When you initiate your online research publication process, your primary goal is to get this research published. Withdrawal is the last thing you will want for your research. After all, withdrawing your paper means that you no longer want the paper to be published by the journal. It may appear counter-intuitive, but many situations demand writing a withdrawal letter.
If you are wondering about the reasons that may prompt a researcher to withdraw his work, this blog post will educate you on that. Also, it will tell you what you need to consider and how to write a letter if you want to retract your submission.
What is a Withdrawal Letter?
A withdrawal letter is a piece of conversation that you may or may not have with an editor of the journal to which you have submitted your research paper. The purpose of this letter is to ask the editor to not consider the manuscript for publishing. You must give the details of the journal article you are referring to including its title, authors’ names, and the reference number you received from the journal upon submission.
This letter must also include the reason that has prompted you to withdraw your submission. Remember that researchers are not the only ones who work hard to bring a piece of research into the spotlight. Many others also contribute to its success. These include the journal editors and reviewers. You wouldn’t want to waste their precious time on a research paper you never want to publish.
That said, you cannot give weak excuses like a change of mind to withdraw your research. This letter must be supported by strong reasons if you don’t want to face consequences.
Compelling Reasons for Withdrawal Letter
As understood, publishing online research is a serious business. You must thoughtfully consider the journal to which you want to publish your work before submitting it. Also, you must not retract your article without a compelling reason. Thoughtless removal of your research costs editors and reviewers their valuable time and they may not like it.
Here are a few reasons that warrant you to ask for withdrawal. Again, if you are forced to withdraw your research because of any of the following reasons, make sure to inform the editor promptly to limit the time they spend on reviewing it.
Error in Your Submission
Everyone makes mistakes, but only those are capable of correcting their mistakes who have identified them. If you failed to detect some significant mistakes in your manuscript before submitting it, you should correct them promptly as soon as you identify them. To do so, you must withdraw the manuscript using a withdrawal letter.
Delayed Publication
Journals are notorious for taking time before processing research paper submissions. For many journals, the standard minimum time between submission and publishing is six weeks. However, it can extend depending on the circumstances of the individual journal as well as the length and complexity of the research paper. However, only a few journals go past the 20-week mark to publish their research.
When you submit your research paper, you must make peace with a long wait time. Yet, when your submission ages 20 weeks without a response, you are allowed to decide on its future. Note that if you are going to and fro with the editors and reviewers for revision purposes, you may want to wait longer. Once you have decided that the journal has taken longer than usual to respond to your paper, you can decide to wait longer, request an update, or send the withdrawal letter.
Duplicate Submissions
Another reason that permits the withdrawal of your paper from the journal is duplicate submission. If you or your co-author has mistakenly submitted the paper to more than one journal, you must retract one submission. It’s ethically wrong to submit one study to more than one journal. You should take care not to make this mistake intentionally.
Also, promptly retract your submission as soon as you come to know of this issue. If such a situation arises, you must inform both journals involved.
Submission in Predatory Journal
You have worked hard to conduct your research and have high hopes for its success and reach. You want to present it in front of the right audiences to foster more development based on it. Considering this dedication to your work, it’s understandable that you don’t want to fall prey to predatory journals. These journals don’t have enough reach and sometimes charge a publication fee from the authors.
Only those authors who want to get published without creating value in the research and development industry want to get published in these journals. Most scholars don’t consider these journals credible. Publishing in these journals wouldn’t expose your work to relevant authorities. If you think that you have mistakenly selected the wrong journal for your work, you can use the withdrawal letter to retract your paper.
Possibility of Better Publication
Another reason that prompts some researchers to withdraw their research paper from a journal is that they think low of that journal. It doesn’t mean that the said journal isn’t credible enough. Instead, the researcher has eyes for a better journal that offers a wider reach or more relevant reach.
Note that withdrawing your research only because you want it to get published in a more renowned journal is ethically wrong. You should think about your journal choice carefully before submitting it and stick to it even after submission. Don’t waste the precious time of editors and reviewers of smaller journals only because you are targeting a bigger one.
If you choose to withdraw your research because of this purpose, be ready for the consequences. The journal can decide to ban you from publishing in their periodical forever.
How to Send a Withdrawal Letter?
To send a withdrawal letter, you must visit the website of the said journal or use the editor’s contact. Conversing through the website is fast and you want to ensure your message is delivered promptly to save the editor’s time. In short, you are advised to use email to send the withdrawal letter.
Wrapping Up
Withdrawal letter often becomes a necessary part of your communication with the journal editor when you submit your paper. It’s not an anticipated piece of conversation and must be dealt with carefully. The first and most important rule of sending a withdrawal letter is doing it promptly. You wouldn’t want to let the editor be busy on a paper they will never publish. Also, make sure you are sending the withdrawal letter for the right reason. Note that withdrawing your research without a compelling reason will discredit your past and future contributions to the said journal.
