Withdrawal Policy

At Aafaq-e-Tahqeeq, we are committed to maintaining the integrity of the publishing process and upholding the highest academic standards. This policy outlines the procedures and conditions under which an author may request the withdrawal of a manuscript from the journal, ensuring transparency, fairness, and ethical practices.

Key Aspects of the Withdrawal Policy:

1. Withdrawal Before Acceptance:

  • Authors can withdraw their manuscript at any time before it is formally accepted for publication. If the manuscript is under review, the author must inform the editorial team immediately and in writing of their intent to withdraw the submission.

  • No reason is required for withdrawal before acceptance. However, the author is encouraged to provide an explanation to help the editorial team improve their processes.

  • Upon receipt of the withdrawal request, the editorial team will confirm the withdrawal and cease further action on the manuscript.

2. Withdrawal After Acceptance:

  • After an article is accepted for publication but before it is published (i.e., during the proofreading or finalization stage), authors may still request a withdrawal. In such cases, the authors must provide a valid and justifiable reason for the withdrawal request. Common reasons for post-acceptance withdrawals might include:

    • Ethical concerns such as data issues or accidental plagiarism

    • Decision to submit the article to another journal

    • Author’s inability to provide revisions within the agreed-upon timeframe

  • If the article is in the final stage (e.g., during printing or online publication), the withdrawal request may still be accepted but will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The editorial team reserves the right to refuse the withdrawal if significant resources have already been committed to the publication of the manuscript.

3. Withdrawal After Publication:

  • Once an article is published, it is considered part of the permanent record of Aafaq-e-Tahqeeq and will not be withdrawn except under specific circumstances, such as:

    • Ethical Violations: If the article is found to have significant ethical issues such as plagiarism, data falsification, or research misconduct, the editorial board will issue a retraction notice.

    • Legal Concerns: If there are legal disputes regarding the content, the article may be retracted in compliance with the law.

  • If an article is retracted after publication, a retraction notice will be issued in place of the article. The notice will include the reason for retraction and be visible alongside the original article to ensure transparency and maintain academic integrity.

4. Conditions for Withdrawal Request:

  • Formal Written Request: Authors requesting a manuscript withdrawal must submit a formal, written request to the editorial team. The request should clearly indicate the intention to withdraw and the reason for doing so.

  • No Outstanding Obligations: Withdrawal requests will only be accepted if the author has fulfilled any outstanding obligations to the journal, such as providing final revisions, paying any applicable publication fees, or complying with other manuscript-related requirements.

  • Author's Responsibility: Authors should ensure they are not violating any agreements made with the journal or any third-party entities, such as funding organizations or co-authors, when requesting a withdrawal.

5. Impact of Withdrawal:

  • Upon Withdrawal: If an article is withdrawn at any stage of the process, the manuscript will be removed from the review process or archive, and no further actions will be taken to publish the work.

  • Publication Fees: If a manuscript is withdrawn after acceptance but before publication, the authors may be responsible for covering any incurred publication-related costs that have already been processed. However, these fees will be waived if the withdrawal occurs before any significant work is done on the article (such as editorial review or formatting).

6. Rejection Following Withdrawal:

  • If the withdrawal request is submitted after substantial resources have been committed to the article (such as copyediting or final proofing), Aafaq-e-Tahqeeq reserves the right to reject the article outright and refuse any future submissions from the same author for a specified period.

7. Cases of Multiple Withdrawals:

  • If an author repeatedly withdraws manuscripts after submission or acceptance, Aafaq-e-Tahqeeq may impose restrictions on their ability to submit future manuscripts. This policy is in place to ensure fairness and efficiency in the publication process for all authors.

8. Ethical Considerations for Withdrawal:

  • Transparency: If an article is withdrawn, Aafaq-e-Tahqeeq aims to maintain transparency by documenting the withdrawal and the reasons for it. This is crucial for maintaining the academic integrity of the journal and ensuring that future research can be conducted with accurate data and without misinformation.

  • Respect for Author’s Rights: The journal respects the author’s right to withdraw their manuscript, but this decision will be handled with care to ensure fairness to all parties involved.