The Series distinguishes a correction, expression of concern, temporary custom-site restriction, OAsis restriction, withdrawal, and complete removal. The response depends on the evidence, urgency, authority, and whether the affected material is controlled by the Series or OAsis.
Grounds for review
A review may begin after a specific, credible concern involving:
- copyright or unauthorized third-party material;
- confidential, personally identifiable, FERPA-protected, licensed, or contract-restricted information;
- research-integrity or ethics concerns;
- an error that may materially affect the paper’s conclusions;
- unlawful content, a binding legal instruction, or an applicable university requirement;
- a concrete safety risk; or
- a material failure to satisfy the author agreement or Series policies.
A disagreement with a paper’s viewpoint, without a policy-relevant basis, is not by itself grounds for restriction or withdrawal.
How to submit a request
Use the Contact page and provide:
- the paper title, identifier, and URL;
- the precise content at issue, including page or figure when possible;
- the basis for the concern;
- the requester’s relationship to the material or authority to act;
- supporting information; and
- the requested remedy.
Do not send restricted datasets, student records, credentials, unnecessary identity documents, or sensitive personal evidence through ordinary email. The Series will arrange a private channel when needed.
Interim action
The Managing Editor or a Faculty Editor may temporarily remove a custom-site PDF link when a credible urgent rights or privacy concern requires immediate protection pending formal review. The action is limited to what the Series controls, is recorded privately, and does not itself decide the final status of the paper.
If an OAsis record or file is involved, the Series must notify and coordinate with OAsis. OAsis administration controls restriction of repository records and files under repository policy.
Expression of concern
An expression of concern is a temporary, non-prejudicial public notice used when a credible issue may materially affect how readers use the paper and a full determination is not yet available. It identifies the affected record and the bounded nature of the concern without presenting an allegation as proven.
An expression of concern requires two non-conflicted voting editors, including one Faculty Editor. A Faculty Editor may authorize an emergency temporary notice when delay would materially increase risk, subject to documented Board review.
Withdrawal
A paper may be withdrawn when the evidence and applicable policy support that action and a lesser correction or restriction would not adequately address the concern. Withdrawal requires a majority of non-conflicted voting editors, including one Faculty Editor, and coordination with OAsis for a deposited record.
When a paper is withdrawn, the Series will ordinarily preserve a public record showing the title, authors, original publication information, withdrawal date, and reason for withdrawal, subject to privacy, legal, and safety considerations.
Complete removal is reserved for a requirement imposed by law, privacy, safety, or authorized university policy. In that situation, only the notice permitted by the governing instruction is displayed; omission of a public tombstone may be necessary.
Review and notice
The Series verifies the target, evidence, conflicts, responsible authority, and repository implications. The author and faculty sponsor are ordinarily notified and given an opportunity to respond unless notice is prohibited or would create a legal, privacy, safety, or university-process risk.
Possible outcomes include:
- no public change;
- a metadata correction;
- an accessibility- or formatting-only replacement;
- a substantive revised version;
- a correction notice;
- an expression of concern;
- a temporary custom-site restriction;
- a request for OAsis restriction;
- withdrawal with a public record; or
- complete removal when required by controlling authority.
Formal misconduct determinations remain with the responsible UNLV office. The Series records and implements only the action within its authority.
Appeal
An author or faculty sponsor may appeal an editorial post-publication action under the Appeals policy. An appeal does not automatically pause an urgent protective restriction or override a decision controlled by OAsis, law, or an authorized university office.