The Journal of Early Childhood Education (JAUD) is committed to maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the scholarly record we publish. Therefore, the Article Withdrawal policy is applied very strictly and is only considered under exceptional circumstances. Article withdrawal generally occurs if there is evidence of serious underlying errors in the publication, such as manipulated or fabricated data, proven plagiarism, duplicate publication, or significant breaches of research ethics. Requests for withdrawal by authors after a manuscript has been accepted or published must be accompanied by clear reasons and agreed upon by all contributing authors. JAUD does not support article withdrawal without strong ethical or scientific justifications.
It is crucial to understand that article withdrawal is a serious action with the potential to harm the integrity of the scholarly record. Once an article is published online, it becomes a permanent part of the academic literature. Therefore, if an article must be withdrawn, JAUD will publish an official Withdrawal Notice that links to the original article. The original article may remain available in PDF format but will be clearly marked with a watermark or explicit note indicating that the article has been withdrawn. This aims to ensure full transparency and prevent confusion or the use of invalid data by others in the future.
JAUD encourages authors to thoroughly ensure the accuracy and originality of their manuscripts before submission and during the proofreading process. A withdrawal fee may be imposed in some cases, especially if the withdrawal is requested after the manuscript has passed the final production stage or has been published online, to cover operational costs incurred by the journal. This policy is an integral part of JAUD's commitment to upholding publication ethics, protecting the reputation of both the journal and its authors, and ensuring trust in scientific endeavors. The final decision regarding article withdrawal rests with the editor, who will act in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
