Editorial

Plagiarism: Digging to the root of the problem
Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Volume 61, Issue 4, October 2006, Page 431
Frances Boquiren, Francis Creed and Colin Shapiro

Recently, the Journal of Psychosomatic Research received a paper titled "Psychological impact of cancer on patient’s family members" from authors Gulseren Unal and Figen Govsa of the Faculty of Medicine at Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. During the review process, one of the referees discovered that the authors had plagiarized paragraphs from the article “The psychological impact of a cancer diagnosis on families: the influence of family functioning and patients' illness characteristics on depression and anxiety” that was published in Psycho-oncology in 2004 [1]. The authors were contacted but no initial response was given. As a result, the paper was not considered further.

SummaryPlus | Full Text + Links | PDF (54 K) | View Related Articles

Note from the Editor

Applied Mathematics and Computation, Volume 191, Issue 2, 15 August 2007, Pages 299-301
John Casti

In Apologiam
Publicly available scientific knowledge results from the accumulated work of all researchers sharing their ideas and results with others. This edifice is enormous, but it is made up of small units each one of us contributes. To fit one new piece into the knowledge base, two main conditions must be fulfilled. First, the contribution must be new, and second, it must be evaluated by peer review. The novelty is mainly the responsibility of the contributor. The state-of-the-art must be known and the added value must be clearly presented. Evaluation is in the hands of editors. They rely on a large team of experts who assess the proposal, check the novelty, possibly suggest improvements, or reject. The whole process is based on mutual trust and confidence. Whenever it is broken, the case does not help the offender at all.

SummaryPlus | Full Text + Links | PDF (84 K)

This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors.

RETRACTED: A recommended specification for heavy vehicle rear underrun guards
Accident Analysis & Prevention, Volume 39, Issue 4, July 2007, Pages 696-707

Ali Osman Atahan

PDF (2463 K) Related Articles

Reason: The author has in this instance failed in his ethical responsibility on the grounds of reporting standards (failing to provide original and accurate account of research), plagiarism (copying substantial parts and claiming results from research from Boucher, D.; “Heavy trailer rear underride crash tests performed with passenger vehicles”; unpublished Transport Canada Technical Memorandum TMVS 0001; Ottawa; Ontario; July 2000) and acknowledgement of sources (failure to obtain permission from Transport Canada). This constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

This article has been retracted at the request of one of the authors and the Chief Editor.

RETRACTED: A methodology for constructing multicriteria decision support systems for agricultural land consolidation using GIS and API: an illustration from Turkey
Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Volume 36, Issue 1, October 2002, Pages 55-78

A. K. Yaldir and T. Rehman

Abstract PDF (494 K) View Related Articles

Reason: This article was derived from a doctoral thesis of Mr A Yaldir, for which he had worked under my supervision and which he had presented as original work. Professor Keller from the University of Victoria, Canada, notified me that the article (and by implication Mr Yaldir's thesis also) had been drawn very heavily from Strapp, J. (1992). A Spatial Decision Support System for Land Consolidation. Unpublished MSc thesis. Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Canada, which I had not previously seen.

An internal investigation into the allegation that Mr Yaldir had committed plagiarism in his thesis was undertaken by the Standing Committee on Academic Misconduct of the University of Reading and appropriate measures have been taken.

I therefore retract this article [with the agreement of the Editors-in-Chief] and request that the publishers of Computers and Electronics in Agriculture place this notice in the journal. I offer unreserved apology to Mr Strapp and to the Editors-in-Chief and the publishers.

Dr. Tahir Rehman, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, The University of Reading, New Agricultural Building, Earley Gate, PO Box 237, Reading RG6 6AR, UK.

This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief.

RETRACTED: An algorithm for stability of discrete-time interval matrices
Applied Mathematics and Computation, Volume 139, Issue 1, 1 July 2003, Pages 121-131

K. Yamac and D. Bozkurt

Abstract Abstract + References PDF (287 K) View Related Articles

Reason: It is clear for all to see that this article is a close copy of the earlier article: A. Bulgak: Checking a practical asymptotic stability of an interval matrix. Selcuk Journal of Applied Mathematics 2 (2001) 17–26. Although this article references A. Bulgak's article as Ref. [5], large passages are copied word-for-word, without explanation of what is known and what is new. This is a clear violation of the rules of practice in scientific work, generally accepted by the scientific community.

It is hence my editorial duty to herewith offer, together with our reviewers, our sincerest apologies to Dr. A. Bulgak, to our readership and to the mathematical community at large, for not having detected this most unfortunate case of copying/plagiarism during the review process.

HABER

This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief and Author.

RETRACTED: Nursing role on preventing secondary brain injury
Accident and Emergency Nursing, Volume 12, Issue 2, April 2004, Pages 94-98

S. Çelik, G. Aksoy and N. Akyolcu

Abstract Abstract + References PDF (334 K) View Related Articles

Reason: This paper has been retracted from the journal because it is believed that large portions of text have been copied directly from another article Prevention of Secondary Brain Injury written by F.H. Wong, published in Critical Care Nurse 20 (2000) 18–27.

A full investigation into the issue has been undertaken by the editor, in communication with the editor of Critical Care Nurse and the authors of the above article. The editor of Accident and Emergency Nursing apologizes to Mr Wong, and to Critical Care Nurse for this regrettable occurrence.

This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief.

RETRACTED: On stability of discrete-time interval matrices
Applied Mathematics and Computation, Volume 152, Issue 1, 26 April 2004, Pages 163-167

K. Yamac and D. Bozkurt

Abstract Abstract + References PDF (348 K) View Related Articles

Reason: It is clear for all to see that this article is a close copy of the earlier article: H. Bulgak: Pseudoeigenvalues, spectral portrait of a matrix and their connections with different criteria of Stability. In: Error Control and Adaptivity in Scientific Computing; H. Bulgak and C. Zenger, Eds., Kluwer (1999) 95–124. Large passages are copied word-for-word, without explanation of what is known and what is new. This is a clear violation of the rules of practice in scientific work, generally accepted by the scientific community.

It is hence my editorial duty to herewith offer, together with our reviewers, our sincerest apologies to Prof. H. Bulgak, to our readership and to the mathematical community at large, for not having detected this most unfortunate case of copying/plagiarism during the review process.

Results of this paper form a part of the Ph.D. Thesis [1] written by Yamac at Selcuk University under the direction of Bozkurt.

HABER

This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief.

RETRACTED: HLA alleles and haplotypes in the east Black Sea Turkish population
Transplantation Proceedings, Volume 36, Issue 9, November 2004, Pages 2610-2614

F. Uçar, E. Ovalı, A. Pakdemir, A. Alver, I. Gök, S. Kartı and E. Kalay

Abstract Abstract + References PDF (246 K) View Related Articles

Reason: this paper has been found to contain a discussion section which has a considerable amount of material plagiarized from another published paper: Arnaiz-Villena A, Gomez-Casado E, Martinez-Laso J. Population genetic relationships between Mediterranean populations determined by HLA allele distribution and a historic perspective. Tissue Antigens, 60(2) (2002) pp.111–121.

Neither the authors nor the publishers of the Tissue Antigens paper from which the discussion section was taken granted permission for their paper's contents to be reproduced in such a way.

It is the opinion of both myself, Elsevier (Transplantation Proceedings publisher), and Blackwell Publishing (Tissue Antigens publisher) that the discussion section of the above-mentioned manuscript violates the copyright of the publishers of Tissue Antigens. In addition, the authors of the manuscript have infringed the normal professional ethical codes by presenting the work of others as their own.

The data presented in the manuscript, however, are unique and represent a contribution to the field of transplantation.

We regret that this incident has occurred and we assure our readership that all appropriate steps have been taken to prevent recurrence of this issue.

Barry D. Kahan PhD, MD, Editor-In-Chief, Transplantation Proceedings

This article has been retracted consistent with Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal.The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.

RETRACTED: On completion of intuitionistic fuzzy metric spaces
Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 2 March 2006

C. Alaca, H. Efe and C. Yildiz

Abstract Abstract + References PDF (174 K) View Related Articles

See also:
V. Gregori, S. Romaguera, “On completion of fuzzy metric spaces”, Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 130 (2002), 399-404.

