Corrections & Retractions Policy

Corrections & Retractions Policy

Corrections, Retractions and Other Post-Publication Notices (Crossmark)

The Editorial Office of Belügyi Szemle places particular emphasis on preserving the integrity of the scholarly record. Therefore, any post-publication changes related to published articles (e.g. correction, amendment, retraction) are handled transparently through separate notices, and the status of the affected articles is clearly indicated.

The journal is joining the Crossref Crossmark service, which provides a standardized way to verify the current status of a publication (whether a correction, retraction, or other update exists), including via a Crossmark indicator embedded in the PDF.

1. Principles

  1. The journal safeguards the integrity of the Version of Record (the final published version). If a change affects the substance of the content, it is documented in a separate, citable notice (correction / retraction / editorial notice).

  2. Post-publication notices are freely accessible and provide bidirectional linking between the notice and the affected article (notice → article; article → notice).

  3. The journal records status changes and related metadata at the DOI record level (registration of Crossref/Crossmark updates).

2. Types of Corrections and Their Application

The journal uses the following types of post-publication notices:

a) Erratum / Publisher Correction
A correction of an error arising from the editorial/publishing process (e.g. typesetting, metadata, figure placement), which does not alter the scientific conclusions.

b) Corrigendum / Author Correction
A correction of an error originating from the author(s) (e.g. numerical data, reference, wording), which typically does not, or only to a limited extent, affects the conclusions.

c) Addendum / Supplement
Additional information that supports understanding of the article and is not corrective in nature (e.g. subsequently provided detail, clarification, supplementary explanation).

Procedure for Publishing Corrections

  • A correction may be initiated by the Editorial Office or based on a notification from the author(s) and/or readers.

  • The correction is published as a standalone notice with a clear title (e.g. “CORRECTION: [Title of the original article]”).

  • The notice specifies: the bibliographic details of the affected article (title, author(s), DOI), the nature of the error, the essence of the correction, and the date of publication.

  • A clearly visible notice is placed on the article page referencing the correction; in the PDF version, the journal applies an appropriate status label and/or reference in accordance with the principle of transparency.

3. Retraction

The Editorial Office issues a retraction notice if the reliability or integrity of the article is compromised to such an extent that the results can no longer be relied upon (e.g. serious methodological/analytical error, data management issues, plagiarism, duplicate publication, breach of ethical standards, suspected or confirmed research misconduct).

Minimum Content of a Retraction Notice

A retraction notice:

  • is clearly identifiable as a retraction,

  • refers to and unambiguously identifies the retracted article (title, author(s), DOI),

  • states the reason(s) for the retraction,

  • indicates who initiated/signed the retraction (Editorial Office / author(s) / institution),

  • is published without undue delay and is freely accessible.

Handling of Retracted Articles

The retracted article is not removed from the journal archive; the article page and PDF are clearly marked “RETRACTED”, and link to the retraction notice.

4. Editorial Expression of Concern

If a substantiated concern arises regarding the integrity of an article, but the investigation is ongoing or information is not yet final, the Editorial Office may publish an Expression of Concern to ensure transparency. (Depending on the outcome, this may subsequently be followed by a correction or a retraction.)

5. Withdrawal Prior to Publication

  • Withdrawals (prior to publication): A manuscript may be withdrawn during the editorial process before publication; this does not constitute a retraction.

  • Removals: In exceptional cases, for legal or personality-rights reasons (e.g. defamation, court order, serious data-protection risk), content may be removed in whole or in part; in such cases, a removal notice remains in place of the article, documenting the fact of removal and the boundaries of the justification.

6. Crossmark Indicator and Registration of Updates

By clicking the Crossmark indicator, readers can verify whether an article is current, and—where relevant—access the associated correction/retraction notice.
The journal registers post-publication notices in connection with the DOI record so that status changes can be tracked across multiple platforms.

7. Contact and Reporting

Notifications regarding errors, ethical concerns, or requests for post-publication correction may be submitted via: szerkesztoseg@belugyiszemlejournal.org.
The Editorial Office reviews all reports under a documented procedure and, where warranted, publishes a notice in accordance with this policy.

Last updated: 28 February 2026.
DOI of this policy (Crossmark policy page): 10.38146/bsz-ajia.crossmark-policy