Q: Does the manuscript being in Decision in Process for two months after revision mean a rejection?
Hi. I had sent a paper to a non-ISI journal. After one week, the status changed to Under Review. After three months, it changed to Revise, but I'm not aware of its type, [whether] major or minor. However, I made all the suggested changes and resubmitted the paper on August 11. The status changed to With Editor on September 5, then directly changed to Decision in Process on September 8, and has remained so till now. Does the sequence of statuses mean rejection?
Hello MO – Welcome to the forum!
To get to your query right away, rather than rejection, the sequence of statuses you have described indicates acceptance. :-) However, before you begin celebrating, we would like to point out two things that seem a bit unusual (or that could have been better) about what you have described.
Firstly, it’s odd that the type of revision (whether minor or major) was not clear. The journal typically communicates this and gives you time accordingly. Even if the journal does not, the author can usually figure this out based on the nature and/or extent of changes. Even if this was not the case, you could have inquired about this, even if for simply academic reasons.
Secondly, from the dates you have provided, your manuscript has been in Decision in Process for just over a month, not two. However, even one month is a long time for a manuscript to be in the decision stage, that too, after a round of revision. Having said that, we have been seeing this trend this year, perhaps due to the situation prompted by COVID-19. But again, this could be checked by a mail to the editor. In fact, that is what we suggest you do now: send a mail to the journal requesting an update on the decision. It’s been two months since the revision, and you are justified in seeking an update from them.
Now, in case you need help writing to them, you may find these resources useful:
- 6 Effective tips to help you communicate better with journals
- How can I write a polite reminder to the journal editor for a decision on my manuscript?
- A practical handbook of templates for communicating with the journal
Hope that helps. All the best in the next/final stages of your manuscript!