Article Withdrawal and Retraction Policy

The Academic Journal of History and Idea (ATDD) recognizes the right of authors to request the withdrawal of manuscripts that have not yet been published. At the same time, withdrawal requests must be handled in a transparent and orderly manner in order to protect the integrity of the editorial process, the academic work of editors and reviewers, the journal's publication planning, and the reliability of the scholarly record.

ATDD follows the COPE Core Practices and internationally recognized standards of scholarly publishing in matters concerning manuscript withdrawal, retraction, correction, and related editorial actions.

1. Withdrawal Requests

Authors may request the withdrawal of an unpublished manuscript at any stage of the editorial process. All withdrawal requests must be submitted in writing to the Editorial Office and should include the manuscript title, manuscript ID or submission number, the name of the corresponding author, and the reason for withdrawal.

For co-authored manuscripts, the corresponding author should ensure that all co-authors have been informed of the withdrawal request.

2. Commencement of the Editorial Process

The editorial process begins when a manuscript is submitted to ATDD. The process may include, among other activities:

• technical and file checks;
• metadata verification;
• assessment of compliance with the journal's aims and scope;
• similarity screening;
• identification of the relevant academic field;
• identification and assignment of an appropriate editor;
• editorial planning;
• publication scheduling; and
• preparation of the manuscript for peer review.

The fact that an editor has not yet been assigned does not mean that the editorial process has not commenced.

3. Withdrawal Before Editor Assignment

An author may request withdrawal before an editor has been assigned.

However, the request must be communicated in writing to the Editorial Office.

Where editorial preparation, technical checking, field identification, editor selection, assignment planning, or publication planning has already commenced, these activities constitute part of the editorial workflow.

Accordingly, a manuscript should not be withdrawn unilaterally through the submission system without notifying the Editorial Office.

A withdrawal carried out without such notification may be recorded in the journal's editorial records.

4. Editorial Screening

If a manuscript has entered editorial screening, any withdrawal request must be submitted to the Editorial Office in writing.

The request will be considered in light of the stage reached and the editorial work already undertaken.

5. After Editor Assignment

Once an editor has been assigned, a withdrawal request must be submitted to the Editorial Office.

The request will be considered with regard to the manuscript's editorial status, the work already undertaken, and any peer-review activity that may have commenced.

6. Reviewer Assignment

If reviewers have been invited or assigned, the withdrawal request must be communicated to the Editorial Office.

Where appropriate, reviewer invitations may be cancelled and reviewers informed that the manuscript has been withdrawn.

The academic time and effort already invested by reviewers may be taken into consideration.

7. Withdrawal After Peer Review Has Commenced

Once peer review has commenced, withdrawal requests will be considered only in exceptional and justified circumstances.

The Editorial Office may consider:

• the reason for withdrawal;
• the stage of peer review;
• reviewer work already undertaken;
• editorial work already undertaken; and
• the overall status of the manuscript.

The decision regarding such a withdrawal request rests with the Editorial Office in accordance with this policy and the journal's publication ethics principles.

8. Withdrawal After Reviewer Reports

Where reviewer reports have been received, withdrawal constitutes a request made at an advanced stage of the editorial process.

Disagreement with reviewer comments or dissatisfaction with an editorial assessment does not, by itself, constitute a publication ethics violation.

Authors may request withdrawal or, where appropriate, use the journal's established appeal procedure.

The Editorial Office will consider the request based on the circumstances of the case and the stage reached in the editorial process.

9. Withdrawal During Revision

Authors may request withdrawal during a revision stage.

Such requests must be submitted in writing to the Editorial Office.

Where substantial editorial or reviewer work has already been undertaken, this may be recorded as part of the manuscript's editorial history.

10. Repeated Revision and Withdrawal

Where a manuscript has undergone repeated cycles of submission, peer review, revision, and withdrawal, the Editorial Office may take the manuscript's previous editorial history into consideration.

Repeated withdrawal patterns that substantially disrupt the editorial workflow or systematically consume editorial and reviewer resources may be subject to further editorial review.

11. Accepted Manuscripts

If a manuscript has been accepted but has not yet been published, any withdrawal request must be submitted promptly to the Editorial Office.

At this stage, activities may include final editorial checks, proofreading, typesetting, metadata preparation, DOI processing, issue planning, and publication scheduling.

The withdrawal request will therefore be considered in light of the publication stage and work already undertaken.

12. Manuscripts in Production

Once a manuscript has entered the production stage, withdrawal requests are subject to further editorial consideration.

The Editorial Office may coordinate with the relevant production and publishing personnel where necessary.

Withdrawal at this stage is not automatically effective merely because a request has been submitted.

