Article Withdrawal Request Policy

Global Virology Reports (GVR) is committed to a fair and efficient editorial process. Authors are expected to submit manuscripts that are final and intend to proceed to publication. Withdrawal requests disrupt this process and consume valuable editorial resources. Therefore, withdrawal is only permitted under specific circumstances and according to the following stages of the publication workflow.

Stages of Withdrawal & Procedures

a. Pre-Review Withdrawal (After Submission, Before Peer Review)

·       Policy: Authors may request withdrawal at this stage without penalty, provided the request is made promptly and is justified.

·       Procedure: A formal, written request must be submitted by the corresponding author, stating the specific and compelling reason for withdrawal (e.g., critical error discovered, change in author list requiring re-submission).

b. Post-Review Withdrawal (During Peer Review or After Revision)

·       Policy: Withdrawal at this stage is strongly discouraged after reviewers and editors have invested significant time and effort. Requests will be scrutinized.

·       Procedure: The corresponding author must provide a detailed, compelling, and scientifically valid justification for the withdrawal.

·       Sanctions: Requests motivated by an attempt to avoid addressing critical peer review comments, or to submit to another journal without engaging in necessary revisions, are considered unethical. Such actions may result in sanctions, including a formal ban on submissions from all authors for a period of 12-24 months.

c. Post-Acceptance Withdrawal (After Formal Acceptance, Before Publication)

·       Policy: Withdrawal is prohibited at this stage, as the article is considered part of the formal publication record in its "in press" state.

·       Exceptions: In truly exceptional circumstances (e.g., proven ethical misconduct, legal concerns, irreparable error affecting the entire study), the authors may petition the Editor-in-Chief. The decision to grant a withdrawal is at the sole discretion of the Editor-in-Chief and will typically involve a formal investigation. A "Withdrawal Notice" will be published if granted.

General Provisions

·       All withdrawal requests must be initiated by the corresponding author with the written consent of all co-authors.

·       The journal reserves the right to refuse withdrawal requests that do not comply with this policy.

·       Authors who repeatedly submit and then withdraw manuscripts may be subject to sanctions at the journal's discretion.