Manuscript Withdrawal

The Journal of Marine Studies (JoMS) is committed to maintaining a fair, transparent, and efficient editorial process. Once a manuscript is submitted, it enters a carefully managed workflow that involves editors, reviewers, and editorial staff. Withdrawing a manuscript during or after this process can disrupt operations, consume editorial resources, and delay the review of other submissions. Therefore, authors are strongly discouraged from withdrawing a manuscript after submission unless there is a compelling and valid reason.

This policy outlines the procedures, requirements, and ethical expectations for manuscript withdrawal at different stages of the editorial and publication process.

1. Withdrawal Prior to Peer Review

Authors who wish to withdraw a manuscript before peer review begins must submit a formal written request to the editorial office via email at joms@unimal.ac.id. The request must:

  • Be submitted by the corresponding author,
  • Include the manuscript title, submission ID, and date of submission, and
  • Clearly state the reason for withdrawal.

The editorial office will acknowledge receipt of the request and confirm the withdrawal once it has been processed. Authors should not assume that a manuscript is withdrawn until official confirmation is received from the journal. Failure to follow this procedure may result in administrative complications or delays in future submissions.

2. Withdrawal During Peer Review

Once a manuscript has entered the peer review stage, withdrawal requests become more complex due to the involvement of editors and external reviewers who have already dedicated time and effort to the evaluation process.

In such cases, authors must submit a formal, written justification to the Editor-in-Chief explaining the reason for the withdrawal. Acceptable reasons may include:

  • Discovery of critical errors in data or analysis,
  • Unintentional submission of substantially overlapping work,
  • Identification of ethical or methodological issues that compromise the research, or
  • Institutional or legal concerns preventing publication.

The Editor-in-Chief will review the justification and determine whether withdrawal is warranted. If approved, the editorial office will issue a formal confirmation of withdrawal. If the request is deemed insufficient, the manuscript will remain under review, and the authors will be informed of the decision.

3. Withdrawal After Editorial Acceptance

Withdrawal after editorial acceptance is considered a serious breach of publication ethics. At this stage, the manuscript is part of the official scholarly record and may have entered production processes, including copyediting and typesetting.

Withdrawal after acceptance is only permitted under exceptional and verifiable circumstances, such as:

  • Evidence of research misconduct (e.g., data fabrication or falsification),
  • Confirmed plagiarism,
  • Discovery of ethical violations that invalidate the findings, or
  • Legal or institutional restrictions that prevent publication.

The corresponding author must provide a detailed written explanation and any supporting documentation. The editorial team will conduct an internal review and may consult the authors’ affiliated institution or ethics committee if necessary. If the ethical concerns are substantiated, the manuscript will be formally withdrawn and the process documented.

Withdrawal requests based solely on author preference—such as a desire to submit to another journal, internal authorship disputes, or disagreement with editorial decisions—will not be considered valid and may result in sanctions.

4. Consequences of Unjustified or Unethical Withdrawal

Unjustified withdrawal requests, particularly those made after acceptance or repeated across multiple submissions, are viewed as violations of publication ethics. The Journal of Marine Studies may take the following actions in response:

  • Temporary suspension of submission privileges for all authors involved,
  • Permanent blacklisting of authors in cases of repeated or egregious misconduct,
  • Notification to affiliated institutions, research funders, or ethics committees, and
  • Public documentation of the withdrawal, if deemed necessary to maintain the integrity of the record.

These measures are intended to protect the journal’s editorial integrity and to ensure a fair publishing environment for all contributors.

5. Appeals and Communication

Authors who believe that their withdrawal request was wrongly denied or wish to appeal a decision related to manuscript withdrawal may submit a formal appeal to the Editor-in-Chief within fourteen (14) calendar days of receiving the decision. The appeal must include:

  • A clear rationale for the appeal, and
  • Any supporting documentation or evidence relevant to the case.

The Editor-in-Chief and the editorial team will review the appeal and issue a final decision.

6. Policy Review and Updates

This policy is reviewed periodically to ensure consistency with best practices in academic publishing and to reflect the evolving responsibilities of authors, editors, and reviewers. The most current version of this policy is available on the journal’s official website and submission portal.

7. Contact Information

All withdrawal requests, appeals, and related correspondence should be directed to the editorial office at:
joms@unimal.ac.id