13. Published Articles

The withdrawal of an unpublished manuscript is distinct from the retraction of a published article.

A published article will not be removed from the scholarly record solely on the basis of an informal or unilateral request.

Where necessary, published articles may be subject to:

• correction;
• corrigendum;
• erratum;
• expression of concern; or
• retraction.

Such actions will be undertaken in accordance with applicable publication ethics principles and the integrity of the scholarly record.

14. Withdrawal Without Notification

A manuscript withdrawn from the submission system without notification to the Editorial Office does not constitute a withdrawal carried out in accordance with ATDD's withdrawal procedure.

This principle applies particularly where editorial preparation, editor assignment planning, editorial screening, reviewer assignment, peer review, revision, or publication planning has already commenced.

A withdrawal without notification may be documented in the journal's editorial records.

However, a single instance of withdrawal without notification will not, by itself, be treated as a publication ethics violation. The circumstances and the stage of the manuscript will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

15. Repeated or Systematic Unnotified Withdrawals

Where unnotified withdrawal is repeated or the withdrawal process is used in a manner that systematically disrupts the editorial process, the Editorial Office may undertake further editorial assessment.

Depending on the circumstances, ATDD may:

• request additional information or clarification;
• decline to proceed with a subsequent submission;
• apply additional editorial review to a subsequent submission; or
• initiate an appropriate publication ethics review.

Any such action will be based on documented circumstances and applied on a case-by-case basis.

16. Simultaneous Submission to Another Journal

Authors who wish to submit a manuscript under consideration at ATDD to another journal must first formally withdraw the manuscript from ATDD by notifying the Editorial Office.

Submitting the same or substantially similar manuscript to another journal while it remains under consideration at ATDD may constitute simultaneous or duplicate submission and may be addressed in accordance with applicable publication ethics principles.

17. Co-authored Manuscripts

For co-authored manuscripts, the corresponding author is responsible for communicating the withdrawal request to the Editorial Office.

The Editorial Office may request confirmation that the other authors have been informed.

Where a substantive dispute concerning withdrawal arises among co-authors, the Editorial Office may consider the matter in accordance with applicable publication ethics principles.

18. Reasons for Withdrawal

Authors should clearly state the reason for withdrawal.

Reasons may include, for example:

• discovery of a substantial error;
• concerns regarding data or methodology;
• ethical or legal concerns;
• disagreement among authors;
• institutional or other legitimate circumstances;
• the decision to discontinue the submission; or
• concerns regarding the editorial or peer-review process.

Where a withdrawal request raises scientific or ethical concerns, the Editorial Office may conduct or initiate any further assessment considered necessary.

19. Appeal and Withdrawal

Appeal and withdrawal are separate procedures.

An appeal is a reasoned request for reconsideration of an editorial decision.

A withdrawal is a request to discontinue consideration of a manuscript.

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision may use the journal's appeal procedure where applicable. Authors who no longer wish their manuscript to be considered may submit a withdrawal request in accordance with this policy.

20. Editorial Records

ATDD may retain appropriate records concerning withdrawal requests for purposes of transparency, accountability, and proper administration of the editorial process.

Such records may include:

• submission information;
• the date of the withdrawal request;
• the editorial stage reached;
• the stated reason for withdrawal; and
• actions taken by the Editorial Office.

Such records will be maintained with due regard to confidentiality and applicable data protection requirements.

21. Resubmission of a Withdrawn Manuscript

A withdrawn manuscript that is subsequently submitted to ATDD will be treated as a new submission.

The previous submission and its withdrawal history may be taken into consideration where relevant to the editorial assessment.

Repeated unnotified withdrawals or conduct that has substantially disrupted the editorial process may be considered when evaluating a subsequent submission.

22. Consistent Application

This policy applies equally to all authors and manuscripts.

Withdrawal requests are assessed with regard to the stage of the manuscript, the reason provided, the editorial and peer-review work already undertaken, and applicable publication ethics principles.

ATDD is committed to applying this policy consistently, fairly, and without discrimination.

23. Purpose of the Policy

This policy is not intended to prevent authors from exercising their right to withdraw an unpublished manuscript.

Its purpose is to:

• protect the author's right to withdraw;
• ensure timely communication with the Editorial Office;
• protect the academic work of editors and reviewers;
• maintain continuity in editorial and publication planning;
• prevent simultaneous or duplicate submission;
• maintain transparent editorial records; and
• safeguard the integrity and reliability of the scholarly publishing process.

ATDD follows the COPE Core Practices and internationally recognized standards of scholarly publishing in matters concerning manuscript withdrawal and retraction.