Crossmark and Post-Publication Update Policy

The International Journal of Applied Business and International Management (IJABIM) participates in the Crossref Crossmark service to provide readers with a reliable and transparent mechanism for identifying the current status of published content.

Crossmark enables readers to determine whether an article has been corrected, updated, retracted, or otherwise subject to an editorially significant post-publication change. By participating in Crossmark, IJABIM is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and to registering significant updates to published content in a timely and transparent manner.

All research articles published by IJABIM undergo editorial screening and peer review in accordance with the journal's Peer Review Policy before final acceptance and publication. The formally published article constitutes the Version of Record.

Once an article has been published as the Version of Record, IJABIM does not make substantive changes to the published record without appropriate editorial documentation. Where an editorially significant change is required, IJABIM will issue an appropriate post-publication notice and, where applicable, register the update with Crossref so that the relationship between the original article and the subsequent notice is transparent.

Readers may click the Crossmark logo displayed on an IJABIM article to check its current publication status and, where available, obtain information about corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or other registered updates.

1. Version of Record

An article becomes the Version of Record after completion of the journal's editorial evaluation, peer-review process, required revisions, final editorial acceptance, and production process.

The Version of Record is intended to remain permanent and citable. Changes made after publication are managed in a manner that preserves the transparency, traceability, and integrity of the scholarly record.

2. Minor Corrections

Minor errors that do not affect the interpretation, reliability, attribution, scientific conclusions, or bibliographic metadata of an article may be corrected without issuing a formal correction notice. Examples may include minor typographical, formatting, or production errors.

Such changes will not be used to alter the substantive findings, interpretation, authorship, or conclusions of a published article.

3. Corrections, Errata, and Corrigenda

A formal correction may be issued when an error is identified after publication that affects part of the article or its interpretation but does not invalidate the article's principal findings or conclusions.

Depending on the nature and origin of the error, IJABIM may publish a Correction, Erratum, or Corrigendum. The notice will clearly identify the article concerned, explain the nature of the correction, and be linked bidirectionally with the original article whenever technically possible.

Editorially significant correction notices will normally be published as separate records with their own persistent identifier or DOI and will be registered with Crossref in accordance with applicable Crossmark practices.

The original Version of Record will remain accessible as part of the scholarly record. Where necessary, the article landing page and PDF will contain a clear indication that a correction has been issued.

4. Retraction

IJABIM may retract a published article when there is clear evidence that its findings or conclusions are unreliable, or when serious research or publication integrity concerns substantially compromise the validity or legitimacy of the work.

Grounds for retraction may include, but are not limited to:

• fabrication or falsification of data;
• major errors that invalidate the findings or conclusions;
• plagiarism;
• duplicate or substantially redundant publication;
• unauthorized or unethical use of data or materials;
• serious ethical violations;
• manipulation of the peer-review or publication process;
• material authorship or copyright violations where correction would not adequately address the problem; or
• other circumstances in which the integrity or reliability of the published record has been fundamentally compromised.

Retraction decisions are made by the journal's editorial leadership following appropriate assessment of the available evidence and, where relevant, communication with authors, institutions, research integrity bodies, or other parties. Author agreement is not required when the evidence supports retraction.

A retraction notice will clearly identify the retracted article, state the reason for the retraction, identify the party responsible for issuing the notice, and be linked to the original article.

The retracted article will normally remain accessible in order to preserve the scholarly record, but it will be clearly and prominently marked as Retracted on the article landing page and within the article PDF. The corresponding metadata will be updated where appropriate.

5. Expression of Concern

IJABIM may issue an Expression of Concern when serious questions have been raised regarding the integrity or reliability of a published article but the available evidence is inconclusive, an investigation is ongoing, or a definitive editorial decision cannot yet be made.

An Expression of Concern may be appropriate when:

• there is inconclusive evidence of research or publication misconduct;
• an institutional or other investigation is underway and its findings may affect the reliability of the published work;
• there are substantial concerns about the integrity of the article that cannot yet be resolved;
• an investigation has not been completed within a reasonable period; or
• available evidence does not yet justify either correction or retraction.

The Expression of Concern will be linked to the article concerned and will remain part of the scholarly record. When the matter is resolved, IJABIM may subsequently issue a correction, retraction, editorial clarification, or other appropriate notice.

6. Withdrawal

Withdrawal is distinct from retraction and generally applies before an article has been formally published as the Version of Record.

A manuscript may be withdrawn prior to publication in accordance with IJABIM's editorial and submission policies. Once an article has been formally published as the Version of Record, concerns about its validity or integrity will normally be addressed through correction, retraction, expression of concern, or another appropriate post-publication mechanism rather than withdrawal.

7. Article Removal

Complete removal of published content is considered only in exceptional circumstances. Such circumstances may include a binding legal requirement, a serious violation of privacy or legal rights, defamatory content, or a situation in which continued availability of the content creates a serious and demonstrable risk of harm.

Where removal is necessary, the bibliographic metadata and article landing page will normally be retained together with a statement explaining why the content has been removed, unless legal or regulatory requirements prevent this.

8. Editorial Notes and Clarifications

IJABIM may publish an Editorial Note or Clarification where additional information is necessary to assist readers in understanding the status, context, provenance, or editorial history of a published article but the matter does not warrant a correction, expression of concern, or retraction.

Such notices will be clearly identified and linked to the relevant published content where appropriate.

9. Reporting Concerns About Published Content

Readers, authors, reviewers, institutions, and other stakeholders who identify a potential error or research-integrity concern in published IJABIM content are encouraged to contact the Editorial Office.

Reports should provide sufficient information and, where possible, supporting evidence to allow the journal to assess the concern. All concerns will be evaluated in accordance with the journal's publication ethics and research-integrity procedures.

Editorial Office:
International Journal of Applied Business and International Management (IJABIM)
Email: journal.ijabim@gmail.com

10. Crossmark Registration and Updating

IJABIM uses Crossmark to communicate the current status of its published content. Editorially significant post-publication changes may include corrections, corrigenda, errata, expressions of concern, retractions, withdrawals, removals, clarifications, or other recognized updates.

When such an update is issued, IJABIM will maintain appropriate links between the original publication and the update notice and will update the corresponding Crossref metadata where applicable.

The Crossmark button does not replace IJABIM's editorial or publication-ethics procedures. It provides a standardized mechanism through which readers can verify whether the status of a published work has changed.

11. Standards and Guidance

IJABIM's post-publication update practices are informed by relevant guidance from Crossref Crossmark and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Crossmark Policy DOI: https://doi.org/10.32535/ijabim.crossmark.page

International Journal of Applied Business and International Management (IJABIM)
ISSN 2614-7432 (Print) | ISSN 2621-2862 (Online)
DOI Prefix: 10.32535
Published by AIBPM Publisher