Withdrawal of Manuscript

The Journal of Community Development Diversity (JCDD) is committed to maintaining the integrity and completeness of the scholarly record. The withdrawal of a manuscript is a serious action that should only occur under exceptional circumstances. This policy outlines the valid reasons, procedures, and consequences for manuscript withdrawal at various stages of the publication process.

1. Definitions & Stages

  • Pre-Review Withdrawal (Before Peer Review): Author requests withdrawal after submission but before the review process has commenced.

  • Withdrawal During Review (Under Review): Author requests withdrawal while the manuscript is undergoing peer review.

  • Post-Acceptance Withdrawal (Accepted for Publication): Author requests withdrawal after the manuscript has been accepted but before it is formally published online.

  • Retraction (After Publication): This is a separate, post-publication action for published articles found to contain serious errors, ethical breaches, or fraudulent data. See our Retraction Policy.

2. Valid Grounds for Withdrawal

Authors may request withdrawal only for compelling and justified reasons, such as:

  • Unforeseen Ethical Issues: Discovery of a major conflict of interest, double submission, or plagiarism that was not previously identified.

  • Critical Error: Discovery of a fundamental, uncorrectable error in the research methodology or findings that invalidates the study's conclusions.

  • Authorship Dispute: An irreconcilable disagreement among authors that cannot be resolved.

  • Legal or Security Concerns: Issues related to confidentiality, privacy, or legal restrictions.

Note: Mere change of mind or submission to another journal are not considered valid grounds and may lead to sanctions.

3. Withdrawal Procedure

All withdrawal requests must be formal and include clear justification.

  1. Request Submission: The corresponding author must submit a formal, signed withdrawal request letter on institutional letterhead to the Editor-in-Chief via the journal's online system or official email. The letter must:

    • State the manuscript ID and title.

    • Clearly articulate the compelling reason for withdrawal.

    • Include the signatures of all co-authors confirming their agreement to withdraw.

  2. Editorial Evaluation: The Editor-in-Chief will evaluate the request based on the grounds provided. The journal is not obligated to approve all requests.

  3. Official Notification: If approved, the editorial office will send an official confirmation of withdrawal to the corresponding author. The manuscript status will be changed to "Withdrawn" in the system.

4. Consequences of Unethical Withdrawal

  • Without Valid Grounds: If a manuscript is withdrawn without valid grounds, especially after peer review has consumed significant resources, the following sanctions may apply:

    • A formal notice of unethical withdrawal may be sent to the authors' institutions.

    • All authors may be barred from submitting to JCDD for a period of 2-3 years.

    • The journal may charge a nominal withdrawal processing fee to cover administrative costs, if such a policy is explicitly stated prior to submission.

  • Automatic Rejection in the Future: Manuscripts withdrawn without valid grounds will be considered as previously submitted work, and any future submission of highly similar content may be desk-rejected.

5. Publication of Withdrawal Notice

For manuscripts withdrawn after acceptance (Stage 3), the journal reserves the right to publish a brief "Withdrawal Notice" in the upcoming issue. This notice will link to the original manuscript title and authors and state the reason for withdrawal (e.g., "at the authors' request" or "due to an authorship dispute") to maintain transparency in the academic record. No full text of the withdrawn manuscript will be published.