Corrections Policy
This policy explains how CGO Media identifies, reviews, corrects, updates and, where necessary, withdraws published research and related research materials.
Executive Summary
CGO Media aims to publish accurate, transparent and evidence-based research. Despite reasonable review, errors may occasionally occur or new evidence may emerge after publication.
When a material factual, methodological, citation or data error is identified, CGO Media aims to investigate it and make an appropriate correction.
Minor editorial changes may be made without a formal correction notice. Material changes affecting interpretation, evidence or conclusions should be documented more clearly.
The purpose of this policy is not to create an expectation that research will never change. It is to make changes transparent, proportionate and traceable where they materially affect the published work.
Our Correction Principles
Accuracy
Material errors should be corrected when reliable evidence shows that published information is inaccurate.
Transparency
Significant corrections should be made in a way that allows readers to understand that the publication has changed.
Proportionality
The response should match the significance of the issue. A minor typographical change does not require the same treatment as a material methodological error.
Accountability
Published research remains subject to review after publication and should not knowingly remain materially misleading.
Types of Changes
Not every change to a research publication has the same significance. CGO Media distinguishes between editorial amendments, factual corrections, methodological corrections, substantive updates and withdrawals.
Editorial Amendments
Editorial amendments include changes that improve clarity or presentation without changing the substance of the research.
Examples may include spelling corrections, punctuation, formatting, broken links, minor grammatical changes, layout adjustments or improvements to accessibility.
These changes may be made without a formal correction notice where they do not alter the meaning of the research.
Factual Corrections
A factual correction may be required where a published date, name, figure, statistic, source reference or factual statement is shown to be incorrect.
Where the factual error materially affects interpretation, the correction should be documented appropriately.
Methodological Corrections
A methodological correction may be necessary where a problem is identified in sampling, measurement, calculation, coding, classification, analysis or another part of the research process.
Where the methodological issue affects one or more findings, affected sections should be revised and the significance of the change should be explained.
Substantive Updates
Research may also be updated because new data, evidence, technology or market developments have become available.
An update is not necessarily a correction. The original research may have been accurate at the time of publication but may require revision because the underlying environment has changed.
Material and Minor Corrections
The distinction between a minor and material correction depends on whether the change could reasonably affect how a reader interprets the research.
A correction is more likely to be considered material where it changes:
Research Findings
A key conclusion, quantitative result, comparative finding or research observation.
Data Interpretation
The meaning, scope or reliability of data used to support a conclusion.
Methodology
A material aspect of the way evidence was collected, measured, classified or analysed.
Source Attribution
The source or origin of an important statistic, quotation, dataset or research claim.
How Corrections Are Made
Where a material error is confirmed, CGO Media will normally correct the publication itself rather than leaving known inaccurate information in place.
Depending on the significance of the correction, the publication may include a correction note, updated publication date, version information or explanation of the affected material.
Where practical, the correction note should explain:
What Changed
The statement, statistic, figure, methodology or conclusion that was corrected.
Why It Changed
The factual, methodological or evidential reason for making the correction.
When It Changed
The date on which the correction or substantive revision was made.
What It Affects
Whether the correction changes the wider interpretation or conclusions of the research.
Preserving the Research Record
CGO Media aims to preserve a reasonable record of material changes where the publication has been substantively revised.
This does not mean that every historical typo or formatting change must remain publicly visible.
However, where a change materially affects findings, methodology or interpretation, readers should be able to understand that a substantive correction or revision has occurred.
Repository copies, DOI records or archived versions may also preserve earlier publication states independently of the live website version.
Versioning and Updated Research
Some CGO Media publications may be revised over time as new data, technologies or evidence become available.
Where changes are substantial, the publication may be identified with a new version date or revision notice.
A new version may be appropriate where the publication remains the same underlying research work but has undergone significant updating.
Where the research question, methodology or evidence base changes so significantly that the work has effectively become a new study, it may be more appropriate to publish a separate research publication.
Corrections to Statistics and Data
Statistical errors may arise from incorrect source transcription, calculation errors, classification issues, duplicated observations, revised third-party data or other measurement problems.
Where an incorrect statistic is confirmed, the published value should be corrected and any dependent text, tables, charts or conclusions should be reviewed.
If a correction materially changes the interpretation of a statistical finding, that effect should be disclosed.
Where the original third-party source revises its own data, CGO Media may update the relevant publication to reflect the revised figures where appropriate.
Corrections to Figures, Charts and Infographics
Research figures should accurately reflect the data, framework or research concept they are intended to represent.
If an error is identified in a chart, label, scale, diagram, infographic or figure, the visual may be replaced with a corrected version.
Where a figure has been widely cited or reproduced and the correction is material, CGO Media may include a correction notice on the source publication.
Citation and Source Corrections
Incorrect attribution, broken references or inaccurate source details should be corrected where identified.
Where the cited source itself was incorrect and the source materially affected the published claim, the relevant claim should also be reviewed.
Replacing a broken URL with an equivalent working location for the same source may be treated as an editorial amendment rather than a substantive correction.
Errors Arising From AI-Assisted Research
The use of artificial intelligence tools does not reduce CGO Media's responsibility for correcting errors in published work.
