Errata, Author Corrections, Retractions
Instructions to Authors (PDF)
mSphereDirect Instructions to Authors (PDF)
Errata
Errata provide a means of correcting errors that occurred during the writing, typing, editing, or publication (e.g., a misspelling, a dropped word or line, or mislabeling in a figure) of a published article. Submit Errata via the mSphere® online submission and peer review system. In the Abstract section of the submission form (a required field), put “Not Applicable.” Upload the text of your Erratum as a Microsoft Word file.
Author Corrections
Author Corrections provide a means of correcting errors of omission (e.g., author names or citations) and errors of a scientific nature that do not alter the overall basic results or conclusions of a published article (e.g., an incorrect unit of measurement or order of magnitude used throughout, contamination of one of numerous cultures, or misidentification of a mutant strain, causing erroneous data for only a portion [noncritical] of the study). Note that the addition of new data is not permitted.
For corrections of a scientific nature or issues involving authorship, including contributions and use or ownership of data and/or materials, all disputing parties must agree, in writing, to publication of the Correction. For omission of an author’s name, letters must be signed by the authors of the article and the author whose name was omitted. The editor who handled the article will be consulted if necessary.
Submit an Author Correction via the mSphere online submission and peer review system. In the submission form, select Author Correction as the manuscript type. In the Abstract section of the submission form (a required field), put “Not Applicable.” Upload the text of your Author Correction as a Microsoft Word file. Signed letters of agreement from all authors must be included as supplemental material not for publication (scanned PDF files).
Retractions
Retractions are reserved for major errors or breaches of ethics that, for example, may call into question the source of the data or the validity of the results and conclusions of an article. Submit Retractions via the online manuscript submission and peer review system (see “Submission, Review, and Publication Processes”). In the Abstract section of the submission form (a required field), put “Not Applicable.” Upload the text of your Retraction as a Microsoft Word file. Letters of agreement signed by all of the authors must be supplied as supplemental material not for publication (scanned PDF files). The Retraction will be assigned to the editor in chief of the journal, and the editor who handled the paper and the chairperson of the ASM Journals Board will be consulted. If all parties agree to the publication and content of the Retraction, it will be sent to the Journals Department for publication.
CrossMark
mSphere has implemented CrossMark. CrossMark is a multipublisher initiative to provide a standard way for readers to locate the current version of an article. Clicking on the CrossMark logo will indicate whether an article is current or whether updates have been published. Additional information about CrossMark can be found on CrossMark's website and on ASM's CrossMark policy page.