Correction and Retraction

Metamorfosa is committed to maintaining the accuracy, credibility, transparency, and integrity of the scientific record in pharmaceutical sciences. If errors, inaccuracies, or ethical violations are identified in published articles, the journal will address these concerns promptly, transparently, fairly, and in accordance with internationally recognized publication ethics standards.

This policy is based on the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), particularly the COPE Retraction Guidelines. Concerns regarding published articles may be raised by authors, readers, peer reviewers, members of the Editorial Board, affiliated institutions, or other relevant parties. Reports may be submitted through the journal's Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform or by email to Metamorfosa.

Types of Editorial Actions

1. Correction (Erratum/Corrigendum)

A correction will be issued when errors are identified in a published article but do not substantially affect the validity of the research data, methodology, findings, or principal conclusions. Corrections may be classified as follows:

Erratum: A correction addressing errors introduced during the journal's editorial or production process, such as editing mistakes, formatting errors, layout problems, or publication-related inaccuracies.
Corrigendum: A correction addressing errors originating from the authors, such as inaccuracies in author names, institutional affiliations, numerical values in tables, measurement units, figure legends, or other aspects of the published article.

Correction notices will be published in the next available journal issue and electronically linked to the original article through reciprocal links.

The online version of the article may be updated where appropriate, provided that all modifications are clearly documented and the publication history remains transparent and traceable.

2. Expression of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued when serious concerns arise regarding the reliability, validity, or integrity of a published article, but the available evidence is insufficient to justify an immediate retraction. An Expression of Concern may also be published when:

An investigation into suspected research or publication misconduct is ongoing.
Substantial concerns have been identified, but the findings remain inconclusive.
The authors' affiliated institutions or other responsible authorities have not yet completed or reported the results of their investigations.
Significant concerns remain unresolved despite reasonable efforts to obtain clarification.

The Expression of Concern will be clearly linked to the article concerned and made publicly accessible. Depending on the outcome of subsequent investigations, the journal may issue a correction, retract the article, or withdraw the Expression of Concern if the concerns are satisfactorily resolved or proven to be unfounded.

3. Retraction

A retraction will be considered when a published article contains serious errors, unreliable findings, or significant ethical violations that substantially undermine its scientific validity, reliability, or integrity. Grounds for retraction may include, but are not limited to:

Data fabrication or falsification: The deliberate creation, alteration, or misrepresentation of research data or results.
Plagiarism: The unauthorized use of another person's ideas, text, data, or intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgment or attribution.
Duplicate or redundant publication: The publication of substantially similar findings in more than one journal without proper disclosure, justification, or acknowledgment.
Serious methodological or analytical errors: Fundamental errors in research design, data collection, statistical analysis, or interpretation that invalidate the main findings or conclusions.
Research ethics violations: Failure to obtain required ethical approval or appropriate informed consent for studies involving human participants or animals, where applicable.
Authorship or conflict-of-interest misconduct: Serious authorship irregularities or undisclosed conflicts of interest that compromise the integrity or reliability of the published research.
Peer-review manipulation: Any form of deliberate interference, misrepresentation, or manipulation of the peer-review process.

Retraction decisions will be based on a careful assessment of the available evidence and the extent to which the identified issues compromise the reliability or integrity of the published article.

Procedures for Handling Corrections and Retractions

The Jurnal Riset Kefarmasian Indonesia follows a structured and transparent editorial process for evaluating concerns regarding published articles.

1. Receipt and Acknowledgment of Reports

The Editorial Board will record and acknowledge receipt of reports concerning potential errors, inaccuracies, or ethical violations within seven (7) working days of receiving the report. Reports should include sufficient information to identify the article concerned and clearly describe the issues raised, along with any relevant supporting evidence or documentation.

2. Preliminary Assessment

The Editor-in-Chief will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the reported concerns are credible, relevant, and sufficiently supported to warrant further investigation. Reports that lack adequate supporting information may be returned to the complainant for clarification or additional evidence.