If AI-assisted drafting, analysis or information processing introduces a false citation, inaccurate fact, calculation error or other material problem, the error should be reviewed and corrected in the same way as any other research error.
AI-generated information should not be treated as an independent defence for leaving inaccurate research uncorrected.
Submitting a Correction Request
CGO Media welcomes evidence-based correction requests from readers, journalists, researchers, organisations and other interested parties.
A useful correction request should identify:
The Publication
The title and URL of the research publication concerned.
The Specific Issue
The exact statement, statistic, figure, citation or methodological issue believed to be incorrect.
Supporting Evidence
Relevant primary sources, datasets, documentation or other evidence supporting the requested correction.
Requested Clarification
Where appropriate, an explanation of why the issue is material to the interpretation of the research.
How Correction Requests Are Reviewed
Correction requests are assessed against the underlying research, available evidence and the significance of the alleged error.
Review may include checking primary sources, recalculating figures, examining archived material, reviewing methodology or consulting the relevant researcher or contributor.
CGO Media may determine that:
the publication contains an error and should be corrected; the publication would benefit from clarification; the research remains accurate as published; or the issue represents a legitimate difference of interpretation rather than a factual error.
Where evidence is inconclusive, CGO Media may add clarification rather than make a definitive correction.
Disagreement Is Not Automatically an Error
Research often involves interpretation, particularly in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, search behaviour and generative discovery.
Two researchers may reasonably interpret the same evidence differently. A correction is generally appropriate when a material factual, analytical or methodological error has been demonstrated, rather than simply because another interpretation exists.
Where a credible alternative interpretation materially improves reader understanding, CGO Media may choose to acknowledge it even where the original research does not require correction.
Changes to Third-Party Sources
External sources may change after publication. Websites may move, datasets may be revised, documents may be updated and platform documentation may change.
A later change to a third-party source does not necessarily mean that the CGO Media publication was inaccurate when originally published.
Where a third-party revision materially affects the continuing accuracy of a CGO Media publication, the publication may be updated or annotated.
Rapidly Changing Search and AI Environments
Research relating to search engines, generative AI systems and digital platforms may become outdated quickly because the underlying technologies change.
A platform changing its behaviour after publication does not mean the original research requires a correction if it accurately described the system during the original research period.
In such cases, CGO Media may publish an update, new research or a revised version rather than describe the earlier publication as erroneous.
Research Withdrawal
Withdrawal is reserved for more serious situations where correction alone would not adequately resolve the problem.
A publication may be considered for withdrawal where, for example, substantial evidence is unreliable, the research is fundamentally compromised, there is serious plagiarism or fabrication, or continued publication would materially mislead readers.
Where possible, a withdrawn publication should not simply disappear without explanation. A withdrawal notice may remain available explaining that the research has been withdrawn and, where appropriate, the general reason.
Legal, privacy or security considerations may occasionally require a different approach.
Correction, Withdrawal and Retraction
CGO Media uses terminology proportionately.
A correction fixes an identifiable error while allowing the publication to remain valid.
A substantive update revises research because new information or developments have become available.
A withdrawal removes or clearly marks research that should no longer be relied upon in its published form.
A retraction may be used where serious integrity or reliability problems invalidate the research as a scholarly or evidential record.
Author and Researcher Responsibility
Researchers and authors associated with CGO Media are expected to raise material errors when they become aware of them.
An author should not knowingly allow materially inaccurate information to remain published solely because acknowledging the correction may be inconvenient or reputationally uncomfortable.
Correction is part of responsible research practice, not evidence that research must have been conducted in bad faith.
Repository and External Copies
CGO Media research may also appear in external repositories, academic profiles or other publication systems.
Where a material correction affects a formally deposited research paper, CGO Media may also update the relevant repository record where the platform permits.
Different repositories may preserve version history differently. Readers should therefore check version dates, correction notices and DOI metadata where these are available.
Citing Corrected Research
Where a research publication has been materially corrected, users should normally cite the corrected or current version.
An earlier version may still be cited where the historical version itself is the subject of analysis, provided that the citation clearly identifies the version being referenced.
Users should avoid presenting superseded findings as current where a later correction materially changes the result.
Legal Complaints and Correction Requests
A legal complaint and a research correction request are not necessarily the same thing.
Research corrections are assessed according to evidence, accuracy and research integrity. Legal notices, privacy complaints, intellectual property disputes or other legal matters may require separate review under applicable legal procedures.
Where a legal issue also reveals a factual research error, the research may be corrected independently of the legal process.
Related Research Standards
This Corrections Policy forms part of CGO Media's wider research governance framework.
It should be read alongside the Research Methodology, Research Architecture, Ethics & Integrity, Research Disclaimer, Citation Guidance and Usage & Licensing.
Together, these standards explain how CGO Media research is produced, reviewed, published, attributed, corrected and maintained.
Conclusion
Reliable research requires a willingness to correct the record when material errors are identified.
CGO Media therefore treats correction, updating and version control as part of the research process rather than as an exception to it.
Our aim is to maintain a research record that remains as accurate, transparent and useful as reasonably possible while distinguishing genuine errors from normal changes in technology, evidence and interpretation.
Last updated: September 2026