Policy on Article Corrections, Retractions, and Publisher’s Notes

Journal of Religious Studies is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and completeness of the scholarly record. Once articles are published online, changes may only be made under specific circumstances, in accordance with best practices in academic publishing and following COPE Retraction Guidelines .

Erratum

An Erratum is a statement by the authors of the original article briefly describing corrections due to errors or omissions. If the correction impacts the interpretation or conclusions of the article, this will be clearly indicated. The corrected article remains online, with a linked notice of erratum freely available to readers.

Retraction

A Retraction is a formal notice indicating that the article should not be considered part of the scholarly record. Retractions may be issued when:

• There is clear evidence of unreliable findings due to misconduct or honest error.
• The findings were previously published elsewhere without proper citation or permission.
• The article involves plagiarism or unethical research practices.

Retracted articles remain accessible online, but are clearly marked with a linked notice of retraction. Retractions may be initiated by the authors, editors, or the publisher, with clear indication of the reason and responsible party. In rare cases of legal infringement, an article may be redacted or removed, but bibliographic information will be retained.

Publisher’s Note

A Publisher’s Note is issued when errors caused during the production process (such as typographical or metadata errors in title, author list, or byline) affect the integrity or readability of the article. In such cases, the original version is replaced with a corrected version, and the correction date is indicated. Publisher’s Notes are freely available to all readers.

Minor errors that do not affect scholarly integrity or comprehension may be corrected at the publisher’s discretion without issuing a formal notice.

Commitment to Integrity

By adhering to these policies, Journal of Religious Studies ensures that the academic record in theology, philosophy of religion, interfaith dialogue, spirituality, and cultural-religious studies remains reliable and transparent. These practices safeguard the credibility of scholarship for current and future generations.