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Academy · Research Publication · Retraction vs correction vs expression of concern
Retraction, Correction and Expression of Concern: Distinct Post-Publication Signals and COPE Criteria
These three post-publication actions are often grouped together as indicating a problem with the paper, but they convey fundamentally different information about whether the findings can still be relied upon.
A correction addresses errors in a publication. An expression of concern alerts readers to potentially serious unresolved issues. A retraction identifies work whose reliability or publication integrity is sufficiently compromised to warrant withdrawal from the reliable literature. Each has a specific, defined trigger.
Learning objectives
- The specific criteria COPE sets out for when a retraction, rather than a correction, is warranted.
- What an expression of concern specifically signals, and why it is not itself a verdict.
- Why a correction does not mean an article's conclusions are no longer trustworthy.
Common misconceptions
- “Any paper with an identified error should be retracted to be safe.” COPE’s retraction guidelines specify that retraction is warranted for clear evidence of unreliable findings arising from major error or misconduct, redundant publication, plagiarism, unethical research, or infringement of legal or ethical rights, not for every error; a correction is the appropriate action where an honest, identified error does not undermine the paper’s overall conclusions.
- “An expression of concern means a paper has been found guilty of misconduct.” COPE’s guidelines describe an expression of concern as appropriate while an investigation is inconclusive, ongoing or unlikely to conclude soon, or where a conclusion would have serious implications requiring community awareness in the meantime; it signals unresolved concern, not a conclusion that misconduct occurred.
Grounds for a correction
A correction (sometimes called an erratum or corrigendum) addresses a specific, identified error in data, methods or author details that does not undermine the paper’s overall findings or conclusions. COPE’s retraction guidelines distinguish this explicitly from retraction: where an honest error is identified and corrected without compromising the paper’s overall validity, a correction, not a retraction, is the appropriate action1.
Meaning of an expression of concern
COPE's guidelines describe an expression of concern as the appropriate editorial action when a journal receives inconclusive evidence of misconduct, when an investigation is unlikely to conclude for a long time, or when a conclusion is pending but the community needs to be aware of a potential issue in the meantime1. It is explicitly an interim notice rather than a finding of fault; readers should regard it as an indication that the paper’s reliability is under active review and that the outcome has not yet been determined.
Grounds for a full retraction
COPE’s guidelines list specific grounds for retraction: clear evidence that the findings are unreliable due to major error (such as miscalculation or experimental error) or fabrication or falsification; prior publication elsewhere without proper cross-referencing or justification; plagiarism; reporting of unethical research; and findings that have been previously published elsewhere without disclosure (redundant publication)1. A retracted paper's findings should no longer be relied upon or cited as valid evidence, which is why retraction is reserved for issues that go to the reliability of the paper as a whole, not isolated correctable errors.
Key points
Key points
A correction addresses errors in a publication; an expression of concern alerts readers to potentially serious unresolved issues; and a retraction identifies work whose reliability or publication integrity is sufficiently compromised to warrant withdrawal from the reliable literature. Each has specific, defined COPE criteria, and they are not interchangeable degrees of the same signal.
Practical application
Practical application
- The current status of a paper, not only its original publication, should be checked before it is cited. Retraction databases and the journal’s own website should be searched for any correction, expression of concern or retraction notice before a paper’s findings are relied upon.
- The specific status should be reported accurately rather than as a vague reference to an issue with the paper. When a flagged paper is cited or discussed, authors should state precisely whether it carries a correction, an expression of concern or a retraction, and what that status means.
- Errors identified in an author’s own published work should be reported to the journal rather than left to be discovered by others. The guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) on self-reporting errors should be followed; it supports the issuing of a correction where appropriate rather than a more severe later action.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. For this reason, a paper’s current status should be checked at the time of citation rather than inferred from memory or an earlier download; retraction databases such as Retraction Watch and most journal websites flag this status clearly.
Not necessarily. Many corrections address honest errors (a mislabelled figure or a transcription mistake) that do not reflect misconduct and do not undermine the paper’s validity.
The journal’s editor, typically following COPE’s guidelines and often after consulting the authors’ institution, makes this determination on the basis of the nature and severity of the issue identified.
References
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Retraction Guidelines. COPE Council. 2019. read 10 October 2026. View COPE Retraction Guidelines
Every source above is a peer-reviewed article, a publisher’s record of one, or a standard issued by the body that owns it. Each carries the date it was last read. Where a standard moves, this article is revised rather than left up with a note.
How to cite this article
Pick your referencing style and copy it. Your university or target journal may vary the punctuation — check its guide if it has one.
Pubrica Academy. (2026, October 10). Retraction, Correction and Expression of Concern: Distinct Post-Publication Signals and COPE Criteria. Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/academy/concepts-definitions/retraction-correction-expression-of-concern/
Pubrica Academy. “Retraction, Correction and Expression of Concern: Distinct Post-Publication Signals and COPE Criteria.” Pubrica, 10 Oct. 2026, pubrica.com/academy/concepts-definitions/retraction-correction-expression-of-concern/.
Pubrica Academy (2026) Retraction, Correction and Expression of Concern: Distinct Post-Publication Signals and COPE Criteria. Pubrica. Available at: https://pubrica.com/academy/concepts-definitions/retraction-correction-expression-of-concern/ (Accessed: 15 October 2026).
Pubrica Academy. “Retraction, Correction and Expression of Concern: Distinct Post-Publication Signals and COPE Criteria.” Pubrica. October 10, 2026. https://pubrica.com/academy/concepts-definitions/retraction-correction-expression-of-concern/
Pubrica Academy, ‘Retraction, Correction and Expression of Concern: Distinct Post-Publication Signals and COPE Criteria’ (Pubrica, 10 October 2026) <https://pubrica.com/academy/concepts-definitions/retraction-correction-expression-of-concern/> accessed 15 October 2026.
Pubrica Academy. Retraction, Correction and Expression of Concern: Distinct Post-Publication Signals and COPE Criteria. [Internet]. Pubrica; 2026 Oct 10 [cited 2026 Oct 15]. Available from: https://pubrica.com/academy/concepts-definitions/retraction-correction-expression-of-concern/
Pubrica Academy, “Retraction, Correction and Expression of Concern: Distinct Post-Publication Signals and COPE Criteria,” Pubrica, Oct. 10, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://pubrica.com/academy/concepts-definitions/retraction-correction-expression-of-concern/
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}This article is written to be learned from. Cite it if you are referring to what it says; if you are using the evidence behind it, cite the sources listed above instead.
Post-publication status check
This checklist should be completed before a published paper is cited or relied upon.
[ ] Paper's current status checked (correction/EOC/retraction) via journal site or retraction database [ ] If flagged, the specific status and its meaning stated accurately when discussed or cited [ ] Any own-work error reported to the journal promptly, following COPE guidance [ ] Citation removed or caveated if the source paper is retracted
Pubrica AcademyWritten and maintained by Pubrica’s subject matter experts. Articles are revised when the underlying standards change, and each article states the date on which it was last reviewed.
How Pubrica can help
Pubrica checks the current status of every source cited in a manuscript against retraction databases, so that retracted or flagged papers are not cited inadvertently.