Manuscript Withdrawal and Article Retraction Policy and Procedures of Scientia Agricultura Sinica
1. Purpose
To standardize the procedures for manuscript withdrawal, rescission of acceptance, and retraction of published articles; prevent academic misconduct; maintain the academic credibility and integrity of the journal and ensure fairness in scholarly publishing; and protect the legitimate rights and interests of authors, readers, and those involved in the dissemination of scientific research findings, Scientia Agricultura Sinica (hereinafter referred to as "the Journal") has formulated this Policy and Procedures in accordance with the Regulations on the Administration of Publishing, the Rules for the Investigation and Handling of Research Misconduct, the Academic Publishing Standards-Definition of Academic Misconduct for Journals (CY/T 174—2019), and other relevant regulations, taking into account the Journal's actual publishing practices.
2. Scope of Application
This Policy and Procedures applies to all scholarly articles accepted but not yet formally published, as well as those already printed and publicly published in the Journal. It covers all circumstances involving manuscript withdrawal or article retraction, including voluntary withdrawal requests initiated by authors, withdrawals or retractions resulting from investigations conducted by the Editorial Office, retractions following the verification of reports submitted by third parties, and retractions required by competent supervisory authorities.
3. Types of Withdrawal and Retraction
3.1. Voluntary Withdrawal by Authors
A withdrawal request may be accepted when all authors voluntarily agree to withdraw the manuscript and one of the following legitimate circumstances applies:
1. The manuscript contains objective errors unrelated to academic misconduct, such as statistical errors, flaws in experimental design, or errors in mathematical derivations, which affect the principal conclusions and cannot be adequately remedied through revision or correction.
2. Following submission, duplicate or simultaneous submissions to multiple journals are identified. Where the violation is a first offense and was not committed with malicious intent, the authors voluntarily disclose the situation and request withdrawal.
3. The research project has been terminated, the experimental data have become invalid, or the research conclusions have been overturned by subsequent authoritative studies.
4. Other reasonable and objectively justified circumstances for withdrawal that have been reviewed and approved by the Editorial Office.
3.2. Mandatory Withdrawal or Retraction Initiated by the Editorial Office
The Editorial Office may initiate mandatory withdrawal or retraction procedures if any of the following forms of academic misconduct or violations are identified during initial screening, subsequent review, final review, or post-publication investigation:
1. The Editorial Office uses the Academic Misconduct Literature Check System for Scientific and Technical Journals (AMLC, https://check.cnki.net/amlc/) provided by China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) to screen submitted manuscripts. Where plagiarism, data falsification or fabrication, fabrication of research findings, or other forms of academic misconduct are confirmed through similarity screening and manual verification;
2. Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals, duplicate publication, or publication that infringes upon the rights of others.
3. Failure to obtain the necessary authorization for experiments, ethical approval, or informed consent for the core research presented in the article, in violation of research ethics requirements.
4. Fabrication, improper splicing, or misappropriation of data, figures, tables, or images, resulting in research conclusions that are invalid or irreproducible.
5. Falsification of citations or references, misrepresentation of research funding, or provision of false authorship information.
6. Inclusion of confidential information, statements that violate applicable regulations, or falsified research findings, in violation of national regulations governing publishing and scientific research.
7. Other forms of academic misconduct or violations of research ethics.
3.3. Retraction Following Reports or Complaints
1. Where the Editorial Office receives information concerning potential problems with a published article from readers, research institutions, relevant organizations, or individuals, and subsequent investigation confirms the validity of the report and establishes grounds for retraction.
2. Where a formal written notice requiring retraction is issued by a competent press and publication authority, a research integrity management authority, a university, or a research institution.
4. Responsibilities and Organizational Structure for Handling Withdrawal and Retraction
1. Editorial Office: Responsible for receiving withdrawal requests, conducting preliminary investigations, collecting relevant documentation, monitoring procedural progress, publicly announcing decisions, maintaining records, and performing the necessary operations in the manuscript management system.
2. Editorial Board: Responsible for conducting professional assessments of academic issues associated with manuscripts or published articles and providing formal academic evaluations and opinions.
3. Chair of the Editorial Board: Responsible for approving major withdrawal or retraction decisions and adjudicating disputed matters.
4. Academic Arbitration Panel: Responsible for organizing expert reassessments and arbitration in cases involving major disputes or complex allegations of academic misconduct, and issuing final academic opinions.
5. Withdrawal and Retraction Procedures
5.1. Procedure for Voluntary Withdrawal by Authors
1. The authors must submit a formal written withdrawal request bearing the official seal of the corresponding author's affiliated institution. The request must clearly state the reasons and justification for withdrawal and provide an explanation of the relevant responsibilities. It must be signed and confirmed by all authors and accompanied by supporting documentation.
2. Within three working days of receiving all required materials, the Editorial Office shall complete a preliminary investigation to verify submission records, peer-review records, manuscript status, and the authenticity of author information.
3. If the investigation identifies no objections and the request meets the conditions for withdrawal, the case shall be submitted to the Editorial Board for further review. If the request does not meet the applicable conditions, the Editorial Office shall provide the authors with a written response explaining the reasons for rejection.
5.2. Procedure for Non-voluntary Withdrawal or Retraction (Internal Investigation, Reports, or Supervisory Directives)
1. Upon receiving information concerning potential problems, formal reports or complaints, or supervisory directives from higher authorities, the Editorial Office shall register and document the case and initiate a preliminary investigation within two working days.
2. The Editorial Office shall retrieve all relevant peer-review records, original manuscript files, and revision records; contact the authors to verify the circumstances; and collect supporting evidence, explanations from the authors, and documentation provided by their affiliated institutions.
3. The Editorial Office shall prepare a Preliminary Investigation Report on Issues Identified in the Manuscript or Article and submit it to the Editorial Board for review.
6. Implementation of Withdrawal and Retraction Decisions
1. Following approval of a withdrawal or retraction decision, the Editorial Office shall notify the authors in writing within three working days, specifying the decision, its effective date, and any subsequent requirements.
2. For manuscripts that have been accepted but not yet published, acceptance shall be rescinded, the publication process shall be terminated, and an internal withdrawal record shall be issued. For formally published articles, a retraction notice shall be published on the Journal's official website and relevant indexing platforms. The notice shall clearly identify the article title, authors, volume, issue, page numbers, DOI, reasons for retraction, and date of retraction.
3. Retraction notices shall remain permanently accessible and be publicly linked to the corresponding original articles. All relevant materials, including withdrawal requests, investigation reports, expert opinions, approval documents, retraction notices, and communication records, shall be systematically archived and permanently retained to ensure traceability in matters of academic integrity.
7. Accountability and Sanctions for Violations
1. Unintentional errors and voluntarily disclosed withdrawals: No penalties or accountability measures shall be imposed. The case shall be documented solely for manuscript recordkeeping purposes and shall not be entered into records of academic misconduct.
2. Minor violations resulting in withdrawal or retraction following an investigation: The authors shall receive a written warning and may be temporarily prohibited from submitting manuscripts to the Journal through inclusion on its submission blacklist.
3. Intentional academic misconduct, including data fabrication, plagiarism, and deliberate simultaneous submission to multiple journals: The authors shall be permanently prohibited from submitting manuscripts to the Journal and placed on its permanent submission blacklist. Their affiliated institutions shall be notified, and the misconduct shall be reported to the relevant research integrity management authorities in accordance with applicable regulations and entered into research integrity records. In serious cases, legal liability relating to publication shall be pursued in accordance with the law.
This Policy and Procedures shall be reviewed and updated as appropriate in accordance with national publishing policies and regulations governing research integrity.