This article has been retracted at the request of the chief editor and authors.

RETRACTED: Handwashing: a simple, economical and effective method for preventing nosocomial infections in intensive care units
Journal of Hospital Infection, Volume 62, Issue 4, April 2006, Pages 395-405

A. Akyol, H. Ulusoy and İ. Özen

Abstract Abstract + References PDF (323 K) View Related Articles

Reason: The Editor has recently been made aware that the above paper appears to contain material from a paper that has been published previously, and to which no reference was made. The details of the original paper are as follows: Jumaa PA. Hand hygiene: simple and complex. Int J Infect Dis 2005;9:3–14, doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2004.05.005.

This paper was received by International Journal of Infectious Diseases on 5th April 2004; revised and resubmitted on 22nd May 2004 and finally accepted on 24th May 2004. There is a high degree of similarity between the two papers and it is the Editor's opinion that the paper from Akyol et al. demonstrates plagiarism and in doing so, contravenes the Journal submission assurance regarding originality.

HABER

This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors-in-Chief and Author.

RETRACTED: On the composition of the distributions x^λ₊ and x^μ₊
Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications, Volume 318, Issue 1, 1 June 2006, Pages 102-111

B. Fisher and K. Taş

Abstract Abstract + References PDF (284 K) View Related Articles

Reason: Following publication of this paper, it was brought to our attention that a virtually identical paper had been published earlier:

B. Fisher and K. Tas. On the composition of the distributions x^−r₊ and x^μ₊, Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics 36 (2005) 11–22.

Furthermore, the following similar paper has also appeared:

B. Fisher and K. Tas. On the composition of the distributions x⁻¹ ln x and x^r₊. Integral Transforms and Special Functions 16 (2005) 533–543.

When the JMAA paper was being submitted, the JMAA Editors were unaware that an almost identical version was under consideration elsewhere, and indeed, in the submission procedures, authors are asked to declare explicitly that this is not the case. Had this notification been given accordingly, the paper would not have been accepted.

The Editors deplore the practice of simultaneous multiple submission of papers to different journals, and offer their sincere and unreserved apologies to readers of the journal for not having spotted this.

Professors Steven G. Krantz, Richard M. Aron, Goong Chen; Editors-in-Chief

This article has been retracted consistent with Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal.The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.

RETRACTED: Characterizing completable intuitionistic fuzzy metric spaces
Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 3 July 2006

H. Efe and C. Alaca

Abstract Abstract + References PDF (195 K) View Related Articles

See also:
V. Gregori, S. Romaguera, “Characterizing completable fuzzy metric spaces”, Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 144 (2004), 411-420.

Publisher’s Note - Optical Engineering 46(11),11980 November 2007

Ö. Faruk Farsakoğlu,

"Analysis of characteristic parameters of a plasma ion source and of ion-assisted deposited optical thin films", Opt. Eng. 44, 103601 (October 2005)

The above-listed paper has been removed from the SPIE Digital Library due to the discovery that significant portions of the text, figures, and equations were taken directly, and without proper credit and additional research originality, from the following previously published papers by other researchers:

D. E. Morton and V. Fridman, “Measurement and Correlation of Ion Beam Current Density to Moisture Stability of Oxide Film Stacks Fabricated by Cold Cathode Ion Assisted Deposition," 41st Annual Technical Conference Proceedings, Society of Vacuum Coaters, pp. 297– 302 (1998).

O. Zabeida, J. E. Klemberg-Sapieha, L. Martinu, and D.E. Morton, “Ion Bombardment Characteristics During the Growth of Optical Films Using a Cold Cathode Ion Source,” 42nd Annual Technical Conference Proceedings, Society of Vacuum Coaters, pp. 267–272
1999.

D. E. Morton, “The Effects of Pumping Speed on the Operation of a Cold Cathode Ion Source,” 43rd Annual Technical Conference Proceedings, Society of Vacuum Coaters, pp. 207–211
2000.

