Retraction Policy

Purpose

The Ife Journal of Agriculture (IJA) is committed to maintaining the integrity, reliability, and accuracy of the scholarly record. In circumstances where published articles are found to contain significant errors, ethical violations, or evidence of research misconduct, the journal may issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions as appropriate.

Grounds for Retraction

An article may be retracted if:

  • There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable due to misconduct (e.g., data fabrication, data falsification) or honest error;

  • The work has been plagiarized;

  • The article has been previously published elsewhere without proper disclosure or justification (redundant or duplicate publication);

  • The research was conducted or reported in an unethical manner;

  • There is evidence of serious authorship disputes or undisclosed conflicts of interest that significantly affect the integrity of the publication;

  • Legal or regulatory issues arise that require withdrawal of the publication.

Retraction Procedure

When concerns are raised regarding a published article, the Editorial Office will:

  1. Conduct a preliminary assessment of the allegation;

  2. Communicate with the corresponding author(s) and, where appropriate, affiliated institutions;

  3. Review available evidence and relevant documentation;

  4. Consult editorial board members and subject experts when necessary;

  5. Make a decision based on the evidence and established publication ethics principles.

Retraction Notice

When an article is retracted:

  • A formal retraction notice will be published and linked to the original article;

  • The notice will clearly state the reasons for the retraction;

  • The original article will remain accessible as part of the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as "Retracted";

  • The retraction notice will identify who initiated the retraction (authors, editors, or publisher).

Corrections and Expressions of Concern

Where issues do not warrant full retraction, the journal may publish:

Corrections

Minor errors that do not invalidate the findings may be corrected through an official correction notice.

Expressions of Concern

Where investigations are ongoing and conclusive evidence is not yet available, the journal may issue an expression of concern to alert readers.

Author Cooperation

Authors are expected to cooperate fully with investigations relating to alleged misconduct or publication concerns. Failure to cooperate may influence editorial decisions.

Ethical Standards

The Ife Journal of Agriculture follows internationally accepted principles of publication ethics and seeks to preserve the integrity of the scientific record through transparent and responsible editorial practices.

Ife Journal of Agriculture (IJA)
Faculty of Agriculture
Obafemi Awolowo University
Ile-Ife, Nigeria