Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A journal issues an expression of concern about a clinical-trial paper while the sponsoring institution investigates allegations that the consent process did not match the published description.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
A journal issuing a retraction with a clear finding of fabrication, which supersedes any earlier expression of concern.
Editorial commentary
Expressions of concern (EoCs) are intended as interim measures, not as a permanent endpoint. COPE recommends that EoCs be replaced by either a correction or a retraction once the underlying investigation concludes; in practice many EoCs remain unresolved for years because institutional processes stall or are not transparently reported back to journals. Like retractions, EoCs are indexed in CrossRef and PubMed and should be linked bidirectionally to the original article.
References
- COPE Retraction Guidelines (2019)
- ICMJE Recommendations on corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern (current edition)
Also known as
EoC · editorial expression of concern
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
<role vocab="credit"
vocab-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/"
vocab-term="Expression of concern"
vocab-term-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/expression-of-concern" />{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "DefinedTerm",
"name": "Expression of concern",
"identifier": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/expression-of-concern",
"description": "A formal post-publication notice issued by a journal to alert readers to substantive concerns about a published article when the journal cannot yet conclude that retraction or correction is the appropriate outcome. An expression of concern is appropriate when concerns are credible but unresolved, often pending an institutional investigation.",
"inDefinedTermSet": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/domain/research-integrity-and-misconduct/",
"url": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/expression-of-concern",
"sameAs": [
"EoC",
"editorial expression of concern"
],
"license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}
