Withdrawal Policy

World Journal of Medicine Evidence (WJME) maintains strict standards of publishing ethics and discourages unethical withdrawal of manuscripts after submission. This policy outlines the conditions and procedures under which a manuscript may be withdrawn.

1. Before Review Process

• Authors may request withdrawal of their manuscript before the peer review process begins by sending a formal email to the editorial office.
• Such requests must include the manuscript ID, title, and a valid reason for withdrawal.

2. During Peer Review

• Withdrawal requests made after the peer review process has started are discouraged.
• If authors wish to withdraw at this stage, they must provide a strong and acceptable reason.
• If the reason is found to be invalid (e.g., submission to multiple journals simultaneously), the journal may impose a penalty or temporary submission ban.

3. After Acceptance

• Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication, withdrawal is not permitted under normal circumstances.
• Exceptional cases (ethical concerns, duplicate submission, serious errors) will be reviewed by the Editorial Board.

4. After Online Publication

• Articles already published online cannot be withdrawn but may be subject to a formal retraction following COPE guidelines.
• Retraction notices will be issued to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

5. Penalties for Unethical Withdrawal

• Authors who withdraw without valid reasons may be blacklisted from future submissions for a defined period.
• Institutions and funding agencies may be notified in cases of severe ethical misconduct.