Publishers, authors, and editors often issue short notes after a document has gone to print. Two of the most common notes—erratum and corrigendum—look similar but serve different purposes.
Knowing which label to use keeps communication clear, protects credibility, and prevents legal confusion. Below is a plain-language guide that shows when to choose each term, how to phrase the notice, and what steps to take before releasing it.
Core Definitions in Plain Language
An erratum is a publisher’s admission that the printing or conversion process introduced an error that was not present in the final manuscript. It is pinned to production mistakes such as missing lines, duplicated paragraphs, or swapped captions.
A corrigendum is a statement from the authors saying that the approved manuscript itself contained an inaccuracy. The flaw could be a mis-cited source, a mislabeled axis, or any detail that changes the meaning of the work.
Both notices appear in the same document type—often a PDF linked to the original article—yet they answer different questions. Erratum says “we broke it,” while corrigendum says “we wrote it wrong.”
Visual Memory Aid
Think of the double “r” in erratum matching the double “r” in printer. If the press caused it, erratum is the label.
Corrigendum starts with “corr,” the same root as correct. Authors correct their own file, so they issue a corrigendum.
Where the Errors Originate
Errata stem from the production floor: a font glitch turns β into ß, or a figure is printed in low resolution. These mistakes do not alter science or argument; they only hinder reading.
Corrigenda trace back to the author’s desk. A spreadsheet range was highlighted incorrectly, or a co-author’s middle initial was omitted from the affiliation. The lapse is intellectual, not mechanical.
Spotting the origin point is the fastest way to pick the right label. Ask: “Did this slip survive peer review?” If yes, corrigendum is likely.
Typical Production Errors
Page 45 starts with a repeated sentence. The online version displays a blank box where Equation 3 should be. Color bars in Figure 2 are rendered in grayscale.
Typical Author Errors
The discussion refers to Table 4, but the data cited are in Table 5. A grant number is missing a digit, blocking funding transparency. The corresponding author’s email domain is spelled “gmial” instead of “gmail.”
Impact on Readers and Citations
Errata rarely change conclusions, so readers can still trust the findings. They only need to pencil in the fix or download the fresh PDF.
Corrigenda can recolor interpretations. A corrected dose value might shrink an effect size, prompting readers to rerun meta-analyses.
Journals add links to both notices, ensuring future citations point to the updated record. Scholars who fail to fold in the correction risk basing their work on obsolete data.
Citation Practice
Reference the original paper plus the notice. Most style guides slot the corrigendum directly after the base entry, marked with a lowercase “corrigendum” in the title field.
Editorial Workflow for Each Notice
When production spots a typo, the managing editor emails the typesetter for a new layout. Once the file is clean, the editor posts an erratum PDF and updates the landing page.
For author mistakes, the editor first verifies the claim with reviewers or outside experts. Approval triggers a corrigendum template that the authors must complete within a set deadline.
Both workflows end with the PDF bearing the same DOI root plus an added suffix, preserving the scholarly chain of record.
Checklist for Authors Requesting a Corrigendum
State the exact location: page, column, paragraph, and line. Provide the old text and the new text side by side. Explain why the change does not undermine the remaining content.
Legal and Ethical Nuances
Errata carry minimal legal risk because the publisher accepts blame for cosmetic faults. Liability insurance often covers the reprint cost.
Corrigenda touch authorship integrity. A deliberate failure to correct a known flaw can be labeled misconduct if the error skews safety data or financial outcomes.
Journals therefore demand signed statements from every co-author acknowledging the correction. This collective liability discourages silent patches.
Retraction vs Correction
If the error invalidates the whole paper, editors skip both labels and opt for retraction. Retractions are public withdrawals, while corrigenda keep the paper alive with amended details.
Phraseology That Works
Erratum notices start with neutral language: “The publisher regrets that Figure 3 was printed with incorrect shading.” No apology adjectives are needed.
Corrigendum notices use active voice: “The authors correct the unit in Table 2 from mg/L to μg/L.” Clarity beats humility.
Avoid vague terms like “some values” or “several labels.” Name each element once to spare readers a scavenger hunt.
Template Wording Blocks
Erratum: “The original article mistakenly duplicated the second paragraph on page 112. The corrected PDF replaces that paragraph with the intended text.”
Corrigendum: “Equation 4 contained a sign error. The corrected equation now reads…” followed by the full equation in display format.
Design and Layout Tips
Place the notice on its own page to prevent confusion with the original pagination. Use a running header that mirrors the journal’s style but adds the word “Erratum” or “Corrigendum” in bold.
Retain the original title, author list, and DOI so indexing bots link the documents. Insert a narrow red or blue stripe along the margin for instant visual cue.
Embed hyperlinks to the corrected sections when the journal platform allows one-click jumps. Readers appreciate skipping straight to the fix.
Font and Color
Stick to the same typeface family for continuity. Highlight changes with a subtle background tint instead of ALL-CAPS, which feels aggressive and scans poorly.
Indexing and SEO Considerations
Major databases treat errata and corrigenda as separate records. Fill the metadata abstract field with the phrase “Correction to…” plus the original title to surface the link in keyword searches.
Use consistent keyword tags matching the parent article. This clusters the documents in search results and signals to algorithms that the content is coupled.
Avoid stuffing the notice with new keywords unrelated to the fix; it dilutes relevance and may breach editorial policy.
DOI Suffix Pattern
Many publishers add “e” for erratum or “c” for corrigendum after the article ID. Stick to lowercase to prevent case-sensitive link failures.
Common Mix-ups to Avoid
Do not label a production error as a corrigendum to soften blame. Readers spot the mismatch and trust drops.
Never bundle unrelated fixes. One notice, one topic keeps citation trails tidy.
Resist the urge to sneak in extra references or updated discussion. Addenda are for new analysis, not for smuggling content under the correction flag.
Peer Review of Corrections
Some journals send corrigenda back to external reviewers. Treat the process like a mini-manuscript: polish language, check figures, and disclose conflicts.
Handling Co-Author Disputes
When one author refuses to sign, the editor may freeze the notice. A clear authorship agreement signed at submission prevents stalemates.
Offer dissenters a short footnote expressing alternate views. This compromise preserves transparency without blocking the correction.
Document every email in the editorial system. A paper trail speeds up committee review if the dispute escalates.
Mediation Path
Refer parties to the journal’s ombudsperson or the society’s ethics board. Third-party review often breaks logjams within weeks.
Special Cases for Books and Textbooks
Book publishers print errata sheets tipped inside the back cover or host them on the book’s companion site. Because reprinting entire stocks is costly, minor fixes wait for the next edition.
Corrigenda in textbooks can trigger regulatory review if safety instructions change. A chemistry lab manual that lists the wrong molarity must be corrected immediately through a recall-like process.
E-books allow faster patching, but readers who downloaded the file may never reopen the title. Email alerts with direct download links remain the best practice.
Version Control
Embed version numbers in the copyright page: “Version 1.2 incorporates corrections issued 14 March.” This alerts instructors who base lectures on specific printings.
Conference Proceedings and Posters
Proceedings follow the same rules as journals, yet deadlines are tighter. Organizers often fold errata into the final digital library upload without a separate PDF.
Poster sessions rarely issue formal notices; instead, authors circulate handouts with the fixed figure. Cite the updated handout in any follow-up journal submission to close the loop.
Some societies publish an “errata and addenda” volume months later. Track the conference website for calls so you do not miss the submission window.
Preprint Servers
Preprints allow versioned updates. Label the new file “v2” and add one sentence in the metadata: “Version 2 corrects axis labels in Figure 4.” No erratum tag is needed because the record is fluid.
Best Practice Summary for Authors
Audit your paper the day it goes live. Fresh eyes catch obvious slips before social media amplifies them.
Keep a living document of post-publication comments. When two independent readers flag the same cell in a table, start drafting the corrigendum.
Share the draft notice with all co-authors and two external colleagues. Quick peer review prevents a second correction.
Submit through the journal’s portal, not by email. Portals time-stamp the request and route it to the correct editor.
After publication, update institutional repositories and personal websites so Google Scholar clusters the versions correctly.
One-Minute Decision Tree
Did the error exist in the final peer-reviewed file? If no, erratum. If yes, corrigendum. If the error kills the paper’s validity, propose retraction instead.