Can an Author Remove a Paper from a Low-Quality Journal and How Does It Affect Plagiarism?
Sometimes authors realize after publication that their paper has appeared in a low-quality or non-indexed journal. In such cases, they may wish to remove or withdraw the paper. However, once a paper is published, its removal and its impact on plagiarism are governed by strict academic and ethical rules.
Can an Author Request to Remove a Published Paper?
Generally, NO. Once a paper is published, it becomes part of the permanent academic record.
However, an author may request removal or retraction only in specific situations:
- Serious errors in data or results
- Ethical issues discovered after publication
- Plagiarism or authorship disputes
- Journal misconduct or fake peer review
Most journals do not delete papers. Instead, they issue a retraction notice while keeping the paper visible with a retraction label.
What Is Retraction?
Retraction is an official statement that the paper should not be considered valid. The paper usually remains online but is marked as Retracted.
- Original PDF remains accessible
- A retraction notice explains the reason
- Indexing databases mark it as retracted
How Does Retraction or Removal Affect Plagiarism?
1. Plagiarism Still Exists
Even if the paper is retracted or removed, plagiarism software will still detect similarity because:
- The content may exist in journal archives
- It may be stored in repositories or backups
- It may already be indexed by search engines
So, retraction does not erase plagiarism history.
2. Self-Plagiarism Risk Remains
If the author republishes the same content elsewhere, it will be detected as self-plagiarism even if the original paper was withdrawn.
3. Future Submissions Must Be New
Any future paper must contain:
- Significantly new content
- New experiments or analysis
- Proper citation of the earlier work
What an Author Should Do Instead
- Prepare an extended and improved version of the work
- Cite the earlier publication clearly
- Explain what is new in the new paper
- Submit to a reputed SCI or Scopus indexed journal
What an Author Should NOT Do
- Ask the journal to secretly delete the paper
- Resubmit the same paper without changes
- Hide the earlier publication
- Assume plagiarism will disappear after removal
Impact on Academic Record
- Retraction affects author credibility
- Universities may question research ethics
- Funding agencies may take note
Conclusion
After a paper is published in a low-quality journal, the author generally cannot remove it completely. At best, the journal may issue a retraction. Retraction does not eliminate plagiarism detection or allow the same content to be reused. To avoid problems, authors should publish a significantly improved version of their work in a reputed indexed journal while clearly citing the original paper.