Retraction Policy

Jurnal Hukum Statuta (JHS) is committed to maintaining the integrity and reliability of the legal scholarly record. This retraction policy is established in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and applies to all articles published in JHS, regardless of the date of publication.

1. Definition of Retraction

Retraction is a formal mechanism for withdrawing a published article where serious errors or ethical violations have been found that undermine the reliability of the findings or conclusions. Retraction is distinct from:

  • Correction (Erratum): a correction of minor errors that do not affect the overall validity of the article.
  • Expression of Concern: a temporary statement issued when an investigation is ongoing and no final conclusion has been reached.

2. Grounds for Retraction

JHS may issue a retraction if one or more of the following conditions are identified:

  1. Plagiarism, whether partial or complete, of another party's work without adequate attribution.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, citations, references, or research findings.
  3. Duplicate publication or redundant publication of the same or substantially similar manuscript in another journal without prior disclosure.
  4. Serious and irreparable methodological errors that render the article's main findings unreliable.
  5. Research ethics violations, including breaches of privacy rights, unauthorized consent, or undisclosed material conflicts of interest.
  6. Invalid or dishonest authorship, including the omission of legitimate contributors (ghost authorship) or the inclusion of individuals who made no contribution (gift authorship).
  7. Peer review processes that are proven to have been manipulated or conducted improperly.

3. Retraction Procedure

The retraction procedure at JHS follows these steps:

  1. Reporting. Reports or allegations of misconduct may be submitted by authors, peer reviewers, readers, or other third parties to the Editor-in-Chief via the journal's official email address.
  2. Initial Assessment. The Editor-in-Chief conducts an initial assessment within 14 (fourteen) working days to determine whether the report has sufficient grounds to proceed to the investigation stage.
  3. Notification to Authors. If the report is deemed worthy of investigation, the editor notifies the author(s) concerned in writing and provides an opportunity to submit a clarification within 21 (twenty-one) calendar days.
  4. Investigation. The Editorial Board conducts a thorough investigation, taking into account all available evidence, including the author's clarification, original data, and the manuscript in question. If necessary, JHS may consult independent experts or the author's affiliated institution.
  5. Decision. Based on the findings of the investigation, the Editorial Board determines one of the following actions: (a) no further action; (b) publication of a correction; (c) publication of an expression of concern; or (d) retraction of the article.
  6. Implementation of Retraction. If retraction is decided, JHS publishes a Notice of Retraction containing: the title and DOI of the retracted article, the names of all authors, the date of retraction, a clear statement of the reasons for retraction, and the party that initiated the retraction.

4. Marking and Accessibility of Retracted Articles

Retracted articles remain accessible on the journal's website with clear and permanent marking. JHS applies the following principles:

  • The label "RETRACTED" is clearly displayed on the article page, including in the PDF file.
  • The Notice of Retraction is published as a separate article with a unique DOI linked to the original article.
  • The metadata of the retracted article is updated across all indexing databases in which the journal is registered, including Crossref and DOI resolvers.
  • The content of the original article is not removed from the system so that the scholarly record remains verifiable.

5. Author-Initiated Retraction

Authors who become aware of a significant error in a published article are encouraged to contact the Editor-in-Chief promptly. JHS values the good faith of authors who report issues independently. Author-initiated retractions will be noted in the Notice of Retraction as author-initiated, and this is taken into positive consideration in the ethical assessment.

6. Principles of Confidentiality and Fairness

Throughout the investigation process, JHS applies the following principles:

  • The identity of the complainant is kept confidential unless the complainant voluntarily discloses their identity.
  • The author(s) concerned are afforded the right to be heard and to submit a response before a final decision is made.
  • The investigation is conducted objectively, free from external pressure, and without influence from commercial considerations.
  • Reports that are proven to be unfounded and made in bad faith may be acted upon in accordance with applicable regulations.

7. Relationship to the Publication Ethics Policy

This retraction policy forms an integral part of the JHS Publication Ethics. Violations resulting in retraction may be reported to the author's affiliated institution and, where necessary, to other relevant authorities. JHS reviews and updates this policy periodically in line with developments in COPE guidelines and international best practices in scholarly publishing.

Inquiries or reports regarding the retraction policy may be addressed to the JHS Editorial Board at: Jurnal Hukum Statuta, Faculty of Law, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional "Veteran" Jakarta.