Before acceptance
The corresponding author should provide the manuscript reference, reason for withdrawal, and confirmation that all authors agree. The journal will normally honor a reasonable request after confirming authorship and reviewing any unresolved ethical concern.
After acceptance
Withdrawal after acceptance may disrupt editorial and production work and therefore requires a clear explanation and agreement from all authors. The journal may continue to investigate suspected duplicate submission, authorship dispute, misconduct, or other integrity concerns even when withdrawal is requested.
After publication
A published article cannot be withdrawn as if it had never existed. Errors or integrity concerns are handled through the retraction and correction policy so that the scholarly record remains transparent.
Unauthorized withdrawal
Authors should not treat a submission as withdrawn merely because they sent a request or did not receive an immediate response. Submitting the same manuscript elsewhere before written confirmation may constitute simultaneous submission.