Withdrawal Policy

The Annals of Proteomics and Bioinformatics (APB) is committed to maintaining the integrity and reliability of the scholarly record. This Withdrawal Policy defines the procedures for corrections, retractions, replacements, and withdrawals of articles in compliance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics), ICMJE, and DOAJ publication ethics frameworks.

Withdrawal or retraction actions are taken only when necessary to preserve accuracy, transparency, and trust in the scientific record.

1. Purpose and Scope

This policy applies to all manuscripts published in APB, including research articles, reviews, case reports, and editorials. It covers post-publication actions due to ethical violations, data inaccuracies, copyright issues, or author-initiated withdrawals.

2. Corrections (Errata or Corrigenda)

Minor factual errors that do not affect the research outcomes may be corrected through an Erratum (publisher error) or Corrigendum (author error). Corrections are linked to the original publication and indexed appropriately.

  • Corrections are issued at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief after verification.
  • Authors must clearly indicate the corrected section or figure.
  • Both PDF and HTML versions of the article will be updated to reflect corrections.

3. Retractions

A Retraction is issued when a published article is found to have significant errors, data manipulation, or ethical violations that invalidate its findings. Retractions follow COPE’s Retraction Guidelines and are marked clearly in all databases and article versions.

  • Reasons for retraction may include plagiarism, data fabrication, falsified authorship, or unethical research.
  • Retracted articles remain accessible but are watermarked “Retracted” for transparency.
  • Authors and institutions are informed of retraction decisions in writing.
Note: Retractions are always accompanied by a detailed retraction statement explaining the reason and parties responsible.

4. Replacement of Articles

In rare cases, an article may be replaced if errors are so significant that the study must be corrected entirely while maintaining the scientific record. A new version will be published with a statement linking the previous and current versions.

  • The replacement must undergo peer review before republication.
  • The new version clearly notes the date and reason for replacement.
  • Both versions remain accessible for transparency.

5. Withdrawal Before Publication

Authors may request to withdraw a manuscript during the editorial or peer-review process for valid reasons. Acceptable reasons include technical issues, submission errors, or ethical concerns discovered post-submission.

  • A withdrawal request must be signed by all co-authors and submitted in writing to the editorial office.
  • Once accepted, the editorial team acknowledges and confirms withdrawal via official email.
  • Repeated withdrawals without valid justification may lead to author restrictions on future submissions.

6. Withdrawal After Publication

Post-publication withdrawals are permitted only under exceptional circumstances, such as legal disputes, copyright infringement, or verified ethical breaches.

  • The request must include a formal explanation and supporting evidence.
  • All co-authors and their institutions must provide consent for withdrawal.
  • The withdrawn article will remain in the archive with the notice: “This article has been withdrawn by the authors.”
Withdrawal Charge: A processing fee of USD 249 is applied for post-publication withdrawals to cover indexing, DOI, and archiving costs.

7. Legal and Ethical Withdrawals

Legal withdrawal occurs when an article is subject to court orders, copyright violations, or privacy breaches. In such cases, the article is removed from public access, and a note explaining the legal reason remains visible.

8. Retraction and Withdrawal Workflow

Action Triggered By Reviewed By Outcome
Correction Author/Editor Editor-in-Chief Erratum or Corrigendum issued
Retraction Editor/Institution Editorial Board Retraction notice + article watermark
Replacement Author/Editor Peer reviewers New version published
Withdrawal Author Editorial Board Article marked withdrawn

9. Ethical Oversight and Transparency

All correction and withdrawal activities are documented internally and comply with COPE’s Retraction Guidelines (2019). Notices remain permanently available to ensure a transparent publication record.

10. Appeals and Disputes

Authors have the right to appeal withdrawal or retraction decisions within 30 days of notification. Appeals must be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief and are reviewed by an independent ethics panel.

11. Contact Information

For corrections, withdrawals, or retraction-related queries, contact:

© 2025 Annals of Proteomics and Bioinformatics (APB) · Heighten Sciences Publication Incorporation

Source Reference: Based on COPE Retraction Guidelines (2019), ICMJE Recommendations, and Elsevier Withdrawal Standards.