The publisher of International Journal of Public Sector Management wishes to retract the article Merino Moreno C, Buitrago-Lozano JR, Bueno Hernández Y (2026), “A strategic model for articulating science, technology and innovation ecosystems from local governments: fostering innovation-driven entrepreneurship in territorialised contexts”. International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. Link to the DOI.
Following an investigation, the publisher and editors identified extensive inaccuracies in the article's supporting references. Of the 66 references included in the article, 32 contained inaccurate information relating to Digital Object Identifier assignments, publication years, volume and issue details, page ranges, journal titles, authorship or publication status.
During the investigation, the authors also confirmed that artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted tools had been used to format references and insert them into the text and reference list, and that the resulting metadata had not been checked against publisher records before the final revision was submitted. This use was not reflected in the article's published AI declaration, which stated that AI-assisted tools had been used solely for language editing and proofreading.
Upon evaluation of the concerns raised, the publisher and editors concluded that confidence in the article and its supporting references had been compromised and that the article's findings could no longer be relied upon.
Emerald's policies make it clear that authors bear full responsibility for checking the accuracy and validity of references and must have consulted the works referenced to ensure their validity and alignment with the research being presented. Authors are also responsible for ensuring that their use of AI is disclosed accurately and transparently. The decision to retract has been informed by COPE's guidelines on retractions and Emerald's publishing ethics. The authors cooperated with the investigation. The authors of this paper would like to note that they do not agree with the content of this notice. The publisher of the journal sincerely apologizes to the readers.
