Article Retraction Policy

The Journal of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University. Biology follows the principles of transparency, research integrity, and preservation of the scholarly record. Retraction of a published article is undertaken not as a punishment of the author(s), but as a mechanism for correcting the literature when a publication is unreliable, seriously breaches ethical standards, or otherwise fails to meet the standards of scholarly publishing.

1. Purpose of Retraction

The purpose of retraction is to:

correct the scholarly record;
inform readers that a published article is unreliable or problematic;
ensure transparency of post-publication editorial decisions;
maintain trust in the journal and scholarly communication.
2. Grounds for Retraction

The journal may consider retraction of a published article where there are sufficient grounds to believe that:

the results or conclusions are unreliable due to a serious error, methodological defect, incorrect data handling, or other major flaws;
fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data, images, or other materials has occurred;
the article contains plagiarism or substantial improper appropriation of text or ideas;
the article constitutes duplicate, redundant, or unauthorized republication;
the research was conducted in violation of ethical requirements;
a significant undisclosed conflict of interest is discovered that may have affected the interpretation, evaluation, or trustworthiness of the publication;
other serious breaches of publication ethics or forms of misrepresentation concerning authorship, origin of data, or manuscript preparation are established.
3. Initiation of the Procedure

A retraction review may be initiated by:

the Editor-in-Chief;
a member of the Editorial Board;
an author or co-author;
a reviewer;
a reader;
the author’s institution;
an indexing, ethics, or other authorized body.

Any concerns potentially leading to retraction are assessed confidentially and impartially by the editorial office.

4. Preliminary Assessment

After receiving information about a possible problem, the journal conducts a preliminary assessment of the case. At this stage, the editorial office may:

examine available materials, records, publication data, and explanations;
request additional information from the author(s), complainant, institution, or other relevant parties;
consult the Editorial Board or external experts;
initiate an additional ethics review.
5. Authors’ Explanations

Before a final decision on retraction is made, the journal will, whenever possible, provide the corresponding author or all authors with an opportunity to submit written explanations within a reasonable period of time. Failure of the author(s) to respond does not prevent the journal from proceeding if the available evidence is sufficient for a decision.

6. Expression of Concern

If there are serious grounds for concern regarding the reliability or ethical acceptability of an article, but the investigation has not yet been completed, the journal may publish an expression of concern. This is used as an interim measure to alert readers while the case is under review.

7. Decision-Making

The final decision on retraction is made by the Editor-in-Chief and, where appropriate, after consultation with the Editorial Board, ethics advisers, the publisher, or authorized representatives of the relevant institution.

Following review of the case, the journal may decide to:

take no further action;
publish a correction or editorial note;
publish an expression of concern;
retract the article;
in exceptional circumstances, retract the article with removal from public access.
8. Issuing a Retraction

If a decision to retract is made, the journal will:

publish a separate retraction notice;
clearly identify the article being retracted;
state the main reasons for retraction;
where appropriate, indicate who initiated or supported the retraction;
link the retraction notice to the original article;
ensure that the retraction notice is openly accessible.

A retraction notice must be clearly identified as an editorial document and must avoid defamatory or unsubstantiated statements.

9. Status of the Original Article After Retraction

As a rule, the original article is not removed from the journal website, since it remains part of the scholarly record. After retraction:

the article remains available on the website;
the PDF is marked with a “Retracted” or equivalent watermark;
the article landing page contains a link to the retraction notice;
where technically possible, the publication metadata are updated accordingly.
10. Exceptional Removal Cases

Complete removal of an article from open access may occur only in exceptional circumstances, including where:

the material violates the law;
it contains defamatory content;
it breaches privacy or confidentiality;
it is subject to a court order;
it poses a serious risk to public health or safety.

In such cases, the journal will seek to preserve the minimum necessary bibliographic record of the publication and publish an editorial notice explaining the reason for removal to the extent permitted by law.

11. Timeliness and Transparency

The journal seeks to handle potential retraction cases without undue delay. If the review requires significant time, the editorial office may publish an expression of concern before a final decision is reached.

12. Appeals

The author(s) may submit a reasoned written appeal against a retraction decision. Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, where necessary, by members of the Editorial Board who were not involved in the initial consideration of the case. The decision following appeal is final.