Q: How many rounds of peer review to expect before publication?

Answer: Two rounds of peer review are most common, with 3-4 rounds of peer review for complex interdisciplinary studies. But the number of rounds of peer review before a final decision varies depending on the reviewers' findings and recommendations and how well these are integrated. After each round, a manuscript can either be accepted, rejected, or sent back for minor or major revisions. A journal rarely goes beyond 4 rounds of peer review.   Publishers like Sage offer this advice to journal editors: "Ideally, we should aim for no more than three rounds of revisions in total, although there may be exceptions to this, and editors should use their discretion."     The time required for peer review varies depending on a number of factors such as the availability of peer reviewers and the existing backlog of papers for initial assessment and review. Typically, when a paper is considered for peer review, each round of peer review takes approximately 45-90 days. Desk decisions (usually rejections for reasons such as the manuscript not being a good fit for the journal) or acceptance post minor revision may happen in less time.