Clinical & Molecular Biomedicine (CMB) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, reliability, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. The journal follows clear procedures for manuscript withdrawal, post-publication corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions.

Withdrawal after submission is treated seriously because it consumes editorial and reviewer time. Authors who wish to withdraw a manuscript must submit a formal written request to the Editorial Office.

The withdrawal request must include:

• A clear explanation for the withdrawal

• Confirmation that all co-authors agree with the withdrawal

• Written confirmation or email approval from all co-authors

Acceptable reasons for withdrawal may include serious errors discovered after submission, ethical concerns, institutional requirements, or legal issues.

CMB may keep an internal record of withdrawals for administrative and ethical tracking. Frequent or last-minute withdrawals without sound scientific justification may be reviewed internally.

After a manuscript has been accepted for publication, withdrawal is permitted only under exceptional circumstances.

Such circumstances may include:

• Discovery of fundamental scientific flaws that invalidate the results

• Evidence of ethical misconduct

• Lack of proper consent or ethical approval

• Legal or copyright issues that cannot be resolved through correction

If serious concerns arise after acceptance but before final publication, CMB reserves the right to pause the publication process and conduct an investigation. Depending on the outcome, the journal may issue a rejection, correction, expression of concern, or other appropriate notice.

Authors are strongly discouraged from withdrawing a manuscript simply to submit it to another journal after receiving peer review feedback from CMB. This practice is considered unethical and may be treated as misuse of editorial and reviewer resources.

After acceptance, manuscripts undergo professional typesetting and proof preparation. Authors will receive proofs for final review.

At the proof stage, authors may correct typographical errors, formatting issues, layout problems, or minor clerical inaccuracies.

Substantial changes are generally not permitted at this stage. These include:

• Adding new data

• Changing results

• Revising conclusions

• Changing the manuscript title without approval

• Changing authorship

Any change that significantly affects the scientific interpretation of the manuscript may require editorial approval or additional review.

Once the article is published online, further corrections can only be made through a formal correction notice.

CMB may issue formal correction notices when errors are identified after publication.

Corrections are used when the published article contains an error that requires clarification or amendment but does not invalidate the main findings of the work.

An Erratum is issued to correct errors introduced during the publication process.

Examples may include:

• Typesetting errors

• Formatting errors

• Production errors

• Errors in author names or affiliations introduced during publication

• Incorrect labeling caused during production

A Corrigendum is issued to correct errors made by the authors.

Examples may include:

• Minor factual errors

• Incorrect author information supplied by the authors

• Incorrect funding information

• Errors in figure or table labels

• Mistakes that do not change the overall conclusions of the article

Corrections, Errata, and Corrigenda are linked to the original article to ensure transparency and accountability.

An Expression of Concern may be issued when serious questions arise about the integrity, reliability, or ethical status of a published article, but the investigation is still ongoing or inconclusive.

An Expression of Concern serves as a formal notice to readers that unresolved concerns exist regarding the published work.

A Retraction is issued when the findings of a published article are proven unreliable or when serious ethical issues invalidate the work.

Reasons for retraction may include:

• Data fabrication or falsification

• Plagiarism

• Major ethical violations

• Unreliable findings due to serious error

• Invalid or unsupported conclusions

• Lack of required ethical approval or consent

• Serious image or dataset manipulation

• Duplicate or redundant publication

Retraction is used to correct the scholarly record, not to punish authors.

Retractions are handled carefully and transparently. When a retraction is required, CMB publishes a formal retraction notice linked to the original article.

The retraction notice should clearly state:

• The reason for retraction

• Who initiated the retraction

• Whether the retraction was initiated by the authors, journal, institution, or another authority

• The scientific or ethical basis for the decision

Retraction notices should focus on the facts of the case and avoid defamatory or unnecessary personal statements.

Retracted articles are not deleted from the journal website or archives. Instead, they remain accessible as part of the scholarly record and are clearly marked as retracted.

Retracted articles may be marked with a visible “RETRACTED” notice or watermark on the article page, PDF, and HTML versions.

Preserving retracted content helps ensure that:

• Readers do not rely on invalid or compromised findings

• The scientific community can understand the reason for the retraction

• Citations remain traceable

• The scholarly record remains transparent and complete

Authors are responsible for promptly notifying the journal if they identify a significant error, inaccuracy, or ethical concern in their published work.

Authors must cooperate with the journal during investigations, correction procedures, or retraction processes.

The Editor-in-Chief, together with the publisher’s research integrity team where appropriate, is responsible for protecting the integrity of the published record.

When credible concerns are raised, the journal may contact the authors for clarification, review the available evidence, and consult institutions, funding agencies, or ethics bodies where necessary.

If compelling evidence of serious misconduct or error is confirmed, the journal will take appropriate action, such as publishing a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other notice.

All corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions are issued to ensure that the scientific literature remains accurate, transparent, and reliable.

CMB is committed to correcting the scholarly record responsibly while preserving fairness, due process, and trust in biomedical research.