Article Withdrawal Policy

The International Journal of Natural Medicine and Health Sciences (IJNMHS) adheres to the principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and Open Journal Systems (OJS) to ensure integrity, transparency, and responsible scholarly publishing.

1. Withdrawal Before Peer Review

Authors may request withdrawal of their manuscript only during the initial editorial assessment (desk review) and before the commencement of scientific peer review.
Such requests must be submitted in writing by the corresponding author, stating a valid reason for withdrawal.

2. Withdrawal After Peer Review or Acceptance

In accordance with COPE ethical guidelines, withdrawal of a manuscript is not permitted once:

  • The manuscript has entered scientific peer review, and/or

  • A decision of acceptance has been issued.

At these stages, the manuscript is considered an active part of the scholarly record, and withdrawal would constitute a misuse of editorial and reviewer resources.

3. Ethical Compliance

Requests for withdrawal after peer review or acceptance may be regarded as unethical publishing behavior, particularly if linked to:

  • Simultaneous or duplicate submission

  • Attempts to avoid revision or publication responsibilities

Such cases may be handled in line with COPE flowcharts and may result in:

  • Rejection of the manuscript

  • Restrictions on future submissions

  • Notification to the authors’ institutions, where appropriate

4. Exceptional Circumstances

In rare cases involving serious ethical concerns, major methodological errors, or research integrity issues, the Editorial Board may consider withdrawal requests on a case-by-case basis, following COPE recommendations.

5. Author Agreement

By submitting a manuscript to IJNMHS, authors confirm that they:

  • Have read and understood this withdrawal policy

  • Agree not to submit the manuscript elsewhere while it is under review or after acceptance