The International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Higher Education (IJMSHE) is dedicated to maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the academic record. Published articles are preserved as valid and unaltered as much as possible. However, in exceptional cases, it may be necessary to correct, retract, or withdraw a published article. Such decisions are made by the Editorial Team in accordance with the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure transparency and accountability.

In cases where rectifications are necessary, the journal follows standard procedures for issuing errata, corrections, retractions, or, in rare circumstances, removals, based on the nature and severity of the issue. These procedures are intended to uphold the academic integrity of the journal and ensure that any changes are clearly documented.

Errata

Errata are issued when an error or omission made by the journal could affect the publication’s record or the reputation of the authors or journal, without compromising the academic integrity of the article.

In such cases:

• The article will be corrected.
• A notice of errata will be published separately, detailing the error and the changes made. This notice will be linked to the corrected version of the article.
• A final note referencing the errata will be included in the article.
• The errata document will be paginated and assigned a DOI.

Corrections

Corrections are published when an error or omission made by the author needs to be addressed, potentially affecting the publication’s record or the reputation of the authors or journal, without impacting the academic integrity of the article.

In such cases:

• The article will be corrected.
• A notification of correction will be published separately and linked to the corrected article, providing clear details of the changes.
• A final note referencing the correction notice will be included in the article.
• The correction document will be paginated and assigned a DOI.

Retractions

Retractions are issued when a significant error invalidates the conclusions of the article or in cases of research or publication misconduct. Authors may request retraction if any of the following criteria apply:

• Clear evidence exists that the findings are unreliable due to misconduct (e.g., fabricated data) or honest error (e.g., miscalculation).
• The findings were previously published elsewhere without appropriate cross-referencing or permission (e.g., redundant publication).
• The research involves plagiarism.
• Fraudulent authorship is evident.
• The peer review process was compromised.
• Ethical or professional standards were violated.

When an article is retracted:

• A "Retracted Article" watermark is added to the article's record.
• The article’s title is prefixed with “Retracted Article: [Title of the Article].”
• A separate retraction notice titled “Retraction: [Title of the Article]” is published, signed by the journal editors, and linked to the retracted article.
• The retraction notice will be paginated and assigned a DOI.

Removal of Articles

In extraordinary circumstances, an article may be removed if the issues are too severe to be resolved through correction or retraction.

Removal occurs only when:

• The article is defamatory or violates legal rights.
• A court order mandates the article’s removal.
• The article poses a serious health risk if left publicly accessible.

In the event of removal, the article’s metadata (title and authorship) will remain, and a statement will replace the text, indicating that the article has been removed for legal or safety reasons.