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Expression of Concern (EOC)- A Tool for Transparency in Publishing

Last Update: 18 December, 2024 | 12:08

When Is an Expression of Concern (EOC) Issued?

An Expression of Concern (EOC) is a correction or erratum published by the editors to inform readers about serious concerns or potentially misleading information in a published article. Editors typically finalize their investigations of a suspicious case before issuing a notice. However, in rare cases, an EOC may be published as a provisional notice. On infrequent occasions, an EOC may be issued while an investigation is underway, but a judgment will not be available for a considerable time.

Who Writes an EOC and Where Is It Posted?

An EOC is written by the journal's Editor(s)-in-Chief or the Head of Brieflands' Ethics Committee. When published, an EOC is posted at the top of the article's webpage and linked to the article's publication record, similar to a correction.

Impact of Publishing an EOC

Publishing an EOC does not change the status of the linked published article. After an EOC is published, the same article may be corrected or retracted, or the EOC itself may be corrected or retracted, depending on the editors' assessment of information, data, and/or materials received in subsequent discussions.

Author Notification and Data Publication

We also attempt to inform the authors of the affected article before publishing an EOC, but we do not require the authors' approval or agreement. We commit ourselves to publish data or other materials received from the authors as supporting files with an EOC; in such cases, authors are consulted and can elect not to have their files/materials published, though this may affect the editorial decision to resolve the issue with an EOC.

Notifying Affected Third Parties

Brieflands may notify affected third parties of an Expression of Concern. This could include, for example, the authors' institution(s), and affected data repository or another journal/publisher that has an article or submission involved in the case.

 

Brieflands publishes an EOC as a new article with the type of correction letter and makes a link to the preliminary article.

 

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