Withdrawal Policy

This policy governs the withdrawal of manuscripts prior to publication and is aligned with internationally recognized standards issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Manuscript withdrawal refers to the formal termination of the editorial process for a submitted manuscript before it is published online or in an issue. Withdrawal does not apply to articles that have already been published, either online-first or in final form.

Withdrawal Before Peer Review

Authors may request withdrawal before peer review begins without restriction, provided that:

• The request is submitted by the corresponding author

• The manuscript has not yet been assigned to external reviewers

• The request is made formally through the journal’s submission system or official correspondence

Such withdrawals are considered routine and do not carry ethical implications.

Withdrawal During Peer Review

Withdrawal request after peer review has commenced are discouraged and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Acceptable reasons may include:

• Discovery of significant errors affecting validity or conclusions

• Ethical concerns identified by the authors

• Unintentional duplicate submission identified early

Withdrawal requests may be declined when:

• Peer review is substantially complete

• The request appears to be motivated by anticipated unfavorable editorial decisions

• Repeated withdrawal behavior is observed without valid justification

This approach follows COPE guidance on responsible use of peer review resources.

Withdrawal After Acceptance

Once a manuscript has been formally accepted, withdrawal is permitted only under exceptional circumstances, such as:

• Serious ethical issues discovered post-acceptance

• Legal or institutional constraints beyond the authors’ control

Withdrawal at this stage requires:

• A detailed written justification

• Confirmation that all authors agree to the request

Unjustified withdrawal after acceptance is regarded as contrary to responsible scholarly conduct.