When the article submission process is completed, the next step is the initial review by the journal editor and then the peer review. You will have to wait for their response during this process. However, in some cases, you may want to withdraw your article. Our experience shows that the most common reasons include:
1. Unethical publication practices
This occurs in the case of unethical publication practices. An example is when an article, accepted by the journal is in the initial stages of publication and is submitted to another journal. Another instance that is rare is when the authors face issues with their contribution to the study. In this case, the corresponding author requests a withdrawal.
2. Human and Systemic Errors
Sometimes the author may notice errors in the text, data, or analysis of the article. According to the publication ethics, the author should remove the article after noticing the mistake and notify the editor.
3. Rewriting the text of the article
In some cases, researchers may decide to rewrite their articles or publish them after the modification of their content. This is also called article replacement, so a request for an article replacement is sent to the publisher. the publisher will create a new access link.
4. Publishing It in Another Journal
Sometimes the reason for withdrawal is not ethical. Sometimes authors refuse to publish the article after they have accepted the journal because they want to publish it in a better journal. This often happens when the authors receive good reviews on their articles and think that they can publish them in better-ranking journals. This is by no means illegal, especially if the letter of ethical commitment has not yet been signed, but this does not mean that it is morally right. Besides, the journal’s policies may not allow you to do so. It is mandatory to announce your reason for the withdrawal.
5. Long Reviewing Process
Sometimes the authors want to cancel the publication of their article because the process gets too long. This happens very often and has caused a lot of debate in the world of publication. Publishers have different policies regarding this reason. Elsevier, for example, permits such an issue and, if the author’s reviewing process is lengthy, allows the authors to withdraw their article before the review comes to an end.
6. Financial Rules and Issues
Another major reason raised by some authors for withdrawing their article is the lack of awareness of its cost. Sometimes some writers submit their manuscripts without studying the terms of publication and refuse to pay for various reasons when the journal demands payment. This is not illegal. But journal policies regarding such a reason are different. In terms of the ethics of publishing, the authors can withdraw their article by announcing this as their reason.
Tips for Manuscript Withdrawal
Ethics in time and publication are two factors that should guide your actions during the withdrawal of an article. The sooner you act, the better the result for everyone. In a scientific journal, a scientific editor can review your article. To make it easier, it is helpful to provide facts for clear communication.
First, try the easiest way to withdraw an article which is to do it online through the journal submission system. The journal site may have a section entitled “withdrawing the article” or similar options. However, this option may not be available in many journals. For example, the widely used ScholarOne Manuscripts system does not seem to offer the option of online article withdrawal.
If this option does not work, immediately contact the editor in charge of article submission or the journal’s editorial office. Write a clear, concise letter signed by all the authors, explaining the description of the article and the reason(s) for withdrawing it. Often in the process of online article submission, there is a direct “Contact Editor” link or you can search for their email through the website. In some journals, it may not be necessary to provide a full explanation for the withdrawal of the article.
There is a big difference between requesting an article withdrawal within one week of submission and during or after the review process. In the first case, there should be no problem. The latter case is more complicated, if not impossible! Because the journal may forbid it, so you should explicitly provide scientific reasons to prevent any misbehavior.
At best you should receive a thank you letter. This may confirm the withdrawal or ask you for more scientific reasons to judge the matter. In the latter case, cooperation and timely response are important.
Possible Consequences
Make sure you do not submit your paper to more than one scientific journal at a time. This is an ethical standard of publication. Article withdrawal simply because it has been accepted elsewhere earlier is unethical. However, what do you do if you do not receive a response even after multiple requests? This time, write a letter to the editor-in-chief outlining your plans for reviewing the article and then proceed to submit the article to another journal after approval.
Most journals are not interested in article withdrawal. This is costly for them and the author may be fined for it. The fine, depending on the journal, can range from 200 to 1,000 dollars. However, this information must be transparent and clearly stated on the journal’s policy webpage. If the authors of the article withdraw it for unethical reasons, journals can also blacklist the author and other co-authors for future publications.
Keep track of all email correspondence with the journal publisher when planning to withdraw your article. To avoid such situations and penalties, spend more time reviewing the article before submission.
Have you ever faced such a situation? Please share your experience and thoughts with us in the comments section below!