Golden Ratio of Human Resource Management

Manuscript Withdrawal, Correction and Retraction Policy

Golden Ratio recognizes that authors may request the withdrawal of a manuscript before publication. The journal also maintains procedures for correcting, addressing concerns about, or retracting published articles when necessary to preserve the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record.

Manuscript Processing Before Peer Review

Following submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial editorial assessment to determine whether it meets the journal's scope, basic academic requirements, submission requirements, and initial publication standards. Where a manuscript passes the initial editorial assessment, Golden Ratio issues an invoice for the applicable processing fee to the submitting author. The manuscript proceeds to the next stage after the required payment has been confirmed.

Following confirmation of payment, Golden Ratio issues a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) through its official editorial system. The LOA confirms that the manuscript has passed the initial editorial assessment, that the applicable processing fee has been received, and that the manuscript has formally entered the journal's editorial and peer-review process.

The LOA represents a formal commitment between Golden Ratio and the author to continue the manuscript through the established editorial and publication process toward the publication schedule communicated by the journal, subject to the author's continued fulfillment of the academic, editorial, and publication requirements.

Following the issuance of the LOA, the manuscript proceeds to peer review and subsequent editorial processing. The author is expected to address the substantive comments and recommendations provided by reviewers and editors and to revise the manuscript in accordance with the journal's academic, writing, ethical, and publication-quality requirements. Where the author fulfills the required revisions and remains cooperative throughout the editorial process, Golden Ratio will proceed with the manuscript toward publication in accordance with the applicable publication schedule.

The commitment represented by the LOA does not prevent Golden Ratio from taking appropriate action where serious concerns arise regarding research integrity, publication ethics, authorship, originality, or other matters that materially affect the reliability or integrity of the manuscript.

Withdrawal Before Publication

Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript at any stage before its online publication. Withdrawal requests must be submitted through the author's OJS account using the discussion or designated communication function associated with the manuscript. The request must clearly identify the manuscript and provide a brief explanation of the reason for withdrawal. For co-authored manuscripts, the submitting author is expected to communicate the withdrawal request to the other authors and confirm that the request has been made with their knowledge. Until the journal formally confirms the withdrawal, the manuscript remains active in the journal's editorial record.

Withdrawal After Payment and LOA Issuance

An author may request withdrawal after payment has been made and an LOA has been issued, provided that the manuscript has not yet been formally published. A withdrawal request submitted after payment and LOA issuance will be considered valid once the author has followed the official withdrawal procedure and Golden Ratio has formally recorded and confirmed the withdrawal. However, the processing fee paid before the withdrawal remains non-refundable once payment has been confirmed and the LOA has been issued.

The non-refundable status reflects the formal commencement of the journal's editorial and peer-review processing and the resources committed to the manuscript, including administrative processing, issuance of the LOA, peer-review coordination, editorial assessment, and subsequent publication processing.

The non-refundable provision does not prevent an author from requesting withdrawal before publication. It defines the financial consequence of withdrawal after the manuscript has entered the formal editorial and peer-review stage. All applicable fees and their refund conditions are disclosed clearly on the journal's website before submission and payment.

Peer Review and Author Responsibilities

Following the issuance of the LOA, the manuscript enters the journal's peer-review and editorial process. Authors are expected to respond appropriately to reviewer and editor comments, provide revisions when requested, clarify issues raised during the review process, and ensure that the revised manuscript complies with the journal's academic, writing, ethical, and publication-quality requirements. The publication schedule communicated by Golden Ratio is based on the expected progression of the manuscript through the editorial and publication process. The schedule may depend on reviewer availability, editorial assessment, author responsiveness, the quality and completeness of revisions, and completion of the required publication stages. Where the author fulfills the required conditions and cooperates throughout the publication process, Golden Ratio will proceed with the manuscript in accordance with the applicable publication schedule.

Simultaneous Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to another journal while the manuscript remains under active consideration or processing by Golden Ratio. Authors who decide to pursue publication elsewhere should first submit an official withdrawal request to Golden Ratio and wait for formal confirmation of withdrawal before submitting the manuscript to another journal. Where simultaneous submission is identified, Golden Ratio may request clarification from the authors and review the circumstances in accordance with its Publication Ethics Policy. Simultaneous submission or deliberate misrepresentation of a manuscript's publication status may be treated as a publication ethics concern.

