TAZKIYA Journal of Psychology is committed to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and transparency of the scholarly record. The journal recognizes that, in certain circumstances, published articles or manuscripts may require retraction, withdrawal, correction, or an expression of concern to ensure that the academic literature remains reliable and trustworthy.

All cases involving potential changes to the publication record are assessed carefully by the editorial team, taking into account the nature and severity of the issue, the available evidence, the responses of the authors, and relevant publication ethics principles. This policy is informed by the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Article Retraction

Retraction is a formal action taken when a published article contains seriously unreliable or invalid content, or when significant ethical or publication violations undermine confidence in its findings. The decision to retract an article is made by the Editor-in-Chief or an authorized editorial decision-maker following an appropriate assessment of the available evidence.

A published article may be considered for retraction under circumstances including, but not limited to, the following:

Retraction may be considered whether the problem results from deliberate misconduct or an honest but serious error. The journal assesses the effect of the issue on the reliability of the publication rather than assuming misconduct solely from the existence of an error.

2. Retraction Procedure

TAZKIYA Journal of Psychology follows a structured process to ensure that potential retractions are handled fairly, consistently, and transparently.

3. Retraction Notice and Record Preservation

A retraction notice is intended to inform readers clearly and objectively about the status of the affected publication. The journal will publish the notice as promptly as reasonably possible after the decision to retract has been established.

Where applicable, a retraction notice will include the following information:

• The title and author names of the retracted article.
• The article's DOI or permanent URL, where available.
• The date of the original publication and the retraction notice.
• The reason or reasons for the retraction, stated objectively.
• Identification of the party or parties issuing the retraction.
• A link between the retraction notice and the original article.

The original article will ordinarily remain accessible in the journal's archive with a clear retracted status, unless exceptional legal, privacy, or safety considerations require another approach. The journal will not silently remove a retracted article or obscure its publication history. The notice should remain freely accessible so that readers can understand the article's status.

4. Article Withdrawal

Withdrawal refers primarily to the removal of a manuscript before formal publication. Withdrawal requests are assessed by the editorial team in light of the manuscript's processing stage, the reasons provided, the work already undertaken by the journal, and any applicable ethical or legal considerations.

4.1. Withdrawal Before Acceptance

Authors who wish to withdraw a manuscript during the submission or peer-review process must submit a written request to the Editor-in-Chief or editorial office. The request should state the manuscript title, manuscript ID, corresponding author, and reasons for withdrawal. The journal will review the request and confirm the outcome in writing.

4.2. Withdrawal After Acceptance but Before Publication

Withdrawal after acceptance is generally discouraged because editorial assessment, peer review, and publication preparation may already have been completed. Requests at this stage require a clear justification and are subject to editorial review. The journal may request additional documentation or clarification before making a decision.

4.3. Articles Published Online or as Article in Press

Once an article has been formally published online, including as an article in press or an online-first publication, it forms part of the scholarly record. Removal or withdrawal of a published article is therefore strongly discouraged and is considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as serious legal, privacy, safety, or ethical concerns, or other circumstances that justify removal under applicable policies.

Where removal is necessary, the journal will preserve the available bibliographic metadata and provide an appropriate withdrawal or removal notice, subject to applicable legal and ethical requirements.

4.4. Withdrawal Requests and Editorial Review

A withdrawal request does not automatically authorize an author to remove a manuscript or published article from the journal's system. The editorial office will communicate the decision and any applicable conditions to the corresponding author. Allegations of misconduct, duplicate submission, or other ethical violations will be assessed separately when relevant.

5. Article Correction

A correction may be appropriate when an error is identified in a published article but does not invalidate the overall findings or conclusions. The editor determines whether a formal correction is required after considering the nature of the error, its impact on readers, and the reliability of the publication.

Corrections may be considered in circumstances including:

• Minor factual, numerical, or data-presentation errors that require clarification.
• Incorrect author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, or funding information.
• Omitted declarations or other publication details requiring correction.
• Errors introduced during editing or production that affect the accuracy of the published record.
• Additional information needed to clarify a publication without invalidating its principal findings.

5.1. Publisher Correction (Erratum)

A publisher correction may be issued when an error introduced during editorial processing, copyediting, typesetting, or publication affects the accuracy or integrity of the published record.

5.2. Author Correction (Corrigendum)

An author correction may be issued when an error attributable to the authors requires clarification or correction but does not necessarily invalidate the overall findings of the article.

5.3. Addendum

An addendum may be published when additional information is necessary to clarify, supplement, or contextualize an already published article without replacing its original findings.

Formal correction notices will be linked to the original article where technically feasible. Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect meaning, interpretation, or the scholarly record may be corrected without a separate formal notice, at the editor's discretion.

6. Expression of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued when the editorial team has substantial concerns about the reliability, ethics, or integrity of a published article but does not yet have sufficient evidence to justify retraction.

An Expression of Concern may be appropriate when:

• An investigation into possible research or publication misconduct is ongoing.
• The available evidence raises serious concerns but remains inconclusive.
• An institutional investigation has been delayed or has not provided sufficient findings.
• Readers need to be informed of a material concern while further assessment is conducted.

An Expression of Concern will be linked to the relevant article and may be updated, replaced, or followed by a correction or retraction when additional evidence becomes available. It does not, by itself, constitute a final finding of misconduct.

7. Article Removal

Removal of a published article is an exceptional measure and is distinct from retraction. It may be considered when retaining the full text online would create a serious legal, privacy, safety, or other substantial risk, or where removal is required by a competent legal authority.

Where removal is necessary, the journal will, where legally permissible, retain the article's bibliographic metadata and provide a notice explaining that the article has been removed. The notice and any remaining records will be handled in a manner consistent with applicable legal requirements and the need to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

8. Article Replacement

In exceptional cases, an author may request the replacement of a published article containing serious errors with a corrected version. Replacement is not automatic and will be considered only after editorial assessment of the nature of the errors, the reliability of the original publication, and the implications for the scholarly record.

Where replacement is approved, the journal will maintain a transparent publication history. The original version, replacement version, and any related retraction or correction notice will be linked where technically and legally feasible so that readers can identify the changes and understand the status of the article.

9. Editorial Independence and Fair Process

Decisions concerning retraction, withdrawal, correction, expressions of concern, and removal are made on the basis of evidence, publication ethics, and the need to maintain an accurate scholarly record. Editorial decisions must not be influenced improperly by commercial interests, institutional pressure, personal relationships, or the potential impact of a decision on the reputation of an author or the journal.

Authors and other relevant parties will be given a reasonable opportunity to provide information and respond to concerns, subject to the circumstances of the case. The journal may consult independent experts or relevant institutions when necessary. A decision may proceed despite an author's failure to respond if the available evidence supports further action.

Where an editor has a conflict of interest or is directly involved in the matter, the case will be referred to an appropriately independent editorial decision-maker whenever possible.

10. Transparency and Permanent Publication Records

TAZKIYA Journal of Psychology seeks to maintain a transparent and traceable record of all formal post-publication actions. Retraction notices, correction notices, Expressions of Concern, and withdrawal or removal notices will be clearly identified and linked to the relevant publication where feasible.

The journal aims to ensure that such notices are accessible to readers and sufficiently informative to explain the nature of the action. Relevant metadata and publication history will be retained where appropriate, subject to legal requirements and applicable privacy considerations.

11. Contact and Reporting Concerns

Questions, complaints, or reports concerning possible research misconduct, publication ethics violations, or requests for post-publication amendments should be submitted in writing to the journal's editorial office through its official contact channels.

Reports should include the article title, author names, DOI or article URL where available, a clear description of the concern, and relevant supporting documentation. The journal will assess reports fairly and handle the information in accordance with applicable editorial procedures and confidentiality requirements.