Withdrawal Policy
The Journal of Advanced Pediatrics and Child Health (JAPCH) upholds transparent and ethical guidelines for manuscript withdrawal to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.
1. Purpose of the Withdrawal Policy
This policy establishes clear procedures for withdrawing manuscripts from the publication process, ensuring fairness to authors, reviewers, and editors. Withdrawal requests are governed by COPE and ICMJE publication ethics principles.
2. Definition of Manuscript Withdrawal
A manuscript withdrawal occurs when authors request removal of a submitted or under-review manuscript from the editorial process. Such requests may arise due to duplication, author disagreement, or unintentional submission errors. Once published, articles can no longer be withdrawn and instead fall under the Retraction Policy.
3. Withdrawal Before Review
Authors may withdraw a newly submitted manuscript prior to peer review without penalty by submitting a formal written request to the editorial office. The withdrawal will be acknowledged officially within seven working days.
4. Withdrawal During Peer Review
Once peer review has begun, withdrawal is permissible only with a valid reason (e.g., ethical concerns, simultaneous submission discovered, or methodological error). Authors must provide a signed request from all co-authors, stating the reason for withdrawal. Approval is at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.
5. Withdrawal After Acceptance
Withdrawal requests received after acceptance or final proof submission are considered unethical unless justified by extraordinary circumstances (e.g., data inaccuracy, ethical violation). Such cases are reviewed by the editorial board and may result in partial or full publication charge retention.
6. Unauthorized Withdrawal
If authors fail to respond to editorial communications or unilaterally withdraw a manuscript without formal approval, the journal reserves the right to:
- Blacklist the authors for future submissions.
- Inform their affiliated institutions of noncompliance.
- Retain processing fees incurred during editorial handling.
7. Withdrawal of Published Articles
Published papers cannot be withdrawn but may be retracted following the Publication Ethics Policy and Ethics and Malpractice Statement. Retraction notices are issued to preserve the scientific record.
8. Withdrawal Process
To request withdrawal, authors must submit a formal email to the editorial office containing:
- Manuscript ID and title.
- Reason for withdrawal.
- Consent from all co-authors.
Once verified, a formal withdrawal acknowledgment letter will be sent to the corresponding author.
9. Financial and Administrative Implications
| Stage of Withdrawal | Conditions | Applicable Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Before Review | Written request from all authors | No charges |
| During Review | Requires editorial approval | Minimal processing fee may apply |
| After Acceptance | Subject to ethical review | Partial or full APC retention |
10. Ethical Considerations
Authors are expected to respect the editorial effort and reviewers’ time. Frequent or unjustified withdrawals are viewed as violations of publication ethics. The editorial office maintains a record of all withdrawals for monitoring purposes.
11. Withdrawal Confirmation
Upon approval, the editorial team issues a Withdrawal Confirmation Notice via email. Authors are advised to retain this for their records. The journal’s internal tracking system marks the manuscript as “Withdrawn – Closed.”
12. Special Circumstances
Withdrawals due to legal restrictions, privacy breaches, or ethical conflicts (e.g., human subject consent withdrawal) are handled with the highest sensitivity and confidentiality. These are reviewed under COPE and GDPR compliance frameworks.
13. Contact Information
For all withdrawal-related communications, please contact:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pediatricshealthjournal.com