Retraction Policy

Synergy: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, published by Synergy Publication, is committed to maintaining the integrity, reliability, and transparency of the scholarly record. Retractions are issued when published articles contain serious errors or ethical violations that invalidate the work or undermine confidence in its findings.

This policy follows the COPE Retraction Guidelines and internationally accepted standards of academic publishing.

Grounds for Retraction

An article may be retracted if, after publication, it involves one or more of the following:

  • Plagiarism or substantial unattributed overlap with previously published work
  • Duplicate or redundant publication
  • Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data or results
  • Serious methodological or analytical errors that invalidate conclusions
  • Unethical research practices (e.g., lack of required ethical approval or informed consent)
  • Authorship manipulation or undisclosed conflicts of interest
  • Any other form of serious academic or publication misconduct

Corrections (Errata)

Minor errors that do not affect the validity of the research findings may be corrected through an erratum or corrigendum. All corrections are clearly linked to the original article to ensure transparency and accuracy of the scholarly record.

Expressions of Concern

In cases where serious concerns are raised but conclusive evidence is not yet available, the journal may issue an Expression of Concern. This notice will be clearly linked to the original article and will remain in place until a final decision is reached.

Retraction Process

  1. Initiation: A retraction may be initiated by the editors, publisher, reviewers, readers, or external institutions.
  2. Investigation: The editorial office conducts a thorough investigation in accordance with the guidelines and flowcharts provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors are informed of the concerns and given an opportunity to respond. Investigations are conducted as promptly as possible, with efforts made to reach a resolution within a reasonable timeframe.
  3. Editorial Decision: Based on evidence and author response, the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the editorial board and publisher, decides whether retraction is warranted.
  4. Retraction Notice: If approved, a formal retraction notice is published, clearly linked to the original article, stating the reason for retraction.

Post-Retraction Handling

  • The retracted article remains available online to preserve the scholarly record but is clearly marked as “Retracted” on all versions (HTML/PDF).
  • The retraction notice is freely accessible.
  • Relevant indexing and abstracting services are notified.

Author Responsibility and Institutional Notification

In cases of serious or repeated misconduct:

  • The author’s affiliated institution, funding agency, or relevant authority may be informed.
  • Additional editorial sanctions may be imposed, in line with COPE guidance.

Policy Transparency and Revisions

This Retraction Policy forms part of the SIJMDS Publication Ethics framework and applies to all articles published in the journal. It is periodically reviewed and may be updated to reflect updates in international publishing ethics standards or regulatory requirements.