Withdrawal Policy
General Principle
The Journal of AI-Integrated Medical Sciences (JAIMS) recognizes that authors may, in legitimate circumstances, need to withdraw a manuscript before publication. JAIMS provides authors with a formal mechanism for requesting withdrawal and handles such requests consistently, confidentially, and in accordance with the journal's editorial and publication ethics policies.
Withdrawal under this policy applies to manuscripts that have not yet been formally published. Once an article has been published, it forms part of the scholarly record and is not ordinarily removed through the manuscript withdrawal process. Post-publication concerns are handled through the journal's procedures for corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions, as appropriate.
Author-Initiated Withdrawal
The corresponding author may request withdrawal of a manuscript before publication by submitting a formal request to the JAIMS editorial office through the journal's online submission system or designated editorial communication channel. The request should identify the manuscript clearly and provide the reason for withdrawal.
For manuscripts submitted by multiple authors, the corresponding author is responsible for confirming that all co-authors have agreed to the withdrawal. Where an authorship disagreement is reported, JAIMS may suspend the withdrawal process until the matter has been appropriately clarified.
Author submits a formal withdrawal request.
JAIMS verifies manuscript status and withdrawal grounds.
Co-author agreement may be verified where necessary.
JAIMS confirms withdrawal or requests clarification.
The editorial record is updated and processing ends.
Legitimate Grounds for Withdrawal
JAIMS may approve a withdrawal request where there is a legitimate scholarly, ethical, legal, or administrative reason. Such reasons may include:
- discovery of a substantial error that materially affects the manuscript and cannot reasonably be corrected before publication;
- inability to obtain or maintain required ethical approval, informed consent, institutional authorization, or other necessary permissions;
- identification of a legitimate authorship, ownership, or intellectual-property dispute;
- discovery that the manuscript is simultaneously under consideration by another journal;
- discovery of substantial duplicate or redundant publication;
- legal, copyright, privacy, confidentiality, or other substantive concerns that prevent lawful publication;
- inability to verify essential data, documentation, or approvals required to support the manuscript; or
- another substantive circumstance that makes continuation of the editorial process inappropriate.
Withdrawal During Peer Review
Authors may request withdrawal while a manuscript is undergoing editorial assessment or external peer review. Upon receiving such a request, JAIMS will review the manuscript's current status and determine whether the request can be processed immediately.
Once withdrawal has been formally approved, JAIMS will discontinue further editorial processing of the manuscript. Where reviewers have already been invited or have submitted reports, the journal may retain those records as part of its confidential editorial record.
Withdrawal After Acceptance
A manuscript that has been accepted but has not yet been formally published may be withdrawn following editorial assessment of the request. Because acceptance indicates that the manuscript has completed the journal's editorial evaluation, JAIMS may request a clear explanation for withdrawal and may retain the relevant editorial records.
Withdrawal Charges
JAIMS does not charge authors a withdrawal fee for manuscripts withdrawn before publication. Authors may request withdrawal without incurring a financial penalty solely because they have decided not to proceed with publication.
Any publication-related charges applicable to a manuscript are communicated to authors through the journal's published fee policy before submission. JAIMS will not impose an undisclosed withdrawal charge or introduce a new fee solely in response to an author's legitimate withdrawal request.
Withdrawal and Publication Ethics
Withdrawal does not prevent JAIMS from addressing concerns relating to plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, duplicate or redundant publication, inappropriate authorship, manipulated peer review, unethical research, undisclosed conflicts of interest, copyright infringement, or other forms of research or publication misconduct. Where such concerns arise, JAIMS may conduct an appropriate editorial investigation and may seek clarification from authors, institutions, ethics committees, funders, or other relevant parties.
Simultaneous Submission
Authors submitting manuscripts to JAIMS are expected to confirm that the manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal. A withdrawal request made for the purpose of submitting the same manuscript elsewhere should be communicated formally to the editorial office before a new submission is made.
Where JAIMS identifies evidence of simultaneous submission, the journal may suspend the withdrawal process and investigate the matter in accordance with its publication ethics procedures.
Published Articles
Once an article has been formally published and becomes part of the journal's public scholarly record, it is no longer subject to ordinary manuscript withdrawal. JAIMS does not ordinarily delete or silently remove a published article solely at the request of an author.
Where a published article contains a substantive error or raises concerns regarding research or publication integrity, JAIMS will assess the matter under its post-publication procedures. Depending on the circumstances, the appropriate action may include publication of a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or another transparent editorial notice.
Withdrawal Records
JAIMS maintains appropriate confidential records of withdrawal requests and decisions as part of its editorial records. For unpublished manuscripts, the journal will normally retain the internal record without publicly displaying the withdrawn manuscript. Where a withdrawal relates to a matter affecting the integrity of the scholarly record, JAIMS may issue an appropriate public notice or editorial statement where necessary.
Editorial Authority
The Editor-in-Chief or a designated senior editor is responsible for determining whether a withdrawal request may be approved. JAIMS will make withdrawal decisions consistently with this policy, the journal's publication ethics requirements, applicable legal obligations, and the need to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.
A Fair Withdrawal Process with Protection of the Scholarly Record
JAIMS is committed to providing authors with a clear and fair mechanism for withdrawing manuscripts when legitimate circumstances arise, while ensuring that withdrawal is not used to circumvent peer review, conceal publication misconduct, or compromise the integrity of the scientific record. All withdrawal requests are handled with appropriate confidentiality, consistency, and editorial oversight.
