HJBHS upholds the highest standards of publication ethics and adheres to international guidelines, including those set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors are expected to follow the procedures outlined below if they wish to withdraw a manuscript during the review or editorial process.

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Ethical Considerations

Manuscripts submitted to HJBHS must not be under consideration by any other journal simultaneously. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals is considered unethical and constitutes a breach of publication ethics.

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Withdrawal Procedure

• Authors who wish to withdraw a manuscript must submit a formal request via email to the editorial office, stating the intention to withdraw the manuscript.
• Upon receipt of the request, the editorial office will provide a Manuscript Withdrawal Form, which must be signed by all listed authors. Electronic signatures are not accepted.
• The completed and scanned form must be returned to the editorial office for processing.

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Confirmation of Withdrawal

• A manuscript is considered officially withdrawn only after the editorial office issues a formal withdrawal confirmation.
• Until this confirmation is received, the manuscript remains under HJBHS’s consideration, and any attempt to submit it elsewhere will be regarded as a breach of publication ethics.

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Exceptions and Editorial Discretion

• In rare cases, the editorial office may deny a withdrawal request if significant resources have already been expended in the peer-review process.
• HJBHS reserves the right to report unethical withdrawal attempts to relevant authorities or professional bodies if necessary.

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