Retraction & Correction Policy

The integrity of the scholarly record is paramount. While Inovasi Lokal: Pemberdayaan Masyarakat dalam Pembangunan Berkelanjutan employs rigorous peer-review and editorial processes, the potential for errors or misconduct post-publication remains. To maintain confidence in our electronic archives and uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, all corrections, clarifications, retractions, and expressions of concern are executed in strict accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Retraction Guidelines.

1. Article Retraction

Inovasi Lokal: is committed to correcting the scholarly record transparently. An article may be retracted under the following extraordinary circumstances:


  •  Unreliable Findings: There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable due to research misconduct (e.g., data fabrication, falsification, image manipulation) or honest error (e.g., major miscalculation or experimental flaw) that invalidates the primary conclusions.

  •  Redundant Publication: The findings have been previously published elsewhere without proper cross-referencing, permission, or scientific justification (duplicate submission/publication).

  •  Severe Ethical Violations: The article involves major ethical breaches, such as plagiarism, inappropriate authorship (e.g., ghost or gift authorship), or lack of ethical approval/informed consent for human/animal studies.

Retraction Process & Transparency

  1. A potential retraction is brought to the Editor-in-Chief's attention (by authors, readers, or institutions).
  2. The Editor follows the step-by-step COPE flowcharts, including soliciting a formal response from the authors.
  3. Findings are reviewed by the Editorial Board to ensure a consistent, unbiased approach aligned with industry best practices.
  4. The final decision is communicated to the authors and, if necessary, their affiliated institutions or funding bodies.
  5. A linked, highly visible Retraction Notice is published. This notice will explicitly state who is retracting the article (authors, editor, or publisher) and the specific reason for the retraction.
  6. The original article PDF will be permanently watermarked with "RETRACTED" on every page, and a bidirectional link will connect the article and the retraction notice. The original article is never deleted.

*Note: Even if authors retain copyright, they do not have the unilateral right to retract a published article without editorial approval. The integrity of the scientific record supersedes individual copyright claims.

2. Expression of Concern

In accordance with COPE guidelines, an Expression of Concern may be issued by the Editor-in-Chief if there is compelling evidence that the findings of a published article are unreliable, but the institutional investigation is ongoing, inconclusive, or taking an unreasonably long time. This notice serves to alert readers to potential issues while the formal process is completed. It may later be replaced by a full Retraction or a Correction, depending on the investigation's outcome.

3. Article Correction

Inovasi Lokal will issue a formal correction when a minor error does not invalidate the overall conclusions of an otherwise reliable publication. Corrections fall into three distinct categories:


  •  Publisher Correction (Erratum): Issued to notify readers of a critical error introduced by the journal's production staff (e.g., typesetting, metadata, or formatting errors) that negatively impacts the scientific integrity or readability of the article.

  •  Author Correction (Corrigendum): Issued to notify readers of an important error made by the authors (e.g., honest miscalculation, omitted co-author, or mislabeled figure) that requires amendment to maintain scientific accuracy, but does not alter the main conclusions.

  •  Addendum: A brief addition by the authors to explain minor inconsistencies, expand upon existing work, or update information (e.g., a change in author affiliation) without altering the original data or conclusions.

4. Article Removal & Replacement


  •  Removal: In extremely limited cases, an article may be removed from the online platform if it is clearly defamatory, infringes on legal rights (e.g., copyright violation), is subject to a court order, or poses a severe, immediate public health risk. In such cases, the article's metadata (title, authors, DOI) will be permanently retained, but the full text will be replaced with a notice stating the article was removed for legal/safety reasons.

  •  Replacement: If an article poses a serious health risk due to flawed data, authors may be permitted to retract the original and publish a corrected version. The standard retraction procedure applies, with the retraction notice containing a direct, bidirectional link to the corrected, republished article and a clear version history.

Post-Publication Peer Review

Inovasi Lokal encourages post-publication discussion. If readers identify potential errors or ethical concerns in a published article, they are encouraged to contact the Editorial Office at suryaronal@gmail.com. All concerns will be treated confidentially and investigated promptly in accordance with COPE guidelines.