Correction and Retraction Policy

Jurnal Laboratorium Khatulistiwa (JLK) is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent, and trustworthy scholarly record. When errors or concerns about research integrity arise after publication, the journal will assess the available evidence and take appropriate and proportionate action.

Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions serve to inform readers and protect the integrity of the scientific literature in midwifery, maternal and child health, reproductive health, and related health sciences. These actions are not intended as punishment, and retraction does not necessarily imply deliberate misconduct.

1. Reporting an Error or Concern

Authors must promptly notify the editorial office when they discover a significant error or research integrity concern in their published work. Readers, reviewers, and other parties may also report concerns.

Reports should be submitted through the journal’s Contact page and should include:

  • The article title, author names, and DOI or article URL.

  • A clear description of the error or concern.

  • The affected passages, figures, tables, references, or other content.

  • Supporting evidence and, where possible, the proposed correction.

  • Any relevant competing interests of the person reporting the concern.

Anonymous reports will be assessed when they contain sufficiently specific and credible information. There is no fixed expiry date for reporting a substantive problem with a published article.

2. Corrections

A correction is appropriate when an error affects the accuracy, clarity, attribution, or interpretation of part of an article, but the principal findings and overall conclusions remain reliable. Errors introduced by either the authors or the journal may require correction.

Examples include:

  • Incorrect numerical values, labels, quotations, or references that do not invalidate the main conclusions.

  • Errors in tables or figures that can be corrected without undermining the study.

  • Omitted or inaccurate funding or conflict-of-interest declarations.

  • Incorrect author details or justified changes to authorship attribution following appropriate assessment.

  • Production errors that materially affect the published content.

The correction notice will identify the article, explain the error, provide the corrected information, and state any implications for the findings or conclusions.

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect meaning, attribution, discoverability, or interpretation may be addressed without a separate formal notice. Substantive amendments must not be made silently.

3. Expressions of Concern

An expression of concern may be issued when significant questions about an article’s reliability or ethical integrity remain unresolved and readers need to be informed.

This may be appropriate when:

  • Available evidence raises substantial concerns but is not yet sufficient for a definitive conclusion.

  • An institutional or editorial inquiry is ongoing and a timely resolution is unlikely.

  • A relevant investigation cannot be completed, or its fairness or adequacy is uncertain.

An expression of concern is not a finding of misconduct. It will describe the nature of the unresolved issue without presenting unverified allegations as established facts.

Once sufficient information becomes available, the journal will publish an update explaining the outcome, which may include a correction, retraction, or resolution of the concern. The notices will remain linked to preserve the history of the assessment.

4. Retractions

Retraction is appropriate when sufficiently established problems make an article unreliable or fundamentally compromise its publication integrity, and a correction would not adequately address the problem.

Grounds for retraction may include:

  • Unreliable findings resulting from fabrication, falsification, or a substantial honest error

  • Substantial plagiarism or misappropriation of research content.
  • Redundant publication without appropriate disclosure, permission, or justification.
  • Serious ethical breaches affecting the research or its publication.
  • A compromised or manipulated peer-review process that undermines the basis for publication.
  • A major undisclosed competing interest that materially affects the interpretation or evaluation of the work.
  • Unauthorised use of materials or other serious publication problems that cannot be adequately resolved through correction.

    Honest error may justify retraction even when no misconduct is established. Conversely, an authorship dispute, an omitted declaration, or disagreement with an article’s conclusions does not automatically justify retraction.

    Authors may request retraction and provide their reasons. The final decision rests with the journal’s independent editorial assessment. Retraction may proceed without unanimous author agreement when the evidence warrants it.