Misuse of Editorial Documents

The LOA issued by Golden Ratio is an official editorial document confirming the manuscript's status within the journal's publication process. The LOA confirms the journal's commitment to continue processing the manuscript toward publication, subject to the author's fulfillment of the required academic, editorial, ethical, and publication standards. An LOA must not be represented as evidence that the article has already been published or as authorization to misrepresent the manuscript's publication status to another journal, institution, organization, or third party. Where there is evidence of deliberate misrepresentation, fraudulent use, or other serious misuse of an LOA or other official editorial document, Golden Ratio may review the matter under its Publication Ethics Policy.

Official Withdrawal Procedure

Withdrawal requests must be submitted through the manuscript's OJS discussion or designated communication channel to ensure proper verification and record keeping.

The request should contain the following information:

Author(s): [Full Name]
Affiliation: [Institution / University]
City and Country: [City, Country]
Manuscript ID: [Submission ID]
Manuscript Title: [Full Title]
Reason for Withdrawal: [Brief Explanation]

Requests received through other communication channels may be redirected to the official OJS procedure so that the request can be properly verified and recorded.

Co-Author Disagreement

Where authors disagree about a withdrawal request, Golden Ratio may seek clarification from the authors and, where appropriate, relevant institutional representatives before confirming the withdrawal. The journal may request appropriate documentation where necessary to establish the authors' position regarding the withdrawal.

Articles Already Published

Once an article has been formally published online, it forms part of the journal's permanent scholarly record and is no longer handled through the ordinary manuscript withdrawal procedure. Concerns relating to a published article, including errors, authorship, originality, research integrity, ethical conduct, or other substantive matters, will be assessed through the journal's post-publication procedures.

Corrections

Golden Ratio may publish a correction when a published article contains an error, omission, or other issue that can be corrected without undermining the overall reliability of the published work. Corrections will be clearly identified, linked to the original article, and documented in a manner that preserves the traceability of the scholarly record. Where an issue substantially affects the reliability, validity, or interpretation of the published work, the journal will assess whether retraction or another appropriate post-publication action is necessary.

Expression of Concern

Where a substantive concern has been raised about a published article but the available evidence is not yet sufficient to support a correction or retraction, Golden Ratio may publish an Expression of Concern. The notice may remain in place while the journal conducts further assessment or while a relevant institutional or other appropriate investigation is ongoing. The notice will be linked to the affected article and may be followed by a correction, retraction, or other appropriate editorial action when sufficient evidence becomes available.

Retractions

A published article may be considered for retraction when substantial evidence indicates that the article is unreliable, invalid, seriously compromised, or involves a significant breach of research or publication ethics. Circumstances that may warrant retraction include, but are not limited to, unreliable or fabricated data, falsification, substantial plagiarism or redundant publication, serious ethical violations, compromised peer review, or other circumstances that materially affect the reliability or integrity of the published work.

Retraction decisions are made following an editorial assessment of the available evidence and, where appropriate, communication with the authors, institutions, or other relevant parties. A retraction notice will clearly identify the affected article, state the reason for retraction, and be linked to the original publication. The original article will remain identifiable in the scholarly record and will be clearly marked as retracted, except where removal is necessary under exceptional legal, privacy, or public-interest circumstances.

Post-Publication Concerns

Authors, reviewers, readers, institutions, or other interested parties may raise substantive concerns regarding a published article with Golden Ratio. The journal may assess the available evidence and seek responses from the authors or other relevant parties before determining an appropriate editorial response. Depending on the nature and reliability of the evidence, the outcome may include no further action, a correction, an Expression of Concern, a retraction, or another appropriate editorial response.

Record Keeping

Golden Ratio maintains appropriate editorial records of manuscript withdrawals, processing decisions, LOA issuance, corrections, Expressions of Concern, and retractions to support transparency, accountability, and the integrity and traceability of the scholarly record.