The Journal of Decision Support Systems and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (JODESMA) distinguishes between the withdrawal of an unpublished manuscript and the handling of an article that has already been formally published.

Authors may request withdrawal before publication when there is a legitimate reason to discontinue the editorial process. Once an article has been formally published and becomes part of the scholarly record, it should not ordinarily be removed through the standard manuscript withdrawal process.

Authors may request the withdrawal of a manuscript before publication by submitting a written request to the Editorial Office of the Journal of Decision Support Systems and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (JODESMA).

A withdrawal request should include:

• Manuscript title.
• Manuscript identification number.
• Names of all authors.
• Name and contact details of the corresponding author.
• A clear reason for withdrawal.
• Confirmation, where applicable, that all co-authors agree to the request.

The withdrawal will be considered effective only after the Editorial Office has reviewed and confirmed the request.

Withdrawal may be considered when legitimate circumstances make it inappropriate or impractical to continue processing a manuscript. Such circumstances may include:

• Substantial errors identified before publication.
• Inability to complete necessary revisions.
• Authorship disputes that require resolution.
• Ethical concerns affecting the manuscript.
• Legal, copyright, or permissions issues.
• Discovery that the manuscript has been submitted to or accepted by another journal.
• Other documented circumstances that make continued editorial processing inappropriate.

Authors may request withdrawal while a manuscript is undergoing editorial assessment or peer review. The Editorial Office will consider the request in light of the manuscript's current status and any relevant publication ethics concerns.

If there are credible indications of duplicate submission, plagiarism, fabricated data, authorship disputes, or other serious concerns, the journal may assess those issues before confirming withdrawal.

A manuscript that has been accepted but has not yet been formally published may be withdrawn when there is a legitimate and documented reason.

Acceptance does not automatically exempt a withdrawal request from editorial consideration. The journal may review the circumstances, the status of the production process, and any outstanding ethical or administrative matters before confirming withdrawal.

Authors should contact the Editorial Office promptly if they wish to withdraw an accepted manuscript.

Where a withdrawal request involves suspected research or publication misconduct, the journal may assess the concern before confirming withdrawal.

The Editorial Office may request explanations or supporting documentation from the authors and, where appropriate, communicate with relevant institutions or other competent bodies.

Withdrawal will not be used to prevent the journal from assessing credible concerns about research integrity or publication ethics.

Once an article has been formally published and assigned its publication record and DOI, it ordinarily remains part of the journal's scholarly archive.

Concerns arising after publication will be handled under the relevant post-publication policies of the Journal of Decision Support Systems and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (JODESMA), rather than through the ordinary withdrawal procedure.

Where an accepted manuscript has been publicly posted or otherwise made available before formal publication, the journal may retain an appropriate bibliographic record indicating that the manuscript has been withdrawn.

Where appropriate, the record may identify:

• The manuscript title.
• The authors.
• The manuscript identification number or DOI, if applicable.
• The date of withdrawal.
• A general explanation for the withdrawal, where disclosure is appropriate.

The journal will avoid unnecessarily disclosing confidential, personal, or legally protected information.

Withdrawal does not automatically eliminate legitimate financial obligations that may already have arisen under the journal's applicable publication policies.

Any financial matter will be assessed separately from editorial decisions and research integrity concerns. Applicable fees, waivers, or other arrangements will be handled according to the journal's published policies.

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to another journal while it remains under active consideration by the Journal of Decision Support Systems and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (JODESMA).

Authors who intend to submit the manuscript elsewhere must first obtain confirmation that withdrawal has been completed, unless the journal has explicitly agreed to another arrangement.