Article Withdrawal Policy
At the TMP Universal Journal of Dental Research and Health, we are committed to maintaining the integrity of the academic record. The withdrawal of a manuscript or published article is a serious action, and we have established a clear policy to handle such cases to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability.
Pre-Acceptance Withdrawal
- Author-Initiated Withdrawal: Authors may request the withdrawal of their manuscript before it is formally accepted for publication. To do so, the corresponding author must submit a formal withdrawal request via email to the editorial office, stating the reasons for the request. There are no fees associated with withdrawing a manuscript at this stage.
- Editorial Review: The editorial board will review the request and confirm the withdrawal if the manuscript is still under review. However, authors are encouraged to ensure that the withdrawal request is made in good faith, and not during the peer-review process to avoid disrupting the editorial workflow.
Post-Acceptance Withdrawal
- Once a manuscript has been accepted and entered into the production process, withdrawal requests are strongly discouraged. If authors must request a withdrawal at this stage, a formal explanation will be required, and the editorial team will review the request on a case-by-case basis. Withdrawal at this stage could result in delays and additional administrative processing.
- Exceptional Circumstances: In rare cases where significant ethical concerns, data errors, or other critical issues arise, the journal may allow a post-acceptance withdrawal. Authors should provide detailed reasoning, and the editorial board will make the final decision.
Withdrawal After Publication (Retraction)
- Ethical Grounds: If ethical violations, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or duplicate publication, are discovered after publication, the journal reserves the right to retract the article. Retractions are done following guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
- Author Request: If the authors request withdrawal after the article has been published, they must provide compelling reasons such as errors that severely impact the validity of the results. Retractions are only considered under exceptional circumstances, and any such request will be thoroughly reviewed by the editorial board.
Withdrawal Due to Errors
- If an article contains significant errors that impact the conclusions but do not involve misconduct, the journal may issue a correction instead of a withdrawal or retraction. Authors should notify the editorial team immediately if they identify errors after publication.
- Erratum or Correction: Minor corrections can be addressed through an erratum or corrigendum, which will be published alongside the original article to maintain the integrity of the academic record.
Procedure for Withdrawal
- Formal Request: All withdrawal requests must be submitted in writing by the corresponding author to the journal’s editorial office.
- Review and Decision: The editorial team will review the request and, if necessary, consult the reviewers or editorial board members. Authors will be informed of the decision as promptly as possible.
- Public Notification: If a post-publication withdrawal or retraction is granted, a formal notice of withdrawal or retraction will be published on the journal’s website and linked to the original article.
Consequences of Unethical Withdrawal
- Unethical withdrawal, such as withdrawing a manuscript to submit it to another journal after it has undergone peer review, is considered academic misconduct. Authors who engage in such behavior may face sanctions, including being barred from submitting future manuscripts to the journal.
Final Decision
The decision to allow a withdrawal, particularly post-acceptance or post-publication, rests with the journal’s editorial board. The editorial team’s primary responsibility is to maintain the integrity of the academic record and ensure that all decisions are made in line with ethical guidelines and best practices.
