Withdrawal Policy

1. Author’s Right to Withdraw:

  • Pre-Peer Review Withdrawal: Authors may withdraw their manuscript at any time before it enters the peer review process. This includes withdrawing the manuscript prior to its assignment to reviewers. A withdrawal request must be submitted in writing to the editorial team, and the manuscript will be removed from the review process.
  • Post-Peer Review Withdrawal: If the manuscript has already entered the peer review process, authors can still request withdrawal, but the request will only be considered if the reviewers have not yet provided feedback. Once reviewer comments are received, the manuscript will generally be processed according to the review outcome.
  • Post-Acceptance Withdrawal: After the manuscript has been accepted for publication but before it is published, the author may request to withdraw the manuscript. The request will be reviewed, and the final decision will depend on the stage of the publishing process. If the article has already been formatted or sent to the press, withdrawal may not be possible.

2. Procedure for Withdrawal:

  • Formal Request: Authors wishing to withdraw their manuscript must submit a formal request via email to the editorial office. The request should include the manuscript title, submission ID, and a clear explanation for the withdrawal.
  • Acknowledgment of Withdrawal: Once the withdrawal request is processed, the editorial team will send an acknowledgment confirming the manuscript’s withdrawal from the publication process. The author will be informed in writing that the manuscript is no longer being considered for publication.

3. Withdrawal After Acceptance but Before Publication:

  • Reason for Withdrawal: If an author wishes to withdraw a manuscript after it has been accepted for publication but before it has been officially published, the author must provide a reason for withdrawal. This could include reasons such as finding errors in the data or a decision to submit the manuscript elsewhere.
  • Impact on Future Submissions: If an author withdraws a manuscript post-acceptance without a legitimate reason or prior notice, this may impact the author’s ability to submit to the journal in the future.

4. Manuscripts Withdrawn Due to Ethical Issues:

  • Ethical Violations: If a manuscript is withdrawn due to ethical violations, such as plagiarism, data falsification, or a conflict of interest that was not disclosed at the time of submission, the editorial team will review the issue carefully and may take further action, including reporting the issue to the author’s affiliated institution or relevant authorities.
  • Investigation and Reporting: Serious ethical breaches identified before or after withdrawal may lead to the manuscript being re-evaluated for compliance with publication ethics, and the author may be required to provide additional documentation.

5. Author’s Responsibility Upon Withdrawal:

  • Re-Submission: If the author decides to submit the withdrawn manuscript to another journal, the author must ensure that it is not simultaneously under consideration by SRR or any other journal. The author should clearly state whether the manuscript has been submitted elsewhere after withdrawal and disclose any previous submissions.

6. Withdrawal Due to Editorial Decision:

  • Journal’s Right to Withdraw: The editorial team reserves the right to withdraw a manuscript from the review process or the publication queue if it is found to violate the journal’s policies (e.g., ethical violations, conflicts of interest, or issues with the integrity of the data). In this case, the author will be notified of the reasons for withdrawal.
  • Refunds for APC: In cases where an article is withdrawn due to editorial or ethical reasons, authors may be eligible for a partial refund of the Article Processing Charge (APC), subject to review and approval by the editorial team.

7. Withdrawal Due to Institutional or Legal Requests:

  • Institutional Requests: If an institution requests the withdrawal of a manuscript, for example, due to concerns about ethical practices or institutional review board (IRB) approval, the editorial team will assess the situation and may act accordingly.
  • Legal Requests: If the withdrawal is requested due to legal concerns (e.g., copyright disputes or legal issues involving the research), the journal will review the matter and may take appropriate action based on the circumstances.

8. Notifications to Reviewers and Subscribers:

  • Reviewer Notification: If a manuscript is withdrawn after being assigned to reviewers, the editorial team will notify the reviewers immediately and request that they cease the review process.
  • Subscriber Notification: If a manuscript is withdrawn after being included in a scheduled issue of the journal, subscribers will be informed, and the issue may be revised to remove the withdrawn manuscript.

9. Impact on Publication Timeline:

  • Publication Delays: Manuscript withdrawal may result in delays in the publication process, as scheduling adjustments will be necessary. Authors should consider the impact on the overall journal timeline when requesting a withdrawal, especially if the manuscript has already been scheduled for an upcoming issue.

10. Right to Modify Withdrawal Policy:

  • Policy Changes: Scientific Research Reports (SRR) reserves the right to modify this withdrawal policy at any time. Any changes to the policy will be communicated to authors, and the revised policy will apply to future submissions.