IJNMT is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent, and trustworthy scholarly record. When errors or integrity concerns are identified after publication, the journal will assess the evidence and take appropriate action.
Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions are mechanisms for informing readers and protecting the integrity of published research. Their purpose is to correct the literature rather than to punish authors. Editorial action may be necessary whether a problem results from honest error or misconduct.

Reporting an Error or Concern

Authors must promptly notify the journal when they identify a significant error in their published work. Readers, reviewers, institutions, and other parties may also report concerns through the journal’s official Contact page.
Reports should identify the article by its title, authors, and DOI or article URL. They should describe the issue, identify the affected passages or materials, and provide supporting evidence where available.

Corrections

A correction will be considered when an error affects the accuracy, clarity, attribution, or interpretation of part of an article but does not invalidate its principal findings or overall conclusions.
Examples may include:

• Errors in numerical values, equations, labels, tables, figures, or descriptions that can be reliably corrected.
• An omitted or inaccurate reference, acknowledgment, funding statement, or conflict of interest disclosure.
• Errors in author information or authorship details that have been appropriately verified and resolved.
• Limited attribution problems that can be corrected without undermining the integrity of the article as a whole.

A correction notice will identify the affected article, explain the error, provide the corrected information, and state whether the findings or conclusions are affected. The notice and the article will be linked.
Substantive changes will not be made through an undocumented replacement of the published article. Any updated article version will identify the change and link to the relevant correction notice.

Expressions of Concern

An expression of concern may be published when a serious issue could affect the reliability or integrity of an article, but the available evidence does not yet support a definitive editorial decision.
Circumstances may include:

• An ongoing investigation whose outcome is unlikely to be available promptly.
• Credible but inconclusive evidence of unreliable findings or a serious publication ethics problem.
• Concerns that a relevant investigation cannot be completed fairly, adequately, or conclusively.

The notice will explain the nature of the unresolved concern without presenting unproven allegations as established facts. It will be linked to the article and updated or followed by a further notice when sufficient evidence becomes available.

Retractions

Retraction will be considered when clear evidence establishes that an article is seriously unreliable or affected by a substantial breach of publication integrity. Relevant grounds include:

• Major errors that invalidate the findings, such as serious miscalculations, experimental errors, or invalid analyses.
• Fabrication or falsification of data, results, images, or other research materials.
• Substantial plagiarism.
• Redundant publication without appropriate disclosure, attribution, authorization, or justification.
• Research conducted in serious violation of applicable ethical requirements.
• A compromised or manipulated peer review process that undermines the basis for publication.
• Unauthorized use of material, serious copyright infringement, or another substantial legal issue.
• A major undisclosed competing interest that, in the editor’s assessment, materially compromised interpretation or the publication decision.

Retraction will not normally be used when a correction can adequately resolve the problem while leaving the principal findings reliable. An authorship dispute alone does not justify retraction when there is no reason to doubt the validity of the work.

Editorial Assessment and Decision

The Editor-in-Chief, or an independent editor without a relevant conflict of interest, will assess the concern. The journal may obtain specialist advice and request supporting data, analysis files, source images, or relevant documentation.
Authors will normally be informed of the substantive concerns and given a reasonable opportunity to respond. Where appropriate, the journal may refer suspected misconduct to the relevant institution or responsible authority.
The journal is responsible for its editorial decisions; institutions are generally responsible for formal investigations into researcher conduct. Action to protect readers need not always wait for a completed institutional investigation.
Authors may request a correction or retraction, but the final editorial decision rests with the journal. A retraction or expression of concern may be issued even when some or all authors disagree, provided that the available evidence justifies the action.

Content of Retraction Notices

Retraction notices will:

• Clearly identify the notice as a retraction and identify the affected article by its title, authors, and publication details.
• State who is retracting the article.
• Explain the reasons and evidential basis for the decision using objective, factual language.
• Distinguish established findings from unresolved allegations.
• Be freely accessible and linked to the retracted article.
• Be published promptly once the editorial decision and necessary factual checks are complete.

A notice may record whether the authors agree with the retraction where this information is available and relevant. The identity of a person who raised a concern will not be disclosed without permission, unless disclosure is legally required.

Preservation of Retracted Articles

Retracted articles will normally remain accessible as part of the scholarly record. The article webpage and downloadable files will be clearly marked as retracted and linked to the retraction notice.
Retraction does not ordinarily mean deletion of the article. Retaining an identifiable record helps readers understand the publication history and avoid relying on invalidated findings.

Exceptional Removal of Content

Removal of article content will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as a court order, a serious violation of privacy, clearly defamatory content, or a substantial public health risk. Appropriate legal advice may be sought.
Where legally permissible, a bibliographic record and an explanatory notice will remain available even when access to the article content must be restricted or removed.

Appeals and Reconsideration

Authors may request reconsideration by submitting new evidence or identifying a specific factual or procedural error in the decision. Disagreement alone will not normally justify reopening a case.
Where feasible, an appeal will be assessed by an appropriately independent editor or publisher representative. Notices may be updated or supplemented if subsequent evidence requires clarification.

Ethical Guidance

This policy draws on the Retraction Guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Reference to COPE guidance does not imply that the journal is a COPE member.