As stated in the SPIE Publication Ethics Guidelines, “SPIE defines plagiarism as the reuse of someone else’s prior ideas, processes, results, or words without explicit attribution of the original author and source.... SPIE considers plagiarism in any form to be unacceptable and a serious breach of professional conduct.” Therefore, this paper was removed from the SPIE Digital Library on November 16,2007. The citations are provided here so that interested readers can access the information from the original sources.

Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal

It is a general principle of scholarly communication that the editor of a learned journal is solely and independently responsible for deciding which articles submitted to the journal shall be published. In making this decision the editor is guided by policies of the journal's editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. An outcome of this principle is the importance of the scholarly archive as a permanent, historic record of the transactions of scholarship. Articles that have been published shall remain extant, exact and unaltered as far as is possible. However, very occasionally circumstances may arise where an article is published that must later be retracted or even removed. Such actions must not be undertaken lightly and can only occur under exceptional circumstances, such as: Article Withdrawal: Only used for Articles in Press where errors or accidental duplicates have been found, or infringements of professional ethical codes, such as multiple submission, bogus claims of authorship, plagiarism, fraudulent use of data or the like. Article Retraction: Infringements of professional ethical codes, such as multiple submission, bogus claims of authorship, plagiarism, fraudulent use of data or the like. Article Removal: Legal limitations upon the publisher, copyright holder or author(s). Article Removal or Replacement: Identification of false or inaccurate data that, if acted upon, would pose a serious health risk. ARTICLE WITHDRAWAL FOR ARTICLES IN PRESS Articles in Press (articles that have been accepted for publication but which have not been formally published and will not yet have the complete volume/issue/page information) that include errors, or are discovered to be accidental duplicates of other published article(s), or are determined to violate our journal publishing ethics guidelines in the view of the editors, may be “Withdrawn” from ScienceDirect. Withdrawn means that the article content (HTML and PDF) is removed and replaced with an HTML page and PDF simply stating that the article has been withdrawn according to the Elsevier Policy on Article in Press Withdrawal with a link to the current policy document. ARTICLE RETRACTION BY THE SCHOLARLY COMMUNITY The retraction of an article by its authors or the editor under the advice of members of the scholarly community has long been an occasional feature of the learned world. Standards for dealing with retractions have been developed by a number of library and scholarly bodies, and this best practice is adopted for article retraction by Elsevier: A retraction note titled “Retraction: [article title]” signed by the authors and/or the editor is published in the paginated part of a subsequent issue of the journal and listed in the contents list. In the electronic version, a link is made to the original article. The online article is preceded by a screen containing the retraction note. It is to this screen that the link resolves; the reader can then proceed to the article itself. The original article is retained unchanged save for a watermark on the .pdf indicating on each page that it is “retracted.” The HTML version of the document is removed. ARTICLE REMOVAL In an extremely limited number of cases, it may be necessary to remove an article from the online database. This will only occur where the article is clearly defamatory, or infringes others’ legal rights, or where the article is, or we have good reason to expect it will be, the subject of a court order, or where the article, if acted upon, might pose a serious health risk. In these circumstances, while the metadata (Title and Authors) will be retained, the text will be replaced with a screen indicating the article has been removed for legal reasons. ARTICLE REPLACEMENT In cases where the article, if acted upon, might pose a serious health risk, the authors of the original article may wish to retract the flawed original and replace it with a corrected version. In these circumstances the procedures for retraction will be followed with the difference that the database retraction notice will publish a link to the corrected re-published article and a history of the document. In all cases, our official archives at the National Library of the Netherlands will retain all article versions, including retracted or otherwise removed articles. Elsevier recognizes the importance of the integrity and completeness of the scholarly record to researchers and librarians and attaches the highest importance to maintaining trust in the authority of its electronic archive. This policy has been designed to address these concerns and to take into account current best practice in the scholarly and library communities. As standards evolve and change, we will revisit this issue and welcome the input of scholarly and library communities. We believe these issues require international standards and we will be active in lobbying various information bodies to establish international standards and best practices that the publishing and information industries can adopt. See also the National Library of Medicine's policy on retractions and the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) concerning corrections and retractions. [Last revision: 17 July, 2007]