Appeals, Corrections, and Retractions Policy

Quest Press Limited / Macau Sino-Foreign Medical Publishing Limited (MSFMP)

Preamble

Quest Press Limited / Macau Sino-Foreign Medical Publishing Limited (MSFMP) is committed to maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of the scholarly record. In accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), this policy establishes a clear and transparent procedure for handling post-publication corrections, retractions, and author appeals. Our primary goal is to ensure errors are corrected promptly and transparently, and that the published record accurately reflects the state of scientific knowledge.

I. Corrections (Errata)

A correction (erratum) is issued to address a significant error in a published article that does not invalidate its core conclusions.

• Grounds for a Correction: Factual inaccuracies, mislabeled figures or tables, errors in authorship attribution, or omissions in funding/conflict of interest disclosures that constitute a significant oversight.

• Procedure:

  1. When such an error is identified by the authors, readers, or the editorial office, the Editor-in-Chief will assess its significance.

  2. A formal Correction Notice is drafted, clearly linking to the original article and detailing the error and the correction.

  3. The Correction Notice is published as a standalone item in a subsequent issue of the journal and is prominently linked (bi-directionally) to the original article online.

  4. The original article remains published but is updated with a link to the Correction Notice.

II. Retractions

A retraction is a public statement that the conclusions of a published article are no longer considered reliable due to major error, misconduct, or ethical breach.

• Grounds for Retraction: The decision follows COPE guidelines and is made when a published article is found to contain:

  • Pervasive errors that invalidate the core findings.

  • Evidence of scientific misconduct (e.g., data fabrication/falsification, image manipulation, plagiarism).

  • Unethical research conduct (e.g., absence of required ethical approvals, consent violations).

  • Duplicate or redundant publication without proper attribution.

• Procedure:

  1. An investigation is initiated by the editorial office, following COPE flowcharts, involving communication with the corresponding author and relevant institutions.

  2. If retraction is warranted, a formal Retraction Notice titled "Retraction: [Article Title]" is drafted. This notice states the reason for retraction clearly and objectively, cites the relevant parties, and is signed by the Editor-in-Chief and/or authors (when possible).

  3. The Retraction Notice is published in a subsequent issue and is the primary version of the record.

  4. Online Version Management:

     • The HTML and PDF versions of the original article are clearly watermarked on every page with "RETRACTED."

     • The article's online landing page displays the Retraction Notice prominently, and readers must acknowledge viewing it before accessing the original files.

     • All metadata and indexing records are updated to reflect the retracted status.

     • The original text is preserved to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record, but it is unmistakably marked as unreliable.

III. Appeals and Dispute Resolution

We adhere to COPE's framework for handling complaints and appeals regarding editorial decisions.

• Appealing a Rejection:

  • Authors may formally appeal an editorial rejection decision by submitting a written request to the journal's editorial office via email, quoting the manuscript ID.

  • The appeal must present a detailed, scholarly rationale for reconsideration, addressing the specific concerns raised by the reviewers and editors. Disagreement alone is not sufficient grounds.

  • The Editor-in-Chief (or a designated senior editor not involved in the initial decision) will review the appeal on a case-by-case basis. Factors considered include the appeal's merits and journal priorities.

  • Note: Rejections based on journal priority or scope (e.g., due to high submission volume or strategic focus) are typically not subject to appeal.

  • If an appeal is granted, the manuscript is treated as a new submission, assigned a new ID, and enters the full peer-review process again.

• Handling Other Complaints:

  • Allegations of ethical misconduct concerning published or submitted work should be directed in confidence to the relevant journal's editorial office.

  • All complaints will be taken seriously and investigated according to COPE guidelines, with fairness to all parties involved.

This policy ensures that our actions are consistent, fair, and focused on preserving the accuracy and credibility of the scientific literature.

Quest Press Limited
Macau Sino-Foreign Medical Publishing Limited (MSFMP)
November 20, 2025

申诉、更正与撤回政策

Quest Press Limited / Macau Sino-Foreign Medical Publishing Limited (MSFMP)

前言

Quest Press Limited / Macau Sino-Foreign Medical Publishing Limited (MSFMP) 致力于维护学术记录的完整性和可信度。根据 出版伦理委员会 和 国际医学期刊编辑委员会 的指南，本政策制定了清晰、透明的程序，用于处理发表后的更正、撤稿以及作者申诉。我们的首要目标是确保错误得到及时、透明的更正，并使已发表的记录准确反映科学知识的状态。

一、 更正

发布更正（勘误）是为了处理已发表文章中的重大错误，但该错误不会使其核心结论无效。

• 更正依据：事实不准确、图表错误、作者归属错误，或构成重大疏漏的资助/利益冲突声明遗漏。

• 程序：

  1. 当作者、读者或编辑部发现此类错误时，主编将评估其重要性。

  2. 起草正式的更正通知，明确链接至原文，并详细说明错误及更正内容。

  3. 更正通知作为独立项目在期刊后续期中发表，并在网上与原文建立显著链接。

  4. 原文保持发表状态，但更新了指向更正通知的链接。

二、 撤回

撤稿是一项公开声明，表明由于重大错误、不当行为或伦理违规，已发表文章的结论不再被认为是可靠的。

• 撤稿依据：该决定遵循COPE指南，在发现已发表文章包含以下情况时做出：

  • 普遍性错误导致核心发现无效。

  • 科学不端行为的证据。

  • 不道德的研究行为。

  • 重复或冗余发表而未进行恰当说明。

• 程序：

  1. 编辑部根据COPE流程图启动调查，联系通讯作者及相关机构。

  2. 如果确定需要撤稿，则起草一份正式的撤稿通知。该通知应清晰、客观地说明撤稿原因。

  3. 撤稿通知在后续期中发表，并成为记录的主要版本。

  4. 在线版本管理：

     • 原文的HTML和PDF版本每页都清晰地添加“已撤稿”水印。

     • 文章的在线登录页面突出显示撤稿通知，读者在访问原始文件前必须确认已阅读该通知。

     • 所有元数据和索引记录都将更新以反映撤稿状态。

     • 保留原始文本以维护学术记录的完整性，但明确标记为不可靠。

三、 申诉与争议解决

我们遵循COPE的框架来处理有关编辑决定的投诉和申诉。

• 对拒稿决定提出申诉：

  • 作者可以通过电子邮件向期刊编辑部提交书面请求，正式对编辑拒稿决定提出申诉，并注明稿件ID。

  • 申诉必须提出详细的学术理由以供重新审议，并针对审稿人和编辑提出的具体关切。仅表示不同意不足以构成理由。

  • 主编将根据具体情况进行审查。考虑的因素包括申诉的合理性以及期刊的优先事项。

  • 注意：基于期刊优先级或范围的拒稿通常不接受申诉。

  • 如果申诉获得批准，稿件将被视为新投稿，重新分配ID，并再次进入完整的同行评审流程。

• 处理其他投诉：

  • 关于已发表或已投稿工作的伦理不当行为指控，应保密提交给相关期刊的编辑部。

  • 所有投诉都将得到认真对待，并根据COPE指南进行调查，公平对待所有相关方。

本政策确保我们的行动具有一致性、公平性，并致力于维护科学文献的准确性和可信度。

Quest Press Limited
Macau Sino-Foreign Medical Publishing Limited (MSFMP)
2025年11月20日