Author Withdrawal Policy

Policy Overview

This policy governs the withdrawal of manuscripts submitted to JSM Central and is aligned with internationally accepted publication ethics and the principles advocated by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Submission of a manuscript constitutes a formal request for editorial consideration and implies the author(s)’ full acceptance of this policy.

Author Responsibility at Submission

Authors bear full and sole responsibility for ensuring that:

• The manuscript is complete, accurate, and technically sound
• All authorship details, affiliations, data, references, and ethical approvals are correct
• The manuscript complies with the journal’s scope, formatting requirements, and ethical standards

Authors are expected to conduct all necessary internal reviews prior to submission. Submission should not be treated as a provisional or reversible action.

Withdrawal after Submission

Once a manuscript has been submitted to the journal, authors may not withdraw the manuscript at their discretion.

In accordance with COPE-style ethical guidance:

• Withdrawal requests are considered only under exceptional and substantiated circumstances
• Acceptable grounds for withdrawal are limited to serious technical, factual, or ethical errors that invalidate the work
• Change of mind, delays in review, preference for another journal, or disagreements among authors do not constitute valid reasons for withdrawal

The editorial office reserves the right to assess the legitimacy of any withdrawal request.

Withdrawal after Peer Review or Acceptance

Withdrawal requests submitted:

• After peer review has commenced, or
• After acceptance of the manuscript

Will be subject to heightened scrutiny and may be declined if deemed unethical or inconsistent with publication standards.

Unjustified withdrawal at these stages may be recorded as a breach of publication ethics.

Editorial Actions

In cases of inappropriate or unethical withdrawal attempts, the journal may:

• Reject the manuscript outright
• Decline future submissions from the author(s) for a defined period
• Notify affiliated institutions or funding bodies, where appropriate

Such actions are taken to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Author Acknowledgement

This policy applies to all submissions, irrespective of article type or review status.