Article Withdrawal, Removal and Replacement Policy

1. Purpose & scope

APALM maintains the integrity of the scholarly record by applying clear, transparent procedures when articles require changes before or after publication. This page defines pre-publication withdrawal, post-publication updates (corrections, expressions of concern, retractions), rare article removal for legal/health-risk reasons, and retraction with replacement. Our approach follows COPE guidance and the Principles of Transparency & Best Practice (COJE/DOAJ/OASPA/WAME).

2. Definitions (plain language)

  • Withdrawal (pre-publication): stopping editorial processing before the Version of Record (VoR) is published.

  • Correction (post-publication): fixes that do not invalidate the findings (e.g., factual/metadata errors).

  • Expression of Concern (EoC): a temporary notice to alert readers while a serious investigation is ongoing or inconclusive. 

  • Retraction: issued when findings are unreliable (through honest error or misconduct), for redundant publication, plagiarism, or unethical research. Notices are public, linked, and permanent. 

  • Removal: exceptional removal of the article text for legal/privacy orders, defamation, or serious public-health risk; metadata remains with a public notice. 

  • Retraction with Replacement: rare “retract & replace” when pervasive honest errors require a fully corrected article; both the retraction notice and corrected article are interlinked.

3. Pre-publication withdrawal (before VoR)

3.1 How to request

  • The corresponding author must email the editorial office a withdrawal request application (signed by all authors) stating the reason.

  • We confirm receipt and issue a written decision. Processing stops only when APALM sends a withdrawal confirmation.

3.2 Acceptable reasons

Major, substantiated issues (e.g., discovered methodological error; missing required ethics approval/consent; author list dispute requiring institutional mediation). It is unacceptable to request withdrawal simply to submit or publish elsewhere or due to parallel/simultaneous submission. Editors may decline a withdrawal request that appears to facilitate duplicate or competing submission and may inform institutions/funders in serious cases.

3.3 Fees & records

  • APALM does not charge submission fees; APCs apply only after acceptance. If a manuscript is withdrawn before publication, no APC is due. (See APC page for details.)

  • The submission and editorial correspondence remain in our records for research-integrity auditing.

4. Post-publication: how APALM updates the record

4.1 Corrections (errata/corrigenda)

For errors that do not invalidate the conclusions, APALM publishes a free-to-read correction notice that clearly links to the article and explains what changed. 

4.2 Expressions of Concern

If serious concerns exist but the evidence is incomplete or an investigation is ongoing, APALM may issue an Expression of Concern to alert readers. The EoC is linked to the article and updated or replaced when the investigation concludes.

4.3 Retractions

Retractions are issued when results are unreliable (honest error or misconduct), for plagiarism, unethical research, or redundant publication. Retraction notices:

  • are clearly labeled and freely accessible;

  • identify the article (title, authors, DOI) and state who is retracting and why;

  • link bidirectionally to the affected article; and

  • appear in indexing/metadata so readers are alerted. 

Display standard: the online article remains accessible to preserve the record; the PDF is watermarked “Retracted” on every page and the HTML version may be replaced with a retraction screen that links to the notice and PDF.

4.4 Retraction with replacement (rare)

When pervasive honest errors change the direction or significance of results but a complete, verified correction is available, APALM may retract and replace: publish a retraction-and-replacement notice (with authors’ explanation), link the original and corrected versions, and mark the corrected article prominently as a replacement.

4.5 Removal (legal or safety exceptions)

APALM removes article text only for court orders, defamation, serious privacy breaches, or where following the article could pose an immediate health risk. In such cases, the metadata (title, authors, DOI) remains openly available with a screen stating the reason for removal. 

5. Who can request actions & how decisions are made

Requests may come from authors, readers, institutions, or the journal. Editors evaluate requests against COPE guidance and journal policies, may seek independent advice or consult authors’ institutions/funders, and will act to correct the record promptly. Retractions and removals are editorial decisions. 

6. Sanctions & notifications

APALM may decline future submissions for a defined period and/or notify institutions/funders in cases of proven misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, duplicate submission, falsification). Retractions and corrections are not punishments; they exist to protect the literature.

7. APCs and refunds (for clarity)

APCs are charged only upon acceptance. If a published article is later corrected or retracted, APCs are not refunded, except when the journal is at fault (see APC & Refunds). Withdrawal before publication does not incur APCs. (See APC & Waiver Policy ).

8. Notices, indexing & preservation

All notices (corrections, EoCs, retractions) are openly accessible, linked to the article, and registered in the article’s metadata/DOI to support indexing and discovery. Watermarked PDFs preserve the historical record; notices appear in the table of contents. (Industry display standards align with publisher policies and COPE.)