Withdrawal Policy

The Pakistan Journal of Clinical Research (PJCR) enforces a clear manuscript withdrawal policy to preserve the stability of the academic record, maintain publication transparency, and uphold the highest ethical standards of scientific literature. Authors are expected to deeply evaluate their research, data accuracy, and co-author consensus prior to initial submission, as premature or unjustified withdrawals consume valuable editorial and volunteer peer-review resources.

 Pre-Publication Withdrawal Framework and Procedures

Authors retain the right to formally withdraw a manuscript without penalty at any stage during the peer-review process prior to official editorial acceptance. A formal withdrawal request must be submitted in writing by the corresponding author exclusively from their registered email address, detailing the unique manuscript ID, complete article title, full list of contributing authors, and a comprehensive justification for the action. The editorial board evaluates each request on a case-by-case basis to verify legitimacy. Authors must wait for an official, written confirmation of withdrawal from the editorial office before submitting the manuscript to any other journal, as concurrent submissions violate international publication ethics.

Post-Acceptance Constraints and Exceptional Circumstances

Once a manuscript has successfully completed peer review and received a formal editorial acceptance, requests for withdrawal are strictly limited and permitted only under exceptional, unpreventable circumstances. Legitimate grounds for post-acceptance withdrawal include the sudden discovery of irreproducible scientific errors, uncorrectable flaws in data analysis, or newly identified institutional and funding conflicts that cannot be resolved through an erratum notice. All such requests must be accompanied by verified official documentation from an institutional oversight body or research supervisor, and the final decision to approve the manuscript release rests solely with the Editor-in-Chief.

Post-Publication Integrity and Retraction Protocol

Following digital publication and the assignment of a permanent Crossref Digital Object Identifier (DOI), an article becomes an unalterable part of the public scientific record and can no longer be withdrawn or deleted from the journal website. If severe data fabrication, plagiarism, ethical violations, or fundamental research misconduct are discovered post-publication, the journal will initiate formal retraction protocols rather than a withdrawal. PJCR strictly adheres to the systematic guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when handling retractions, executing a transparent investigation and publishing a public, cross-linked Retraction Notice to maintain metadata accountability and protect global clinical research integrity.