to remove an article, chapter, or other content from its online platform under the following circumstances:

The content is defamatory, infringes intellectual property rights, violates privacy laws, or is otherwise legally contentious.
A court or government order mandates removal.
The content poses an immediate and serious risk to public health.

In such cases, bibliographic metadata (e.g., title and authors) will be retained, along with a statement explaining the removal.

Post-Publication Commentary & Matters Arising

AJQR acknowledges the importance of post-publication discourse. Formal challenges, clarifications, or replications may be submitted as Matters Arising, subject to peer review. Submission criteria and the review process for Matters Arising are outlined in AJQR’s Guide to Authors.

Addressing Post-Publication Issues

AJQR is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and thoroughly investigates concerns raised by authors and readers. Authors are given an opportunity to respond to raised concerns, and investigations may involve reviewing original data or consulting subject-matter experts. Possible outcomes include:

A correction or addendum.
An Editor’s Note or Editorial Expression of Concern (typically followed by a second notice upon investigation completion).
Retraction of the article.
Notification to the author’s institution in cases of severe ethical violations.

While AJQR prioritizes transparency, the goal is to safeguard the integrity of the published record rather than penalize individuals. Investigation reports from institutions, if publicly available, may be referenced. Investigations can take time due to data verification and expert consultation, but AJQR will issue Editor’s Notes or Editorial Expressions of Concern to inform readers of potential issues when necessary.