Withdrawal Policy

Withdrawal Policy for Meritorious Journal of Social Sciences and Management (MJSSM)

The Withdrawal Policy of the Meritorious Journal of Social Sciences and Management (MJSSM) outlines the procedures and conditions under which authors may request the withdrawal of their manuscript after submission or publication. This policy ensures transparency, protects the integrity of the journal’s processes, and provides clear guidelines for both authors and the journal's editorial team.

Key aspects of the Withdrawal Policy include:

1. Withdrawal Before Peer Review

  • Authors may request the withdrawal of their manuscript at any point before it has been assigned to reviewers for peer review.
  • If the manuscript is withdrawn at this stage, the author will not incur any fees, and the journal will not proceed with any further action on the manuscript.
  • Authors must submit a formal withdrawal request, usually via email or through the journal’s online submission system, stating the reasons for the withdrawal.

2. Withdrawal After Peer Review

  • Once the manuscript has entered the peer review stage, the withdrawal process becomes more formal. Authors may still request a withdrawal, but it is subject to approval by the editorial board.
  • If a manuscript is withdrawn after peer review has begun, the author may be asked to provide a reason for the withdrawal, particularly if the manuscript has undergone extensive evaluation or revision.
  • In such cases, authors may still be required to pay applicable processing fees, especially if the review process has progressed significantly.

3. Withdrawal After Acceptance

  • If an article has been accepted for publication but has not yet been formally published, authors may request a withdrawal. However, this request must be made as soon as possible, preferably before the final publication.
  • Authors may be required to justify the reason for withdrawal at this stage. Common reasons might include changes in research results, personal reasons, or ethical concerns.
  • If the article has already been edited or typeset, the journal may charge the author for any administrative or editorial costs incurred.
  • The final decision rests with the editorial board, which will consider the reasoning and may decide whether the withdrawal will be allowed or not.

4. Withdrawal After Publication

  • Once an article is published (online or in print), withdrawal becomes more complex. Withdrawal after publication is only possible under exceptional circumstances, such as:
    • Research misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication).
    • Ethical violations (e.g., improper authorship, conflicts of interest).
    • Legal or copyright issues (e.g., authorship disputes, third-party rights violations).
  • Post-publication withdrawal requests will be carefully reviewed by the editorial board. If a withdrawal is approved, the article may be formally retracted from the journal, and a retraction notice will be issued.
  • The retraction will clearly state the reasons for withdrawal and be made publicly available. This ensures transparency and maintains the academic integrity of the journal.

5. Conditions for Withdrawal

  • Manuscripts may only be withdrawn if they have not been published in any other journal or online repository. Withdrawal is not allowed if the article has already been widely disseminated or cited.
  • Authors must ensure that their manuscript does not violate any agreements, such as prior submission to other journals or commitments to funding bodies, before initiating a withdrawal request.

6. Process for Withdrawal

  • Authors who wish to withdraw their manuscript at any stage must submit a formal withdrawal request to the journal. This request must include:
    • The manuscript ID or title.
    • A clear and concise reason for the withdrawal.
    • Any additional information the author wishes to provide, including the stage of the review process at the time of withdrawal.
  • The editorial board will assess the request and notify the author of its decision in a timely manner. If approved, the manuscript will be officially removed from the journal’s submission system.

7. Consequences of Withdrawal

  • Once a manuscript is withdrawn, it is removed from the journal’s review system and will not be processed further. Any fees or charges that may have been associated with the manuscript (such as submission or processing fees) may still apply depending on the stage of withdrawal.
  • If a manuscript is withdrawn post-acceptance or publication, the journal may publish a retraction notice explaining the reason for the withdrawal, ensuring that the academic community is aware of the situation.
  • The author may not submit the same manuscript to MJSSM or any other journal without significant changes or new content, unless previously agreed upon.

8. Re-submission After Withdrawal

  • If an article is withdrawn, the author may choose to revise and resubmit it as a new submission. However, the resubmission will be treated as a completely new manuscript, and the journal may request that the author address any issues raised during the original submission process.
  • The manuscript will undergo the full review process again, and acceptance is not guaranteed.