Withdrawal of Manuscript Policy

Feedback International Journal of Communication (FIJC)

The Feedback International Journal of Communication (FIJC) (FIJC) is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and efficiency of the scholarly publication process. Authors are expected to submit manuscripts only when they are fully committed to completing the publication process. Manuscript withdrawal should therefore occur only under exceptional circumstances and must follow the journal's editorial policies.

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to FIJC from the time of submission until the final editorial decision or publication.

General Policy

Authors may request the withdrawal of a manuscript only for valid and reasonable grounds. Withdrawal requests must be submitted formally by the corresponding author and, where applicable, with the consent of all co-authors.

A manuscript is considered under the editorial responsibility of FIJC once it has been submitted through the journal's online submission system.

The Editorial Office reserves the right to approve or reject withdrawal requests based on the manuscript's stage in the editorial process.

Acceptable Reasons for Withdrawal

Withdrawal requests may be considered for reasons including, but not limited to:

  • Major errors discovered in the manuscript before publication.

  • Accidental duplicate submission to FIJC and another journal.

  • Ethical concerns identified by the authors.

  • Significant methodological flaws discovered after submission.

  • Inability to complete revisions due to exceptional circumstances.

  • Legal or copyright issues affecting publication.

  • Other reasonable explanations accepted by the Editorial Board.

Withdrawal requests made solely because the manuscript has been accepted by another journal after submission to FIJC are generally discouraged and may not be approved if the editorial process has substantially progressed.

Withdrawal Before Peer Review

Authors may request withdrawal before the manuscript has been assigned to reviewers.

If the Editorial Office confirms that the manuscript has not entered the peer-review process, the withdrawal will normally be approved without penalty.

Withdrawal During Peer Review

Once a manuscript has entered peer review, considerable editorial and reviewer resources have already been invested.

Authors requesting withdrawal during this stage must provide a clear written explanation.

The Editor-in-Chief will evaluate the request before making a decision.

Repeated withdrawal during peer review without reasonable justification may influence consideration of future submissions.

Withdrawal After Acceptance

Withdrawal after the manuscript has been formally accepted is strongly discouraged.

Since editorial processing, copyediting, proofreading, DOI registration preparation, and publication scheduling may already have been completed, withdrawal at this stage is only considered under exceptional circumstances, including:

  • Serious scientific errors

  • Ethical violations

  • Proven research misconduct

  • Legal concerns

Approval is granted solely at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.

Withdrawal After Publication

Once an article has been published, it cannot be withdrawn.

If significant problems are identified after publication, FIJC will follow its Retraction and Correction Policy, which may include:

  • Correction (Erratum or Corrigendum)

  • Expression of Concern

  • Retraction

Published articles remain part of the permanent scholarly record.

Procedure for Requesting Withdrawal

Authors requesting manuscript withdrawal should submit a formal written request to the Editorial Office containing:

  • Manuscript title

  • Manuscript identification number

  • Names of all authors

  • Detailed reason for withdrawal

  • Statement confirming agreement from all co-authors

  • Signature or written approval of the corresponding author

The Editorial Office will acknowledge receipt of the request and notify the authors of the editorial decision after evaluation.

Editorial Decision

The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Editorial Board where appropriate, will determine whether a withdrawal request should be approved.

Possible decisions include:

  • Withdrawal Approved

  • Withdrawal Approved with Editorial Notes

  • Withdrawal Rejected

  • Investigation Required (if ethical concerns are involved)

The editorial decision is final.

Ethical Considerations

Authors are expected to act responsibly throughout the publication process.

Submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals without disclosure constitutes unethical publishing behavior.

If a withdrawal request reveals evidence of publication misconduct, duplicate submission, plagiarism, fabricated data, or authorship disputes, the journal may initiate an investigation in accordance with its Allegations of Research Misconduct Policy.

Consequences of Unethical Withdrawal

FIJC reserves the right to take appropriate editorial actions if a manuscript is withdrawn in bad faith or in violation of publication ethics.

Such actions may include:

  • Rejection of the manuscript.

  • Suspension of future submissions for a specified period.

  • Notification to the authors' affiliated institution when serious misconduct is identified.

  • Reporting unethical practices in accordance with international publication ethics guidelines where appropriate.

These measures are intended to protect the integrity of scholarly publishing rather than to penalize honest authors acting in good faith.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

FIJC encourages authors to carefully prepare manuscripts before submission and to communicate promptly with the Editorial Office if legitimate circumstances require withdrawal.

The journal is committed to handling all withdrawal requests fairly, transparently, and in accordance with internationally recognized standards of publication ethics, while respecting the contributions of authors, reviewers, editors, and the broader academic community.