Journal of Midwifery

Publisher: UNIVED Press, Universitas Dehasen Bengkulu, Indonesia

Print ISSN 2338-7068  |  Online ISSN 2722-4228

Journal website: https://jurnal.unived.ac.id/index.php/JM

EDITORIAL POLICY • Proposed for Editorial Board approval

Policy framework

This policy governs scholarly submissions and publications in midwifery, reproductive health, maternal and newborn care. It should be read with the journal’s Author Guidelines, editorial ethics requirements and applicable law. Operational measures proposed here take effect only after approval and technical implementation by the Editorial Board and publisher.

1. Purpose

The journal safeguards the scholarly record by correcting material errors and notifying readers when published evidence is seriously questioned or unreliable. Notices should be timely, proportionate and guided by current COPE principles. Editorial actions are intended to protect readers and research integrity, not punish authors.

2. Correction criteria

A correction is appropriate for significant but limited errors that do not invalidate the central findings: for example a mislabelled table, incorrect denominator, attribution error or corrected statistical value. The notice should identify what changed and whether conclusions are affected. Minor typographical amendments need not always warrant a formal notice.

3. Expression of concern

An expression of concern may alert readers to substantial unresolved doubts, prolonged institutional investigations or credible concerns when evidence is insufficient for correction or retraction. It must describe the unresolved issue without presenting an allegation as established misconduct.

4. Retraction criteria

Retraction may be warranted for substantially unreliable findings, fabricated or falsified clinical data, major errors that invalidate conclusions, serious plagiarism, unethical research or another sufficient ground under COPE guidance. Mere disagreement, controversial conclusions or unsuccessful replication without further evidence do not automatically justify retraction.

5. Assessment and author response

The Editor-in-Chief or an unconflicted editor evaluates evidence, seeks expert and institutional input where needed, and gives authors a fair opportunity to respond. Urgent patient-safety concerns may require prompt protective notices. Authors’ non-response alone does not establish misconduct.

6. Publication of notices

All formal notices must be free to access, clearly titled, explain the decision and identify the original article. They should have stable URLs, be bidirectionally linked where feasible and have publication/DOI metadata updated. Retracted articles normally remain accessible with prominent watermark or labelling except for exceptional legal or privacy circumstances.

7. Patient confidentiality and legal issues

Notices must minimise disclosure of identifiable maternal, neonatal and reproductive-health information, and avoid unnecessarily naming complainants or repeating sensitive patient detail. Contact with research institutions or authorities must be factual and proportionate.

8. Withdrawal and record-keeping

An unpublished accepted manuscript may be withdrawn from production as an editorial matter; this is distinct from retraction of published work. The journal should securely retain investigation materials, dates, correspondence, decisions and notice versions.

9. Appeals and ongoing review

Material new evidence or a significant procedural error may justify independent reconsideration. The Editorial Board should periodically review the implementation of correction and retraction procedures and update them when COPE guidance changes.

Policy governance and references

Policy authority: Editorial Board, Journal of Midwifery. Publisher: UNIVED Press, Universitas Dehasen Bengkulu, Indonesia. Status: proposed revised policy, pending formal approval. The Editorial Board should review the policy periodically and publish material amendments on the official journal website.

Professional guidance for adoption and periodic review:

ICMJE Recommendations: https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/

COPE: https://publicationethics.org/

CRediT Taxonomy: https://credit.niso.org/

EQUATOR Network: https://www.equator-network.org/

PRISMA 2020: https://www.prisma-statement.org/

Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/