Q: Does a status change from "With editor" directly to "Under editor evaluation" indicate rejection?
I submitted a manuscript to a journal hosted by Elsevier and after four days, the status changed to "With editor". However, it took 6 weeks before the status changed to "Under editor evaluation" directly. It seems like the editor skipped the "Under review" process which seems very weird to me. Has anyone else experienced such a situation before?
Generally, after initial assessment by the editor, the manuscript is either rejected straight-away or it is sent to peer-reviewers. Generally, if it is rejected without review, the status changes to “Decision-in-process.” In your case, it is indeed strange that the review step was skipped. Please ensure that you have not missed seeing the status “Under review.”
Sometimes, when the journal has a large number of submissions to handle, the initial editorial assessment might take a longer time and if the editor is deliberating the decision to send a manuscript to peer-reviewers or to reject it right away, then “Under editor evaluation” might appear. In any case, it is best to write to the journal seeking clarification in this matter.
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This content belongs to the Journal submission & peer review Stage