The International Journal of Peace and Conflict Research (IJPCR) is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent, and reliable scholarly record. Where a published article requires correction, retraction, an expression of concern, or another post-publication notice, the journal will take appropriate action in accordance with recognised publication-ethics principles, including relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
A correction may be issued when an error or omission affects the accuracy, interpretation, attribution, or completeness of a published article but does not invalidate the article as a whole.
Examples may include:
Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect the meaning, interpretation, discoverability, or scholarly record may not require a formal correction notice.
Where a formal correction is necessary, the journal will publish a clearly identified correction notice and link it to the original article. The original article will also be linked to the correction where technically possible.
Retraction is reserved for cases in which a published article is no longer considered sufficiently reliable or appropriate to remain part of the scholarly record without a clear retraction notice.
Retraction may be considered where there is reliable evidence of circumstances such as:
Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record, not to punish authors.
Where an article is retracted, IJPCR will publish a retraction notice that:
The retracted article will normally remain accessible as part of the scholarly record but will be clearly identified as retracted. Removal of the full text will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as serious legal requirements, privacy concerns, or risks of significant harm.
IJPCR may publish an Expression of Concern where serious questions have been raised about a published article but the available evidence is inconclusive, an investigation is ongoing, or a definitive editorial action cannot yet be taken.
An Expression of Concern will be clearly linked to the article and will explain the nature of the concern as far as this can appropriately be disclosed.
When sufficient information becomes available, the Expression of Concern may be followed by a correction, retraction, clarification, or other appropriate editorial notice.
Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before publication by contacting the journal and explaining the reason for the request.
A withdrawal request does not automatically require removal of all submission records. IJPCR may retain appropriate editorial and administrative records where necessary for accountability, research integrity, legal obligations, or the proper operation of the journal’s submission system.
Once an article has been published as the Version of Record, concerns will normally be addressed through a correction, retraction, Expression of Concern, or other post-publication notice rather than by treating the article as an unpublished withdrawal.
Complete removal of a published article from the journal website is expected to be rare.
Removal may be considered where continued publication would create a serious legal, privacy, safety, or other exceptional risk. Where possible, the bibliographic record and a notice explaining the reason for removal will remain publicly available.
Authors who identify a significant error in a submitted or published article should inform the journal promptly.
Requests for correction, retraction, withdrawal, or other post-publication action should provide sufficient information to allow the editors to assess the issue. The journal may request supporting data, documentation, statements from co-authors, institutional information, or other relevant evidence.
Author agreement is desirable but is not always required for the journal to correct or retract the scholarly record where the available evidence supports editorial action.
Concerns will be assessed fairly and, where appropriate, confidentially. The journal may seek clarification from authors, reviewers, editors, institutions, or other relevant parties and may request supporting documentation.
Where allegations involve possible research or publication misconduct, the matter will also be considered under the journal’s Publication Ethics policy.
Editorial action will be based on the available evidence and the need to protect the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.
Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors after publication will be considered only where there is a clear and justified reason.
The journal may require written agreement from all affected authors and, where necessary, supporting information from an institution or other responsible body. Approved authorship changes will normally be documented through a formal correction notice.
Formal post-publication notices will be linked to the affected article wherever technically possible so that readers can understand the status and history of the scholarly record.
DOI records, indexing metadata, and other publication information may be updated where appropriate to reflect a correction, retraction, or other formal editorial action.
Authors, readers, reviewers, or other parties may report a concern about a published article or request appropriate post-publication action by contacting support@ijpcr.uk.
Complaints or appeals relating to how a matter has been handled may be submitted in accordance with the journal’s Complaints & Appeals policy.
Submissions are open for Vol. 2 No. 1 (2027). We welcome original research articles, review articles, and short communications in peace studies, conflict resolution, international relations, and related areas of social science.
Next publication date: 31 January 2027.
