Replacing, versioning and withdrawing a paper

Research changes. You'll find a typo, add an experiment, respond to reviewers, or occasionally discover a serious error. arXiv has clear mechanisms for each situation, and understanding them before you submit helps you decide when your paper is really ready.

ResearchGuild is independent and not affiliated with arXiv. The linked arXiv help pages are authoritative.

The core idea: announced papers are permanent

arXiv says articles are a permanent part of the scholarly record. Once your paper is announced, you can add new versions, but you can't make earlier versions disappear. arXiv says that previous versions remain accessible in the version history.

That's why it's worth getting a careful second read before your first submission.

Before announcement: unsubmit or delete

If you notice a problem after submitting but before your paper is announced, arXiv lets you act from your user page:

• Unsubmit returns the submission to incomplete status so you can change files and resubmit. arXiv notes this takes it out of the processing queue, and the announcement is scheduled based on the later resubmission time.
• Delete removes the submission from the system.

arXiv says no additional versions are generated by edits made before the paper is publicly announced.

After announcement: replace (new version)

To update an announced paper, arXiv says to select the Replace option for that article on your user page. Every replacementReplacement (new version)Uploading an updated version of an announced paper. Earlier versions stay available, labelled v1, v2 and so on. creates a new version of the article.

Tips from arXiv's guidance:

• Explain what changed. arXiv says readers like to know why an article was replaced; changes are often minor, but if you don't say so, readers will generally assume the worst. Put a short reason in the Comments field of the new version (for example, "v2: fixed typo in Table 2; added ablation in Section 5").
• Don't replace too often. arXiv limits how often you can replace an article. Check the Submit a new version page for the current rule.
• Check the licenseLicenseThe permission you choose when submitting, which says how others may reuse your paper (for example, a Creative Commons license). arXiv treats each version's license as irrevocable.. arXiv says the license for each version is irrevocable and that versions can have different licenses. Read Licenses on arXiv before replacing.

Replacements, like new submissions, are announced on arXiv's regular schedule.

Good reasons to replace

• Correcting errors in results, proofs or data.
• Adding the published journal reference after peer reviewPeer reviewFormal evaluation of a paper by independent experts, usually organised by a journal or conference, before it is accepted for publication. arXiv moderation and endorsement are not peer review..
• Incorporating significant changes from reviewers.
• Fixing broken figures or references.

Reasons to hold off

• Tiny wording tweaks that don't change meaning.
• Changes you're likely to make again next week. Batch them.

Withdrawal

If a paper has a fundamental problem, you can withdrawWithdrawalMarking an announced arXiv paper as withdrawn. It adds a new version with your reason, and earlier versions remain accessible, so withdrawal isn't deletion. it. arXiv says to select the Withdraw option for the article under "Articles You Own" on your user page and complete the withdrawal form, giving a specific reason in the Comments field.

It's important to understand what withdrawal does:

• A withdrawal also creates a new version.
• That version shows your reason for withdrawal as a comment, without downloadable content for that version.
• Earlier versions remain available in the version history.

So withdrawal tells readers "don't rely on this", but it doesn't erase the paper. arXiv also says it will not remove an announced article to comply with journal policy, because the license granted at submission is irrevocable.

Co-authors and withdrawal

Withdrawing or replacing affects everyone on the author list. Agree with your co-authors before doing either. If there's a dispute about a paper, read arXiv's withdrawal page for how it handles those cases, since we haven't summarised that here.

Planning ahead

Because versions are permanent, a little care before your first submission pays off:

• Have someone outside your project read the paper.
• Check every figure and reference in the compiled PDF.
• Confirm the license with all co-authors.
• Decide whether you want to post before or after journal review.

Reviewers on ResearchGuild can help you catch problems before version 1 goes live. Start a paper, or read After you submit for what happens next.