Withdrawal Policy

Before peer review

Authors may withdraw a manuscript freely by sending a written request to the editorial office at editor@stanfordgroup.org.

During peer review

Withdrawal at this stage is discouraged, but a written request will be honoured. Authors should give a brief reason.

After acceptance, before publication

Withdrawal is allowed only in exceptional circumstances, such as a serious error, an ethical concern or a duplicate submission. It needs a formal written request, the consent of all authors, and review by the editor. If authors do not respond to the journal's communications, the manuscript is treated as withdrawn.

After publication

A published article cannot be withdrawn. Problems are dealt with under the Corrections and Retractions and Misconduct and Sanctions policies, following COPE guidelines.

Ethical considerations

A manuscript must not be withdrawn in order to submit it elsewhere at the same time, to avoid an unfavourable review, or to manipulate the editorial process. Such requests breach the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

Author responsibilities

Authors must communicate promptly and openly with the editorial office and give the true reason for withdrawal.

Fees

No fee is charged for withdrawal at any stage.