Crossmark Policy
1. Purpose
Creative Science is committed to maintaining the accuracy, transparency, integrity, and reliability of its published scholarly content. The journal adopts Crossmark, a service provided by Crossref, to enable readers to verify the current status of published articles and identify any significant updates, corrections, or retractions made after publication.
2. Corrections
When significant errors are identified in a published article that do not invalidate its overall findings or conclusions, the journal may issue a formal correction notice.
The correction notice will clearly describe the nature of the error and the changes made. It will be linked to the original article, and the relevant metadata will be updated in Crossref to ensure transparency and traceability.
3. Retractions
Creative Science may retract a published article when serious concerns are identified that compromise the reliability, validity, or integrity of its findings. Such concerns may include, but are not limited to, data fabrication or falsification, research misconduct, redundant publication, or fundamental errors affecting the validity of the research.
Retraction decisions will be made following a fair and transparent investigation in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies and applicable editorial guidelines.
A formal retraction notice will be published and linked to the original article. The article's publication record will be maintained, with its retracted status clearly indicated.
4. Expressions of Concern
When substantial concerns arise regarding the accuracy, reliability, or ethical integrity of a published article, and an investigation is ongoing or inconclusive, the journal may issue an Expression of Concern.
The notice will inform readers of the concerns and will be linked to the original article. Where appropriate, the publication record and Crossref metadata will be updated to reflect the article's status.
5. Preservation of the Scholarly Record
Creative Science is committed to preserving the integrity and transparency of the scholarly record.
Published articles, correction notices, retraction notices, and other relevant publication updates will be maintained to ensure that the publication history remains accessible and traceable.
Retracted articles will generally remain accessible with a clear indication of their retracted status, except in exceptional circumstances where legal, privacy, or safety considerations require the removal or restriction of content.
6. Reporting Errors or Concerns
Authors, readers, reviewers, and other stakeholders who identify errors, inaccuracies, or potential ethical concerns in published articles are encouraged to contact the journal through its official communication channels.
All reported concerns will be reviewed by the editorial team and addressed in accordance with the journal's editorial policies, publication ethics standards, and established procedures.
7. Implementation of Crossmark
Creative Science uses Crossmark to provide readers with information about the current status of its published articles.
By clicking the Crossmark button displayed on an article's webpage or PDF, readers can verify whether the article is current or has been subject to a correction, retraction, Expression of Concern, or other significant publication update.
When a significant update is issued, the journal will register the relevant information with Crossref and establish appropriate links between the original article and the corresponding update notice.
Crossmark is intended to support transparency, accountability, and confidence in the scholarly record.
