Corrections Policy

This policy covers corrections, retractions and expressions of concern.

NJRST is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity and transparency of the scholarly record. Where errors, omissions or concerns are identified in published content, the journal will assess the matter carefully and take appropriate action.

This policy applies to all content published by the journal, including research articles, review articles, case studies, invited papers, book reviews, editorials and special issue contributions.

General principles

NJRST will correct the scholarly record when necessary. Post-publication updates will be handled transparently, proportionately and fairly.

The journal distinguishes between minor errors that do not affect the scholarly record and substantive issues that may affect the interpretation, reliability or integrity of a published work.

Corrections, retractions and expressions of concern will be published in a visible, clearly labelled and permanently linked manner.

Corrections

A correction may be issued when a published article contains an error that does not invalidate the findings, arguments or conclusions but should be corrected for accuracy, clarity or transparency.

Corrections may relate to:

  • factual errors;
  • errors in author names, affiliations or acknowledgements;
  • missing or incorrect funding information;
  • errors in tables, figures, maps or captions;
  • incorrect citations or references;
  • production or typesetting errors; or
  • omissions that affect the clarity or completeness of the article.

Corrections will not normally be issued for minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect meaning, interpretation or indexing.

Retractions

A retraction may be issued when there is clear evidence that a published article is unreliable, seriously flawed, unethical or otherwise unsuitable to remain part of the scholarly record as a valid publication.

Grounds for retraction may include:

  • plagiarism or substantial unattributed overlap;
  • duplicate or redundant publication;
  • fabricated, falsified or unreliable data;
  • serious methodological or analytical errors that invalidate the conclusions;
  • unethical research conduct;
  • failure to obtain required permissions, consent or ethical approval;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the work;
  • manipulated or misleading images, data or citations;
  • authorship misconduct; or
  • legal or ethical concerns requiring withdrawal from the scholarly record.

A retraction does not normally remove the article from the record. The original article will remain accessible wherever possible, but it will be clearly marked as retracted and linked to the retraction notice.

Expressions of concern

NJRST may publish an expression of concern where serious questions have been raised about a published article, but the outcome of an investigation is not yet known or cannot be resolved within a reasonable timeframe.

An expression of concern may be issued when:

  • there is credible evidence of possible misconduct;
  • an institutional investigation is ongoing;
  • authors or institutions have not provided sufficient information;
  • the reliability of the article is in doubt but the evidence is not yet conclusive; or
  • readers should be alerted to a potential concern while the matter is being assessed.

If the concern is resolved, the expression of concern may be followed by a correction, retraction, clarification or notice indicating that no further action is required.

Procedure for raising concerns

Concerns about published content may be raised by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions or other stakeholders. Concerns should be submitted to mshahungu@ncrst.na and should include:

  • the title of the article;
  • the author name(s);
  • the article DOI or URL, where available;
  • a clear description of the concern; and
  • supporting evidence or documentation, where applicable.

The journal will assess the concern and may consult authors, editors, reviewers, institutions, funders, ethics committees or other relevant bodies.

Publication of notices

Correction, retraction and expression of concern notices will be written in clear, factual language and will avoid defamatory or unnecessarily punitive wording. Notices will be linked to the affected article and, where applicable, article metadata will be updated.

Updated: 21 May 2026