Once you have submitted your manuscript to a problematic publisher, it can be very difficult to have it withdrawn. Dubious publishers often request withdrawal fees or are non-responsive to author communication.
Below are some best practices for requesting an article retraction and resubmitting that article to a credible journal. Every situation dealing with a problematic publisher will involve different conditions and circumstances that may require adaptation.
NOTE: If you signed an agreement or paid an invoice, you may have signed over your copyright to the publisher, and will have less legal standing to have the article withdrawn.
Contact a librarian if you have questions about meeting the needs of your particular circumstance.
Follow the steps below to request the publisher withdraw your manuscript
If you forfeited your copyright and cannot get the article retracted, you may have to consider your paper lost.
Note: For concerns over the indexing of your work in a problematic journal, most prestigious indexes (ex. MEDLINE, Web of Science) already screen out these journals and it is unlikely a work from such a journal will appear in them.
Below are templates for corresponding with a problematic journal or its editor. The contents should be adjusted to your individual circumstances and needs. If you have co-authors on the publication it's advisable that each co-author send this or a similar message to the journal/editor. It's recommended you save all copies of correspondence with the journal/editor for your records.
Subject: Request to Withdraw Manuscript [TITLE]
Dear EDITOR’S NAME,
I am the first and corresponding author on the manuscript [TITLE] (Reference Number: [NUMBER]) submitted to the journal [JOURNAL NAME]. I am contacting you requesting that you withdraw my manuscript, remove it from your server immediately, and never publish it in the future.
My co-authors and I hold the copyright to this work. None of us have transferred our copyright to [PUBLISHER NAME], and we have not signed a publication agreement that gives you a license to publish our work. Should you publish our work you will be in violation of our copyright.
As the copyright owner, I have no intention of paying a withdrawal or publication fee. You do not have the legal authority to post my manuscript on your website.
Promptly reply via email confirming that you have withdrawn my manuscript, removed it from your server, and will never publish it in the future. If my work remains on your website, I will pursue legal action.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
Subject: Request to Withdraw Manuscript [TITLE]
Dear EDITOR’S NAME,
I am the first and corresponding author on the manuscript [TITLE] (Reference Number: [NUMBER]) submitted to the journal [JOURNAL NAME]. I am contacting you requesting that you withdraw my manuscript, remove it from your server immediately, and never publish it in the future.
I also insist that you return all rights to me and not charge a withdrawal fee.
Promptly reply via email that you have returned my copyright, withdrawn my manuscript, removed it from your server, and will never publish it in the future.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
You may resubmit the same manuscript to a reputable journal under the following conditions:
To resubmit to a new journal:
To learn more about a case from the Committee on Publishing Ethics (COPE) where an author resubmitted an article that was initially submitted to a problematic journal, read the case report below: