• Authors may request the withdrawal of a manuscript while it is under editorial or peer-review consideration and before its final publication.
• A withdrawal request must be submitted to the Editorial Office by the corresponding author and should clearly state the reason for withdrawal.
• The journal may accept the withdrawal when there is a legitimate reason. However, authors should not withdraw a manuscript in order to submit or publish the same work simultaneously in another journal.

• An author may contact the Editorial Office and request withdrawal or retraction of a published article when there are legitimate and substantial grounds affecting the reliability, integrity, or ethical status of the publication.
• Such a request will be evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief in accordance with this policy and applicable publication-ethics standards.
• The final decision concerning the correction, retraction, or continued publication of a published article rests with the journal, not with the author alone.

Depending on the nature and significance of the error, the journal may publish:

• a correction notice (Corrigendum or Erratum);
• a corrected version of the article, where appropriate; or
• another editorial notice explaining the correction.

An article may be considered for retraction when there is clear evidence of one or more of the following:

• Major errors in data, analysis, calculations, methodology, or interpretation that invalidate the findings or conclusions.
• Fabrication or falsification of data.
• Plagiarism or substantial unattributed use of another person's work.
• Duplicate or redundant publication.
• Serious ethical violations in the conduct of the research.
• Use of data or material without the necessary authorization.
• Serious manipulation or compromise of the peer-review or publication process.
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the interpretation or reliability of the work.
• Serious authorship or identity-related misconduct where it compromises the integrity of the publication.
• Any other circumstance in which the Editor-in-Chief determines that the article's findings or conclusions cannot be relied upon.

• Authors may request the retraction of their published article if they identify a legitimate reason that materially affects the reliability or integrity of the publication.
• The request must explain the reason for retraction and, where appropriate, provide supporting evidence.
• An author's request for retraction does not automatically result in retraction. The Editor-in-Chief shall independently assess the request and determine the appropriate editorial action.
• Where the evidence demonstrates that the article is unreliable, the journal may proceed with retraction even if not all authors agree. Conversely, where the article remains reliable and no legitimate basis for retraction exists, the journal may decline the request.

When an article is retracted, the original article should remain part of the scholarly record whenever technically and ethically appropriate, but it should be clearly marked as "Retracted."

A separate retraction notice shall be published and permanently linked to the original article. The retraction notice should:

• clearly identify the retracted article;
• provide the article title, authors, and bibliographic information;
• state the reason(s) for retraction;
• indicate who initiated the retraction, where appropriate; and
• remain freely accessible and permanently linked to the original publication.

An Expression of Concern may be appropriate when:

• an investigation into potential misconduct is incomplete;
• available evidence is inconclusive;
• relevant information cannot yet be independently verified; or
• the journal considers that readers should be alerted to a significant unresolved concern.

• An authorship dispute alone does not normally constitute grounds for retracting an otherwise reliable article.
• Where the scientific validity of the article is not in question, the journal may consider correcting the authorship or contributor information when appropriate documentary evidence or agreement from the relevant parties or institutions is provided.
• The journal does not normally adjudicate complex authorship disputes and may refer such matters to the relevant institution or competent authority.