Retraction & Correction Policy

THECRED: Proceedings of the Theology and Religious Education Dialogue is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. This policy follows the retraction guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) at https://publicationethics.org.

Corrections (Errata and Corrigenda)
If an error is identified in a published article that does not significantly affect the findings, interpretation, or overall conclusions, a correction notice will be issued. An erratum is published when the error originated from the editorial or production process. A corrigendum is published when the error originated from the author(s). The correction notice will be published in the next available issue and linked to the original article. The original article will be updated with a reference to the correction notice.

Retractions
A published article may be retracted under the following circumstances: the findings are demonstrated to be unreliable due to major error in data collection, analysis, calculation, or interpretation; there is clear evidence of research misconduct, including data fabrication or falsification; the article constitutes plagiarism; the article contains content that has been published elsewhere without proper disclosure, permission, or justification, constituting redundant or duplicate publication; the research was conducted without the required ethical approvals; or copyright has been infringed.

When an article is retracted, the following procedure applies. The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the editorial board, makes the retraction decision after a thorough investigation. The author(s) are notified and given an opportunity to respond before a final decision is made. A formal retraction notice is published, clearly stating the reason for retraction. The retraction notice is linked to the original article and published prominently in the next available issue. The original article remains accessible on the platform as part of the permanent scholarly record, but is clearly watermarked as "RETRACTED" on every page. The retracted article's metadata is updated in all indexing databases to reflect the retraction.

Expressions of Concern
In cases where an allegation of misconduct has been raised but the investigation has not yet reached a definitive conclusion, the Editor-in-Chief may publish an expression of concern. This serves to alert readers that the reliability of the article is under question while the investigation is ongoing. The expression of concern will be replaced by either a retraction notice or a resolution statement once the investigation is completed.

Requests for Retraction
A retraction may be initiated by the author(s), who must submit a written request to the Editor-in-Chief explaining the reason for retraction; by the editor or editorial board, upon discovery or receipt of evidence of misconduct; or by a third party who provides credible and verifiable evidence of ethical violations. All retraction requests are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the editorial board. The final decision rests with the editorial board.

Article Removal in Exceptional Circumstances
In rare and exceptional cases, an article may be removed entirely from the platform rather than retracted. This applies only when the article contains content that poses a serious legal risk, such as defamation or court-ordered removal, or when the article contains content that, if acted upon, could pose a serious risk to public health or safety. In such cases, the metadata and a statement explaining the removal will remain in place of the article.

Author Cooperation
Authors are expected to cooperate fully and promptly with any investigation into potential misconduct related to their published work. Failure to cooperate may result in a ban on future submissions to THECRED for a defined period.