Q: Can I withdraw my paper after reviewers have been assigned?
Hi, I'm currently submitting my paper to an SCI journal. The submission status shows "reviewers assigned." Can I withdraw my paper at this stage and submit to another journal? Thank you.
Usually, it is against publication best practices to withdraw a manuscript at an advanced stage, after it has been peer reviewed. However, since your paper is not yet under review, it should not be a problem to withdraw it at this stage. You should send the withdrawal email as quickly as possible, before the peer review of your manuscript starts. Make sure to check the withdrawal policy of your journal before you send the withdrawal letter. Additionally, do not submit your manuscript to another journal until you get a confirmation of withdrawal from the editor as this could be considered as duplicate or concurrent submission.
This content belongs to the Journal submission & peer review Stage