Withdrawal Policy

1. Introduction

Journal of Healthcare Systems and Innovations (JHCSI) understands that authors may need to withdraw their manuscript at various stages of the publication process. This Withdrawal Policy outlines the procedures for manuscript withdrawal, the conditions under which withdrawal is permitted, and the potential consequences for withdrawing a manuscript from consideration.

2. Conditions for Manuscript Withdrawal

Authors may request to withdraw their manuscript under the following circumstances:

  • Before Peer Review: Authors may withdraw their manuscript at any time before it is sent for peer review without any penalties.

  • During Peer Review: Authors may withdraw their manuscript during the peer review process, but they must provide a valid reason for the withdrawal. An administrative fee may be charged to cover any costs incurred during the review process.

  • After Peer Review but Before Final Decision: If the manuscript is withdrawn after peer review but before the final decision is made (i.e., decision to accept, reject, or revise), the manuscript will be removed from consideration. However, no refund of the article processing charge (APC) will be provided.

  • Post-Acceptance Withdrawal: If the manuscript is withdrawn after it has been accepted for publication and the APC has been paid, withdrawal will be considered on a case-by-case basis. No refund of the APC will be provided, and the manuscript will be removed from the publication schedule.

  • Post-Publication: Once an article has been published online or in print, it cannot be withdrawn. If ethical violations are discovered or the author requests retraction, a retraction procedure will be followed instead of a withdrawal.

3. Withdrawal Request Procedure

To withdraw a manuscript, the corresponding author must submit a formal written request to the editorial office at [insert contact email]. The request should include:

  • The title of the manuscript
  • The submission ID or reference number
  • The reason for withdrawal
  • Any supporting documentation (if applicable)

The editorial team will acknowledge receipt of the withdrawal request within 5 business days and proceed with the appropriate action.

4. Consequences of Manuscript Withdrawal

  • Before Peer Review: If the manuscript is withdrawn before peer review, it will be removed from consideration with no further action, and the author will not incur any additional costs.

  • During Peer Review: If the manuscript is withdrawn during the peer review process, the manuscript will be removed from review. Any work already completed in the review process will be canceled, and the author may incur an administrative fee to cover processing costs.

  • After Peer Review but Before Final Decision: If the manuscript is withdrawn after peer review but before the final decision is made, no refund will be issued, and the editorial process will be terminated.

  • Post-Acceptance Withdrawal: If the manuscript is withdrawn after acceptance, no refund of the APC will be issued, and the manuscript will be removed from the publication schedule. This could result in delays to the journal's overall publication timeline.

  • Post-Publication: Once the manuscript is published, it cannot be withdrawn. Any withdrawal requests after publication will be handled as a retraction. The retraction procedure will be followed to maintain transparency, and the article will remain available with a retraction notice.

5. Refunds for Withdrawn Manuscripts

Refunds for withdrawn manuscripts will be considered under the following conditions:

  • Before Peer Review: If the manuscript is withdrawn before peer review, the full APC will be refunded (subject to any administrative fees).

  • During Peer Review: If the manuscript is withdrawn during peer review, a partial refund of the APC may be issued based on the stage of review and the costs incurred.

  • After Acceptance: No refunds will be provided for manuscripts withdrawn after acceptance.

  • Post-Publication: No refunds will be issued once the article is published.

6. Ethical Considerations for Withdrawal

If the author requests withdrawal due to ethical concerns, such as:

  • Plagiarism or improper citation practices
  • Data falsification or manipulation
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

The editorial team will investigate the issue and take the necessary steps to maintain the integrity of the journal. If plagiarism, data manipulation, or other ethical violations are discovered, JHCSI may initiate a retraction process instead of a simple withdrawal. A retraction notice will be issued to ensure transparency.

7. Institutional and Ethical Oversight

In cases where ethical violations or concerns arise during the withdrawal process, JHCSI may contact the author’s institution or funding agency to clarify the situation. The journal follows the ethical guidelines set by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and will adhere to their retraction and withdrawal procedures in such cases.

8. Policy Review

This Withdrawal Policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains consistent with best practices in academic publishing. Any updates or changes to this policy will be communicated to authors, reviewers, and editors promptly.