Corrections & Crossmark Policies

Version of Record and Arab Journal of Forensic Sciences & Forensic Medicine (AJFSFM) Corrections Policy

In an effort to better serve our researchers, librarians, and others in the academic community, AJFSFM believes clarity in the publishing record is a critical component of information distribution. Recognizing a published article as a finalized “Version of Record” establishes the expectation that it can be relied upon as accurate, complete, and citable. AJFSFM defines this Version of Record as the article paginated in a volume and issue or the initial article publication for open access journals (Open Access journals do not publish any additional versions such as paginated issue/volume versions).

Corrections prior to the Version of Record

Because articles can be read and cited as soon as they are published (including OnlineFirst publication), any changes thereafter could potentially impact those who read and cited the earlier version. AJFSFM provides authors with an opportunity to review article proofs prior to publication with the express goal of ensuring accuracy of the content. Publishing an erratum or corrigendum increases the likelihood readers will find out about the change and also explains the specifics of the change.

When an article is published OnlineFirst but not yet published in an issue, limited corrections may be made at the discretion of the journal.

Version of Record

When an article is published in an issue (or an Open Access article is first published), it is considered the Version of Record. AJFSFM is committed to preserving the integrity and transparency of the Version of Record. If a significant error is discovered, AJFSFM may publish an erratum or corrigendum notice to alert all readers.

AJFSFM takes issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism and other breaches of best practice in publication very seriously. In the rare cases where a breach of publication ethics or copyright infringement are discovered, AJFSFM reserves the right to take appropriate action to correct the academic record, including but not limited to: publishing an erratum or corrigendum; publishing an expression of concern linked to the article; retracting the article and publishing an accompanying retraction notice; or removing an article for legal reasons and replacing the removed article with a notice.

AJFSFM’s Crossmark Policy

Building upon our commitment of a reliable Version of Record and our Corrections policy, as outlined above, AJFSFM also participates in the Crossmark program. This program allows readers to quickly and easily access the status of a piece of published content, including updates, corrections, and retractions, as well as provide valuable article metadata.

On AJFSFM you will now see the Crossmark button, as shown below, both on HTML and PDF versions of our articles. Clicking on the button makes a pop-up box appear that shows the reader the current status of the article (for example, up-to-date, updates available, or retracted), as well as also displaying any additional information or metadata AJFSFM has supplied to Crossmark.

Learn more about Crossmark, a multi-publisher initiative from Crossref, at https://www.crossref.org/services/crossmark/.

AJFSFM content

The AJFSFM content that will have the CrossMark icon is restricted to current and future journal content and limited to specific publication types (see below) and only on content hosted by official AJFSFM websites. Articles in Press will not have the CrossMark icon for the present.

Publication Types

Article Type	Short Description
Original Research articles	A full-length research reports. Such submissions considering the following factors: A clear stated hypothesis. Quality of the literature review and clear statement of the novelty and value of the work in this context. Strength of the experimental design, e.g., clear description of sample size and experimental controls. Sufficient method validation and figures of merit. Reasonable, defensible, and data-based interpretation and conclusions. Potential of the paper to strengthen the scientific foundation of forensic science in legal and regulatory communities around the world.
Review articles	Detailed review of specific subject, backed up by full reference list and exploring all aspects of subject.
Letter to the editor	Comment or useful critique on material published in the journal. The decision to publish submitted letters rests purely with the Editor-in-Chief. The answer to the letter is given by the editor or the corresponding author of the manuscript and is published in the journal.
Book Reviews	A review of a book or other publication of interest to the forensic science community or closely related fields and not more than 2 years old. Unsolicited reviews will not usually be accepted, but suggestions for appropriate books for review should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief.
Conference Proceedings	Conference Proceedings are a compilation of research papers presented at a scientific meeting, symposium, or conference and are produced from the manuscripts received from authors.
Case Reports	This is a brief description or analysis of one or more cases related to forensic science or forensic medicine.
Technical Notes	A description of a technical aspect of a field or issue, a report on a procedure or method, or a validation of techniques or methodologies. Technical Notes are usually shorter than Original Articles.