Withdrawal Policy
The Journal of Bioscience Studies (JBS) recognizes that authors may, in legitimate circumstances, need to withdraw a manuscript before publication. JBS handles withdrawal requests fairly, transparently, and consistently with its Publication Ethics Policy, Peer Review Policy, and applicable guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The journal seeks to protect authors' legitimate interests while maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and preventing duplicate, redundant, or unethical publication.
Withdrawal Before External Peer Review Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript at any time before external peer review has been completed. The corresponding author must submit the request to the Editorial Office and confirm that all listed authors agree with the withdrawal. Where the request is received before external peer review, JBS will normally process the withdrawal without penalty, subject to confirmation of the request and manuscript status. No Article Processing Charge (APC) is applicable to a manuscript that is withdrawn before acceptance.
Withdrawal During Peer Review Authors may request withdrawal while a manuscript is undergoing peer review. The request should be submitted by the corresponding author and should confirm agreement of all co-authors. JBS will acknowledge and process legitimate withdrawal requests in a timely manner. If the manuscript has already entered external peer review, the Editorial Office may need to notify assigned reviewers and close the review process. Authors should not simultaneously submit the same manuscript to another journal while it remains under consideration by JBS.
Withdrawal Due to Prolonged Delay JBS aims to conduct editorial assessment and peer review within the journal's stated timelines. Where a substantial and unreasonable delay occurs, the Editorial Office will communicate the status of the manuscript to the authors. Authors may request withdrawal if they no longer wish to continue with the submission, subject to confirmation that the manuscript has not already been formally accepted or published.
Withdrawal After Acceptance but Before Publication Withdrawal after formal acceptance but before publication is strongly discouraged and will normally be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as a serious error affecting the validity of the work, a significant ethical concern, a legal or regulatory issue, or another compelling reason. The corresponding author must submit a formal written request explaining the reason for withdrawal and confirming agreement of all authors. The Editorial Office may request additional information before making a decision.
Fees and Withdrawal After Acceptance Where an APC has already been paid, the treatment of the payment will be governed by the journal's published APC and Refund Policy. Payment of an APC does not influence editorial decisions, peer-review outcomes, or the right of the Editorial Office to investigate ethical concerns. Refunds, where applicable, will be determined according to the published refund terms. Where withdrawal is required because of an error or ethical matter attributable to the journal, the publisher may review the applicable fee and refund circumstances separately.
Duplicate or Unethical Withdrawal Authors must not use withdrawal to circumvent the journal's editorial or peer-review process, submit the same manuscript simultaneously to another journal while it remains under consideration at JBS, or conceal suspected research or publication misconduct. Where credible concerns arise regarding duplicate submission, duplicate publication, plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, authorship, competing interests, or other forms of misconduct, JBS may suspend the withdrawal process while the matter is assessed in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics Policy and applicable COPE guidance.
Author Responsibility The corresponding author is responsible for communicating a withdrawal request on behalf of the author group and for confirming that all authors have agreed to the request. Where an authorship dispute exists, JBS may seek clarification or supporting documentation and may refer the matter to the relevant institution or authority where appropriate. The journal does not determine institutional authorship disputes solely on the basis of an individual author's request.
Withdrawal Confirmation and Record The Editorial Office will acknowledge a valid withdrawal request and confirm the manuscript's final status. Internal records of the withdrawal and relevant editorial correspondence may be retained for administrative, ethical, and audit purposes. A manuscript withdrawn before publication will not be represented as a published article of JBS.
Withdrawal After Publication Once an article has been formally published as the Version of Record, it cannot ordinarily be withdrawn at the request of the authors. The published scholarly record must remain stable and discoverable. Where a published article contains a substantive error, ethical problem, research-integrity concern, or other issue requiring corrective action, JBS will use the appropriate correction, expression of concern, or retraction procedure in accordance with its Publication Ethics Policy and applicable COPE guidance.
Withdrawal, Correction, and Retraction Withdrawal applies primarily to manuscripts that have not yet become part of the published scholarly record. Corrections are used when published content requires amendment while the article remains fundamentally valid. Retraction is used when a published article is sufficiently unreliable or affected by serious research or publication misconduct that the scholarly record must be formally corrected. These mechanisms are distinct and will not be used interchangeably.
Editorial or Journal-Initiated Withdrawal JBS may discontinue consideration of a manuscript before publication where the manuscript is found to fall outside the journal's scope, contain serious ethical or research-integrity concerns, fail to meet essential editorial requirements, or otherwise become unsuitable for publication. Where appropriate, authors will be informed of the reason and given an opportunity to respond. Any investigation of suspected misconduct will be handled in accordance with the journal's publication ethics procedures.
How to Request Withdrawal Withdrawal requests should be submitted by the corresponding author to the JBS Editorial Office at editor@jbioss.com.
• Manuscript title
• Manuscript reference or submission number
• Reason for withdrawal
• Confirmation that all authors agree to the withdrawal
• Corresponding author's contact details
Processing of Withdrawal Requests The Editorial Office will acknowledge receipt of a withdrawal request and verify the manuscript's status and the authority of the requesting author. Where necessary, JBS may contact co-authors to confirm agreement. Once the withdrawal has been approved and recorded, the manuscript will be removed from further consideration and the corresponding author will be informed of the final status.
Fair and Transparent Handling JBS does not impose a withdrawal penalty merely because an author exercises a legitimate right to withdraw a manuscript before acceptance. Any action concerning a manuscript will be based on the circumstances of the case, the journal's published policies, and applicable publication-ethics principles. Commercial considerations, APC status, personal relationships, or other inappropriate factors do not influence editorial decisions.
Editorial Office For withdrawal requests or questions concerning manuscript status, authors should contact the Journal of Bioscience Studies (JBS) Editorial Office at editor@jbioss.com.
