CrossMark Policy

CrossMark is a multi-publisher initiative to provide a standard way for readers to locate the current version of a piece of content. By applying the CrossMark logo, SAG Publishing is committing to maintaining the content it publishes and to alert readers to change if and when they occur.

Clicking on the CrossMark logo will tell you the current status of a document and may also give you additional publication record information about the document.

Retraction and correction policies

Correction policy

In the usual process of journal publication, articles are peer reviewed before publication and corrections are published to alert readers to errors in the article that became apparent after publication.

By contrast, articles in SAG Publishing journals undergo a peer review post publication and publication is not 'final' as new versions can be added at any stage. Possible mistakes that come to light during the peer review process may be highlighted in the published refereed reports, which are part of the article.

Authors can publish revised versions, and any errors arising during peer review or later can be corrected through the publication of new versions. Corrections and changes relative to the previous version are always summarized in the 'Modifications' section at the start of a new version.

Retraction policy

This action is reserved for articles that are seriously inconsistent to the point that the findings or conclusions cannot be relied upon. Articles may be retracted for several reasons, including:

• honest errors reported by the authors (for example, errors due to the mixing up of samples or use of a scientific tool or equipment that is found subsequently to be faulty),
• research misconduct (data fabrication),
• duplicate or overlapping publication,
• fraudulent use of data,
• plagiarism, and,
• unethical research.

For any retracted article, the reason for retraction and who initially requested or instigated the retraction will be clearly stated in the retraction notice. The retraction notice will be linked to the retracted article (which usually remains on the site) and the article will be clearly marked as retracted (including the PDF).