Withdrawl of Manuscript

Withdrawal of Manuscripts

1. Purpose of This Policy

The Journal of Energy, Materials & Sustainability (JENMAS) is committed to upholding the integrity, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record.
This policy governs the withdrawal of manuscripts prior to publication and is aligned with internationally recognized standards issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

This policy distinguishes clearly between:

  • Manuscript withdrawal (pre-publication)

  • Article correction, expression of concern, or retraction (post-publication)

2. Definition of Manuscript Withdrawal

Manuscript withdrawal refers to the formal termination of the editorial process for a submitted manuscript before it is published online or in an issue. Withdrawal does not apply to articles that have already been published, either online-first or in final form.

3. Withdrawal Before Peer Review

Authors may request withdrawal before peer review begins without restriction, provided that:

  • The request is submitted by the corresponding author

  • The manuscript has not yet been assigned to external reviewers

  • The request is made formally through the journal’s submission system or official correspondence

Such withdrawals are considered routine and do not carry ethical implications.

4. Withdrawal During Peer Review

Withdrawal requests after peer review has commenced are discouraged and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Acceptable reasons may include:

  • Discovery of significant errors affecting validity or conclusions

  • Ethical concerns identified by the authors

  • Unintentional duplicate submission identified early

Withdrawal requests may be declined when:

  • Peer review is substantially complete

  • The request appears to be motivated by anticipated unfavorable editorial decisions

  • Repeated withdrawal behavior is observed without valid justification

This approach follows COPE guidance on responsible use of peer review resources.

5. Withdrawal After Acceptance

Once a manuscript has been formally accepted, withdrawal is permitted only under exceptional circumstances, such as:

  • Serious ethical issues discovered post-acceptance

  • Legal or institutional constraints beyond the authors’ control

Withdrawal at this stage requires:

  • A detailed written justification

  • Confirmation that all authors agree to the request

Unjustified withdrawal after acceptance is regarded as contrary to responsible scholarly conduct.

6. DOI Assignment and Scholarly Record Integrity

If a manuscript has been assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) but has not yet been published, the journal may still process withdrawal provided that:

  • The DOI has not been publicly registered or activated

  • No public article version has been released

Once an article is published and its DOI registered, withdrawal is no longer possible.
Any post-publication issues are handled through correction, expression of concern, or retraction, in accordance with COPE and Crossref policies.

This ensures the permanence and traceability of the scholarly record.

7. Author Responsibilities

Authors requesting withdrawal are expected to ensure that:

  • The manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere

  • The request is made in good faith

  • All co-authors are informed and in agreement

Repeated or unjustified withdrawal requests may result in editorial restrictions in accordance with ethical publishing standards.

8. Editorial Responsibilities

The editorial office reserves the right to:

  • Assess the validity of withdrawal requests

  • Decline requests that undermine editorial integrity

  • Maintain confidential internal records of withdrawal decisions

All decisions are guided by COPE flowcharts and ethical best practices, with fairness and transparency.

9. Transparency and Record Management

For withdrawn manuscripts:

  • No public notice is issued, as the work has not been published

  • Editorial records are securely archived

  • Metadata is handled carefully to avoid duplication or indexing conflicts

Withdrawn manuscripts are not indexed, cited, or assigned a public publication record.

10. Submission of Withdrawal Requests

All withdrawal requests must be submitted formally via:

  • The journal’s online submission system, or

  • Official correspondence to the editorial office

Informal requests (e.g., phone calls or third-party messages) will not be processed.

11. Policy Review

This policy is reviewed periodically to ensure ongoing alignment with:

  • COPE Core Practices

  • Crossref metadata policies

  • Scopus and Web of Science editorial standards

Ethical Statement

JENMAS is committed to responsible editorial decision-making and the protection of the scholarly record. This policy reflects internationally accepted norms of academic publishing and ethical oversight.