Retraction and Withdrawal Policy

Retraction

Suhuf may retract a published article when there is clear evidence that:

  1. The findings are unreliable because of research misconduct, such as data fabrication or falsification, or an unintentional error, such as a calculation or methodological error.
  2. The findings have previously been published elsewhere without appropriate citation, authorization, or valid justification, constituting redundant or duplicate publication.
  3. The article contains plagiarism.
  4. The research was conducted or reported in violation of applicable ethical standards.

Retraction procedures follow the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

The retraction process is conducted as follows:

  1. Any concern indicating that an article may require retraction is submitted to the Editor.
  2. The Editor conducts a preliminary assessment and follows the relevant COPE procedures, including requesting clarification or a formal response from the author.
  3. After evaluating the available evidence and the author’s response, the Editor makes the final decision.
  4. The decision is communicated to the author and, where necessary, to relevant parties, such as the author’s institution or research ethics committee.
  5. A formal retraction notice is published on the journal’s website and in the next available issue. The original article remains accessible but is clearly identified as retracted to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Authors’ copyright ownership does not automatically grant them the right to remove or retract a published article. Retraction decisions are based on the integrity of the scholarly record and the applicable COPE guidelines.

Withdrawal

Authors are strongly discouraged from withdrawing a manuscript after it has entered editorial assessment or peer review, as its processing requires considerable time and resources from editors, reviewers, and the publisher. Authors should therefore carefully consider their decision before submitting a manuscript to Suhuf.

The following provisions apply:

  1. A withdrawal request submitted while the manuscript is undergoing peer review may be subject to an administrative fee of USD 200.
  2. A withdrawal request submitted after the manuscript has been formally accepted for publication may be subject to an administrative fee of USD 300.
  3. Failure to comply with the applicable withdrawal requirements may result in a restriction on future submissions for up to three years. Any restriction shall apply only to the author or authors who are demonstrably responsible for the withdrawal or related non-compliance. It shall not automatically be imposed on other co-authors or members of the authors’ institutional affiliation who were not involved.
  4. Before imposing a submission restriction, the Editor shall notify the responsible author or authors and provide them with a reasonable opportunity to submit an explanation.
  5. A withdrawal request must be submitted through a formal letter signed by the corresponding author on behalf of all authors and must clearly state the reasons for withdrawal.
  6. A manuscript shall not be considered withdrawn until the Editor-in-Chief has issued written confirmation.
  7. The Editor may waive the administrative fee or submission restriction where withdrawal is justified by serious ethical concerns, duplicate submission discovered in good faith, legal requirements, documented emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances.

This policy is intended to protect the integrity and resources of the editorial process. It shall not be used to impose collective sanctions on an institution or on individuals who were not responsible for the withdrawal.