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Academic Journal Editorial Decision-Making: An Overview
February 21, 2019 | Blog, Learning Center
If you’ve ever submitted a manuscript to an academic journal, you’ve likely wondered what happens next. What determines whether your work is accepted or rejected? Understanding the academic journal editorial decision making process can help you avoid common pitfalls and better prepare your manuscript for submission. This article outlines the key stages your paper goes through once it reaches the journal editor’s desk.
Stage 1: Initial Screening (“Weeding Out”)
Academic journals receive a high volume of submissions and cannot give each one a full review. The first step is to eliminate manuscripts that are clearly unsuitable—those that fall at the first hurdle.
This stage is typically handled by an editorial assistant rather than the editor themselves. Common reasons for immediate rejection include:
Poor English or writing quality
A missing or poorly written cover letter
No correspondence address or contact details
Sloppy formatting or untidy presentation
Poor journal targeting (e.g., irrelevant subject matter)
Failure to follow the journal’s formatting or submission guidelines
These issues are entirely avoidable. Ensuring your manuscript is well written, properly formatted, and tailored to the right journal significantly increases your chances of progressing to the next stage.
Stage 2: Editorial Review
If your manuscript passes the initial screening, it enters the academic journal editorial decision making stage, beginning with a preliminary editorial review. At this point, the editor or an editorial board member determines whether the manuscript is strong enough to warrant peer review. Only manuscripts that meet these criteria are sent out for peer review; the final decision at this stage rests with the editor. For an example of how a major journal approaches this stage, see Nature’s editorial criteria and processes and IEEE’s explanation of the editorial decision-making process.
Although the paper may not be read in full, the editorial team will closely examine key components:
Key Components of a Strong Academic Paper
| Section | Editorial Expectation |
|---|---|
| Abstract | A strong abstract is critical. If it doesn’t engage the editor, they may not read further. |
| Introduction | Should present a clear, contextualised rationale. |
| Methodology | Must be sound, clearly described, and appropriate. |
| Data | Should be complete, accurate, and well interpreted. |
| Conclusions | Must logically follow from the data presented. |
| Literature review | Needs to be thorough and current. |
| Writing quality | The paper must be well written throughout. |
Only manuscripts that meet these criteria are sent out for peer review. The final decision at this stage rests with the editor.
Stage 3: Peer Review
Manuscripts that reach this stage are evaluated by subject specialists. There are three common peer review models:
Types of Peer Review
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Single-blind | Reviewers know the author’s identity, but the author doesn’t know the reviewers. |
| Double-blind | Both author and reviewers remain anonymous. |
| Open peer review | Both parties are aware of each other’s identities. |
Single- and double-blind reviews aim to reduce bias and protect both parties from potential conflicts. Regardless of the model, peer reviewers are tasked with two main objectives:
To assess whether the manuscript is suitable for publication.
To provide constructive feedback to the author.
Journals typically seek input from multiple reviewers to get a balanced perspective. Reviewers read the manuscript in full and assess:
The quality and originality of the research
The soundness of the methodology and conclusions
The writing style and clarity
The paper’s relevance and contribution to the field
Based on their assessment, reviewers provide the editor with a detailed report and one of three recommendations:
Accept the manuscript
Revise and resubmit after making recommended changes
Reject the manuscript
Stage 4: Final Editorial Decision
The final decision always lies with the editor. Reviewer recommendations are highly influential, but not binding. If reviewers unanimously recommend publication, the editor will typically read the paper in full before making a final call. If the consensus is to reject, the editor may issue a decision without further review, accompanied by the reviewers’ comments.
The editor may choose to:
Accept the manuscript in its current form
Request revisions and a resubmission
Reject the submission outright
Conclusion
While editorial procedures vary slightly between journals, the process generally follows the four stages outlined above. Understanding what happens behind the scenes during academic journal editorial decision making gives you an advantage as an author. To ensure you’re meeting all the relevant criteria, always review the specific editorial process of the journal you’re submitting to. This allows you to avoid unnecessary errors, align your manuscript with the journal’s expectations, and improve your chances of success.
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