Crossmark Policy

1. DOI Assignment and Article Status

All articles published in Meditory Journal are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and are considered permanently published.
The DOI is issued after the article has been officially accepted through the pre-publication peer review process, meaning that the version published online is the final, peer-reviewed version approved by both reviewers and editors.

All journal content, including articles, metadata, and supplementary materials, is permanently archived within the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform and in various indexing repositories to ensure long-term digital preservation and accessibility.

2. Article Updates and Corrections

Meditory Journal participates in the CrossMark initiative, an international program developed by publishers to help readers identify the current and authoritative version of a scholarly article.

By implementing the CrossMark policy, Meditory Journal is committed to:

  • Maintaining the integrity and reliability of all published content, and

  • Informing readers whenever updates, corrections, or changes occur.

By clicking the CrossMark logo displayed on each article page, readers can view:

  • The current status of the article (active, corrected, or retracted),

  • The most recent version available, and

  • Additional information such as publication or revision dates.

3. Correction to an Article

If an error is identified after publication that does not affect the main conclusions of the study (e.g., minor data inaccuracies, typographical errors, or small omissions), Meditory Journal will issue a Correction (Erratum).

Such corrections will:

  • Be published as an official document (typically in a subsequent issue),

  • Be directly linked to the original article, and

  • Be reflected in the CrossMark record of the article.

If the mistake was introduced by the publisher, a Publisher Correction will be issued instead.

4. Retraction Policy

An article may be retracted when a serious ethical or scientific integrity issue is identified, including but not limited to:

  • Plagiarism or duplicate publication,

  • Data fabrication or falsification,

  • Ethical violations in research or publication,

  • Major errors that invalidate conclusions, or

  • Copyright infringement or authorship disputes.

In such cases:

  • A Retraction Notice will be published, clearly stating the reason and party responsible for the retraction,

  • The article will remain accessible online but will be clearly marked as “Retracted” on both the webpage and the PDF version, and

  • The article’s metadata (DOI, authorship, and publication year) will remain publicly available to maintain the scholarly record.

An article will only be removed entirely if there are legal reasons to do so, such as:

  • Violation of copyright or legal rights,

  • Defamatory content, or

  • Enforcement of a court order.

In such cases, bibliographic information will remain on the site, along with a statement explaining the reason for removal.

In exceptional cases (e.g., publication of false data that may pose public health risks), the incorrect version may be removed, and a corrected version will be published with an explanatory statement.

5. Editorial Note

If a potential issue arises regarding an article but the matter has not yet been resolved, the editorial board may issue an Editorial Note to alert readers.

This may occur, for example, when:

  • There are allegations of research or publication misconduct,

  • A dispute exists between authors or between authors and third parties, or

  • Concerns are raised by readers that require further investigation.

The Editorial Note will remain visible until an official resolution is reached, such as a correction, revision, or retraction.

6. Expression of Concern

In cases where there are serious concerns about an article but insufficient evidence to justify a retraction, Meditory Journal may issue an Expression of Concern.
This may apply when:

  • There are suspicions of ethical misconduct but no conclusive proof,

  • The author’s institution declines to investigate, or

  • An ongoing investigation is inconclusive or lacks transparency.

The Expression of Concern will remain linked to the article until a final decision or formal action is made.

7. Commitment to Publication Integrity

By participating in CrossMark, Meditory Journal is committed to:

  • Ensuring a transparent publication record for every article,

  • Maintaining the accuracy and completeness of the scholarly record, and

  • Providing readers with up-to-date information whenever changes or updates are made to published content.