3. Clarification and Investigation

Where further investigation is necessary, the corresponding author will be contacted and requested to provide a written explanation and relevant supporting documentation within fourteen (14) working days of receiving the request. Depending on the nature and complexity of the concerns, the journal may consult peer reviewers, independent subject-matter experts, research integrity specialists, or the authors' affiliated institutions. All investigations will be conducted objectively, fairly, and with due consideration for the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved.

4. Editorial Decision

Following the assessment and investigation, the Editorial Board will determine the appropriate editorial action based on the available evidence and applicable publication ethics guidelines. Possible outcomes include:

Publication of a correction (Erratum or Corrigendum).
Publication of an Expression of Concern.
Retraction of the published article.
No further editorial action when the concerns are unsupported or satisfactorily resolved.

The final decision will be made by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Editorial Board, taking into account the principles of fairness, transparency, and scientific integrity.

5. Publication and Notification

When corrective editorial action is required, the journal will publish the relevant notice in a timely and transparent manner. The journal will notify the parties concerned, including the authors, affiliated institutions, and relevant indexing or abstracting services, where appropriate. All published notices will be clearly linked to the original article to preserve the accuracy and traceability of the scientific record.

Requirements for Retraction Notices

To ensure transparency and compliance with recognized publication ethics standards, all retraction notices published by Metamorfosa will:

Be freely accessible to readers and electronically linked to the original retracted article.
Clearly identify the article being retracted, including its title, authors, journal citation details, and Digital Object Identifier (DOI), where available.
Identify the party responsible for initiating or issuing the retraction, such as the authors, the journal, or another relevant party.
Provide a clear, factual, objective, and sufficiently detailed explanation of the reasons for retraction, without using unnecessarily accusatory or defamatory language.
Be published promptly after the retraction decision has been finalized to minimize the continued citation or use of unreliable findings.

Retracted articles will not ordinarily be removed from the journal's archives. Instead, the original articles will remain accessible to preserve the integrity and completeness of the scholarly record. Each page of the PDF version of a retracted article will be clearly marked with the watermark or statement "RETRACTED". The corresponding article page in the journal's OJS platform will also prominently display its retracted status. Complete removal of a published article will be considered only under exceptional circumstances, such as when the content violates applicable laws, contains defamatory material, infringes legal rights, or poses a serious risk to public health or safety. Any removal decision will be documented appropriately, and a bibliographic record or removal notice will be retained whenever legally and technically permissible.

Authors' Rights and Responsibilities

Authors are expected to uphold the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics throughout and after the publication process. The following rights and responsibilities apply:

Duty to report errors: Authors must promptly inform the Editorial Board if they discover significant errors, inaccuracies, or ethical concerns in their published articles.
Right to clarification and response: Authors have the right to provide explanations, submit supporting evidence, and respond to allegations before a final editorial decision is made, except where urgent action is necessary to protect the scientific record or public interest.
Right to request retraction: Authors may request the retraction of their own published articles by submitting a formal written request explaining the reasons and providing relevant supporting documentation. Such requests will be evaluated in accordance with the journal's editorial policies and COPE guidelines.
Responsibility for ethical compliance: Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with applicable ethical standards, institutional requirements, and publication policies.
Consequences of serious misconduct: Authors found to have committed serious research or publication misconduct may be subject to appropriate editorial measures, including temporary restrictions on future submissions and notification of their affiliated institutions, where justified.

Any such measures will be applied proportionately, fairly, and in accordance with established editorial procedures.

Article Removal, Confidentiality, and Publication Fees

All reports, investigations, and editorial deliberations relating to corrections and retractions will be handled professionally and with appropriate confidentiality. The journal will make reasonable efforts to protect the identities of individuals reporting potential misconduct or publication concerns, to the extent permitted by applicable laws, institutional requirements, and the need for a fair investigation. Information obtained during investigations will be disclosed only to individuals or organizations with a legitimate role in evaluating or resolving the reported concerns. The journal is committed to maintaining a fair, impartial, and transparent process while safeguarding the rights of complainants, authors, reviewers, and other relevant parties. Metamorfosa does not impose any fees on authors for the publication of correction notices, Expressions of Concern, or retraction notices.