Review Policy

The scholarly collection "SCIENTIFIC HERALD OF TCHAIKOVSKY NATIONAL MUSIC ACADEMY OF UKRAINE" ensures an appropriate response to significant errors and violations identified after the publication of materials. To maintain the integrity of the scholarly record, the collection applies the instruments of correction, expression of concern, and retraction.

 Correction (Correction / Erratum)

A correction is applied if errors are identified in the published material that:

  • do not substantially change the research conclusions, but require clarification for the correct use of the text (e.g., technical errors, typos, incorrect captions for illustrations, errors in bibliographic data, clarification of dates, titles, identifiers, etc.).

The editorial office:

  • prepares a short correction notice;
  • publishes it on the collection’s website;
  • ensures that the correction is linked to the original publication (links in both directions);
  • updates metadata where necessary.

 Expression of Concern (Expression of Concern)

An expression of concern is applied in cases where:

  • there are reasonable suspicions regarding the reliability or integrity of a publication;
  • but a final decision cannot be made immediately (an investigation is ongoing, materials are awaited from authors/institutions, expert review is needed, etc.).

The editorial office:

  • publishes an expression of concern notice;
  • indicates the grounds and the status of consideration (without disclosing unnecessary personal data);
  • after the verification is completed, replaces it with a correction or retraction, or lifts the concern with an appropriate explanation.

 Retraction (Retraction)

A retraction is applied in cases where a publication:

  • contains confirmed signs of plagiarism / self-plagiarism / improper borrowing;
  • contains fabricated or falsified data;
  • constitutes a duplicate publication;
  • contains significant errors that render the conclusions unreliable;
  • contains an undisclosed conflict of interest that materially affected the publication;
  • is the result of authorship manipulation or other gross violations of publication ethics;
  • infringes copyright or other rights of third parties in a way that cannot be remedied by a correction.

Retraction does not mean “deleting” a publication from the archive. The collection preserves the scholarly record but clearly marks the publication’s status as retracted.

 Initiation of procedures

Procedures for correction, expression of concern, or retraction may be initiated by:

  • the author(s);
  • the editorial office;
  • reviewer(s);
  • readers;
  • institutions, rights holders, or other parties submitting a substantiated request.

 Consideration procedure (general outline)

  1. registration of the notice/complaint;
  2. preliminary verification (if necessary—checking textual matches, requesting materials);
  3. request for explanations from the author(s);
  4. if necessary—engagement of independent expertise or contacting the author’s institution;
  5. decision-making by the editorial office without the participation of persons with a conflict of interest;
  6. publication of the relevant decision (correction / expression of concern / retraction);
  7. updating metadata and reciprocal links between the publication and the notice.

 Retraction notice format

In the event of retraction, the collection:

  • publishes a retraction notice stating the grounds (to the extent permissible);
  • ensures that the notice is visible and accessible;
  • adds clear marking “Retracted” on the publication page;
  • retains the text of the article in the archive (or its bibliographic record), but with an explicit indication of status;
  • where possible, updates metadata (including status marking in DOI data).

 Cases where partial correction is possible instead of retraction

If the problem concerns a limited part of the publication and can be remedied without distorting the scholarly result, the editorial office may apply a correction. If the violation is significant or systemic, a retraction is applied.

 Final provisions

A decision on correction, expression of concern, or retraction is made by the collection’s editorial office on the basis of verified facts, the parties’ explanations, and relevant editorial policies. All procedures are carried out with due regard for confidentiality and the principles of fair consideration.