Withdrawal Policy

Fundamental Scientific Reports in Multidisciplinary Areas follows a clear and transparent withdrawal policy to ensure that the process of manuscript submission, review, and publication is handled with the highest standards of academic integrity. This policy outlines the procedure and conditions under which authors can withdraw their manuscript from the journal at various stages of the publication process.

1. Withdrawal Before Submission

If the author wishes to withdraw their manuscript before it has been formally submitted to the journal, they can do so without any formal process. However, it is recommended that the author notify the editorial office of their decision promptly via email to avoid confusion.

  • No Fees or Penalties: Manuscripts withdrawn before submission are not subject to any fees or penalties.

  • Notification: Authors are expected to notify the editorial team in a timely manner, and the manuscript will be removed from the submission system immediately.

2. Withdrawal After Submission but Before Peer Review

Once a manuscript has been submitted but has not yet entered the peer review process, the author can request to withdraw the manuscript from consideration.

  • Request Process: To withdraw the manuscript, the author must send a formal withdrawal request to the editorial office via email, including the manuscript title, submission ID, and reasons for withdrawal.

  • Response Time: The editorial team will process the withdrawal request within 2-3 business days and will send confirmation of the withdrawal.

  • No Penalty: There will be no penalty or fees for withdrawing a manuscript at this stage.

3. Withdrawal During Peer Review

If a manuscript is in the peer review process, the author can still request to withdraw it. However, the request may be subject to a review of the stage of the process and any associated costs.

  • Request Process: Authors must formally request a withdrawal via email, specifying the manuscript title, submission ID, and the reasons for the withdrawal. The request will be considered and reviewed by the editorial team.

  • Peer Review Stage Consideration: If the manuscript has already been sent to reviewers, the author will need to explain why they wish to withdraw at this stage. The journal may choose to halt or suspend the review process.

  • Penalty for Withdrawal During Peer Review: If the manuscript has already undergone review, the author may be required to cover any costs incurred in the review process, such as reviewer fees.

4. Withdrawal After Acceptance but Before Publication

If a manuscript has been accepted for publication but has not yet been published (either online or in print), the author may request to withdraw the paper.

  • Request Process: Authors should submit a formal withdrawal request to the editorial office, which will include a clear explanation for the withdrawal. This request must be submitted promptly after the acceptance.

  • Considerations: If the manuscript has already been scheduled for publication, the author will be required to notify the journal well in advance. The editorial team may seek to address the reason for the withdrawal request if it is based on issues that can be resolved without full withdrawal.

5. Withdrawal After Publication

Once a manuscript has been published (whether online or in print), it cannot be formally withdrawn. However, the following options are available:

  • Erratum or Correction: If the author finds significant errors after publication, they can request a correction or erratum. This does not involve withdrawing the article but instead correcting the published record.

  • Retraction: In rare cases, where there are serious ethical concerns (such as data falsification or plagiarism), the article may be retracted. Retraction can only be requested by the author or in response to concerns raised by the journal’s editorial team.

6. Conditions for Withdrawal

The journal reserves the right to deny a withdrawal request under the following circumstances:

  • Ethical Violations: If the withdrawal request is made after ethical concerns or issues of misconduct have been raised, the journal may not allow the withdrawal.

  • Repeated Withdrawals: If an author repeatedly withdraws manuscripts from the journal, this may affect their future submissions, and the editorial team may reserve the right to reject any future submissions from that author.

7. Fee Structure and Withdrawal

  • No Withdrawal Fees Before Peer Review: There are no fees for withdrawal at any stage before the manuscript enters the peer review process.

  • Possible Review Fees: If the manuscript has entered the peer review process, the author may be asked to cover any costs associated with the review process, as mentioned above.

8. Final Decision

Once a manuscript is withdrawn, it will no longer be considered for publication. The decision to withdraw a manuscript is final and cannot be reversed once the withdrawal is confirmed by the editorial office.