Information is provided about how we deal with post-publication correction requests relating to errata, addenda, and retractions.
When an article is published in an issue of a journal or in a book, it is referred to as the version of record (VOR). The VOR is the final version of the article and cannot be updated or altered any further, with the exception of author name changes. A reader accessing the VOR should be able to rely on the fact that the version they accessed, and possibly cited in other work, will not be changed after the final version was published. However, there may be circumstances under which it is necessary to communicate changes to the VOR. For example, when errors were found post-publication that have a serious effect on the indexation, scientific understanding/findings of the article, or research misconduct.
In the event that changes are made to the VOR, these will always be communicated through a notice such as an erratum, addendum, or a retraction. These notices will always be openly available to all readers and clearly indicate and link to the VOR to which it refers. The VOR itself will not be changed, but a link to the notice will be added to the VOR. A reader will then be able to track any changes or updates to the original publication and to verify when such updates were introduced.
Requests for correcting the VOR will be evaluated by with the Editor-in-Chief or lead book editor/author. They will usually be granted if: the scientific meaning or understanding of the paper is seriously affected; if errors were introduced by the typesetter; if there are serious ethical issues related to the publication; or when it involves author name changes due to marriage, divorce, religious conversion, gender alignment, or other personal reasons. Requests will typically be declined if: they concern minor spelling errors or minor typographical mistakes; affiliation changes; updates to contact details; addition of new funding statements; or if the request is received after the reasonable time window for communicating changes (up to 2 years after original publication) has closed.