Avoiding Problematic Publishers

Once you have submitted your manuscript to a problematic publisher, it can be very difficult to have it withdrawn.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you may have signed over your copyright to the publisher, and will have less legal standing to have the article withdrawn.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

1. Each co-author of a work should individually contact the the publisher, the journal's Editor-in-Chief, members of the journal's editorial board, and any known peer reviewers to request the article's retraction.
   1. If you signed a publishing agreement insist that the editor return all rights to you.
   2. Contact individuals directly via email, phone, and/or certified mail. 
   3. Use the templates at the bottom of the page as a starting point for what to send to a problematic publisher/journal.
2. Do not sign any new agreements with the publisher.
3. We do not recommend paying any withdrawal fees as it does not guarantee your copyright will be returned to you.
   1. If you decide to pay a withdrawal fee, ensure you have written confirmation from the publisher prior to payment that they are returning your copyright to you, removing your article from the journal's server, and will not post your article to their website in the future.
   2. They may still keep your copyright but having the terms of withdrawal payment in writing gives you some legal leverage. 
4. Save all copies of your correspondence, any signed agreements, and invoices paid to the publisher or journal. 

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.

You Have Not Signed a Copyright Agreement

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

You Signed a Copyright Agreement

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:

• you have not signed an agreement forfeiting your copyright 
• you have not paid the journal to publish your article
• you have not signed an exclusivity agreement
• the publisher agreed to withdraw your submission from the publication pipeline
• the publisher agreed to return your copyright (if a transfer agreement was originally signed)
• the publisher removed your paper from their website

To resubmit to a new journal:

1. Work with a librarian to identify a reputable journal for resubmitting your work.
2. When submitting to a new journal, summarize the situation to be transparent. 

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: