Retraction

Articles published in Gemeinschaft: Journal of Social and Community Engagement may be retracted when there is clear and substantial evidence that the published findings are unreliable or that the article violates established standards of research and publication ethics. Retraction may be considered in the following circumstances:

  1. There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either as a result of research misconduct, such as data fabrication or falsification, or due to a significant honest error, such as serious miscalculation or methodological or experimental error that substantially affects the validity of the findings.
  2. The findings have previously been published elsewhere without appropriate cross-referencing, permission, or justification, constituting redundant or duplicate publication.
  3. The article contains plagiarized material or otherwise violates the journal's standards of originality and academic integrity.
  4. The research reported in the article involves serious ethical violations, including research conducted without appropriate ethical approval where such approval is required, or research that violates applicable ethical standards for research involving human participants, communities, or other research subjects.

Retraction Procedure

Retraction decisions are made by the Editor in accordance with the journal's publication ethics and editorial procedures. Before a retraction decision is made, the Editor may investigate the matter, request clarification or supporting evidence from the authors, and consult relevant editors, reviewers, institutional authorities, or other appropriate parties where necessary. Authors will normally be given an opportunity to respond to allegations or concerns before a final decision is reached.

When an article is retracted, the original article will remain available in the journal's electronic archive where appropriate, but it will be clearly identified as “Retracted”. The retraction notice will state the reason for the retraction and will be linked to the original article to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

The journal follows the Retraction Guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when considering and implementing article retractions. Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record and should not be understood as a form of punishment for authors. The journal seeks to ensure that all retraction decisions are made fairly, objectively, transparently, and consistently with accepted standards of publication ethics.