Publisher’s note: What are the main determinants of social expenditure? A panel data approach for EU and OECD countries

An investigation by the publisher found that one of the reviews for this article, Karaalp-Orhan HS, Evcim N, Deyneli F (2024), “What are the main determinants of social expenditure? A panel data approach for EU and OECD countries”. International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 51 No. 10 pp. 1298-1313, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-05-2023-0384, featured verbatim similarities to multiple other reviews provided by the reviewer indicative of templated content, which raises concerns as to the integrity of the review process. While the article’s findings, theoretical contributions, and conclusions remain intact, the journal and publisher have taken the decision to alert readers to these concerns as trust in the content is central to the publication process. Emerald’s publishing ethics emphasise that peer reviewers are responsible for the reviews they provide and accountable for their accuracy, rigour, and validity. The publisher of the journal sincerely apologizes to the readers and authors of this article, who were not found to be involved in any malpractice.