Withdrawal Policy

The Journal of Biological and Life Sciences (JBLS) understands that there may be occasions when authors need to withdraw their manuscript from the publication process. This policy outlines the conditions and procedures for withdrawing a manuscript at different stages of the submission and publication process.

Key Aspects of the Withdrawal Policy:

1. Withdrawal Before Submission:

   • Authors can withdraw their manuscript at any time before submission to the journal (i.e., before the manuscript is formally submitted for peer review).
   • No fees will be charged, and the manuscript will not be processed further.
   • Authors should notify the editorial team promptly to ensure that the manuscript is removed from the system.

2. Withdrawal After Submission but Before Peer Review:

   • If a manuscript has been submitted but has not yet entered the peer review process, authors may request to withdraw the manuscript.
   • In this case, the manuscript will be removed from consideration, and no publication fees will be charged.
   • Authors must submit a formal request to the editorial team, including the manuscript ID, title, and reason for withdrawal.

3. Withdrawal During Peer Review:

   • If the manuscript is in the peer review stage, authors may request withdrawal at any time before receiving the final decision.
   • If the manuscript has already been assigned to reviewers, the authors may be required to provide a valid reason for the withdrawal.
   • Authors may be charged for editorial and review costs that have already been incurred, depending on the stage of the review process.

4. Withdrawal After Acceptance but Before Publication:

   • Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication, the author is expected to proceed with the publication process.
   • However, if the author wishes to withdraw the manuscript after acceptance but before publication, the request will be considered.
   • In such cases, authors may be responsible for partial fees if editorial or production work has already been done (e.g., copyediting, typesetting).
   • The editorial team will assess the situation on a case-by-case basis.

5. Withdrawal After Publication:

   • Once a manuscript has been published, it cannot be withdrawn. After publication, the article becomes part of the scientific record.
   • If the author wishes to remove their article due to ethical concerns, errors, or other significant reasons, the article will not be removed, but a retraction notice will be issued.
   • Retraction notices will remain attached to the article, providing a transparent explanation for the retraction.

6. Refund Policy for Withdrawal:

   • If a manuscript is withdrawn before the review process begins or before acceptance, the publication fee (if applicable) may be refunded, minus any administrative fees.
   • Withdrawal after acceptance but before publication may result in partial refund or no refund depending on the stage of the production process.
   • Withdrawal after publication does not warrant a refund as the article is already part of the public domain.

7. Request Process:

   • To withdraw a manuscript, authors must submit a formal written request via email to the editorial team, specifying the manuscript ID, title, and reason for withdrawal.
   • The editorial team will review the request and confirm the withdrawal status. Authors will be notified promptly once their manuscript has been formally withdrawn from the system.

8. Consequences of Unauthorized Withdrawal:

   • If an author withdraws a manuscript after it has been accepted for publication without valid reasoning or without proper notification to the editorial team, the manuscript may be flagged, and the author may face restrictions on future submissions to the journal.

This withdrawal policy is designed to ensure transparency and fairness in the publication process while respecting the authors' rights to make decisions regarding their work. JBLS is committed to a professional and ethical approach in managing manuscript withdrawals at all stages of the publication process.