Post-Production Policy

The Pakistan Journal of Rehabilitation upholds the highest standards of publication ethics, transparency, and fairness. This policy outlines the procedures for appeals, complaints, withdrawals, corrections, and retractions, in line with COPE and ICMJE guidelines.

Appeals

  • Authors whose manuscripts are rejected have the right to appeal.
  • Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of the decision, with detailed justification.
  • Appeals are reviewed by a senior editorial board member not involved in the original decision.
  • The outcome of the appeal will be communicated to the author in writing within a reasonable timeframe.
  • The decision after review is final.
  • Manuscripts that have been formally rejected will not be reconsidered as new submissions unless substantially revised and invited by the Editor.

Complaints

  • Complaints may relate to editorial handling, peer review, publication ethics, or suspected misconduct.
  • Complaints must be submitted in writing to the editorial office ([email protected]).
  • Complaints are reviewed by a designated senior editor who was not part of the original decision.
  • PJR follows COPE flowcharts for handling complaints fairly, transparently, and consistently.
  • Authors and complainants will receive a written response outlining the outcome.

Withdrawal of Manuscripts

  • Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript prior to acceptance, with a written explanation.
  • Once a manuscript is accepted or published, withdrawal is not permitted except under extraordinary circumstances such as:
    • Proven errors that invalidate the work.
    • Ethical violations (e.g., authorship disputes, duplicate submission, research misconduct).
  • Requests for withdrawal after acceptance are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and must be supported by all co-authors.
  • Unjustified or repeated withdrawal requests may lead to sanctions, including temporary or permanent refusal of future submissions.
  • Withdrawal or retraction of published articles will follow COPE Retraction Guidelines, and retraction notices will remain permanently accessible.

Retractions

PJR will issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction in cases including, but not limited to:

  • Clear evidence that findings are unreliable due to misconduct (e.g. data fabrication or falsification) or honest error (e.g. miscalculation, experimental error).
  • Plagiarism or redundant / duplicate publication without proper citation or permission.
  • Unethical research (e.g. lack of ethics approval, problems with consent).
  • Image manipulation or misleading presentation of data.
  • Author dispute over authorship not resolvable through corrections.
  • Legal issues (defamation, copyright infringement).
  • Other issues that seriously undermine the validity or integrity of the published work.

Retraction policies are also in lined with COPE Retraction Policy guidelines.

Retraction Procedure

Identification and Assessment

Concerns may be raised by readers, authors, editors, or institutions.

The editorial office obtains relevant documentation (similarity reports, raw data, peer review history, etc.).

The Editor-in-Chief, possibly with the editorial board or an ethics committee, evaluates the case objectively (possibly following COPE flowcharts).

Author Notification and Response

Authors are contacted and given the opportunity to respond to the allegations, typically within a specified timeframe (e.g. 14 or 30 days).

If multiple authors, all are informed, and co-authors’ input is sought.

Decision and Outcome

If the explanation is satisfactory and the issue minor, a correction may suffice.

If wrongdoing or irreparable issues are confirmed, a retraction is issued.

If the investigation is inconclusive but concerns remain, an Expression of Concern may be published.

Retraction Notice

The retraction notice is linked to the original article (and vice versa).

The original article is permanently marked as “Retracted” (e.g. watermark, header).

The notice clearly states who is retracting (authors, journal, or both), the reason(s) for retraction, and who is responsible.

The notice should avoid defamatory language but state factual basis.

The notice remains permanently accessible.

Correction Notice

A correction is linked to the original article.

The correction states what is being corrected, why, and by whom.

The original article is updated with a footnote or note about the correction.

Post-Retraction / Post-Correction Handling

Databases and indexing services are notified.

The retracted article will show clearly in all versions (online, PDF) that it has been retracted.

Any uses of the article (e.g. for citations) should clearly note retraction.

In cases involving misconduct, institutions, funders, or ethics bodies may be informed.