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Q: Is it a bad sign if the status shows "Ready for Decision" for a long time?

Detailed Question -

Hi, I have submitted my manuscript to an Elsevier journal. The status of my submission changed from "Under Review" to "Ready for Decision" on November 8 and it has been constant since then. I think it seems a long time for this step. Is long period a good or bad sign? I do understand that you cannot have exact answer. Just want to know what you think based on your experience.

3 Answers to this question
Answer:

Once the status changes from "Under review" to "Ready for decision," it implies that the reviews for your paper have come in and the editor can now make a decision on your paper. It is not unusual for this stage to take more than a month. This usually happens if there are a lot of papers for which the reviews have already come in before yours. If this is the case, your paper will have to wait for its turn to be evaluated by the editor.

The length of time this stage takes does not affect the decision in any way, it's neither a good nor a bad sign. So don't worry if its taking a long time: its just how the process works. However, it might be a good idea to send in a reminder to the editor as this can sometimes help quicken the process.

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Comment

Answer: The journal may take longer than usual time after updating the status as "Ready for decision" if there are many manuscripts to be considered for an editorial decision. This would mean that your manuscript would be held in a queue and will be actioned only after other manuscripts have been acted upon. Additionally, the journals may delay in making a decision if the period clashes with the holiday period. In case you have still not received a decision, you can send an inquiry email to know the status of your manuscript.
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Answer: When the status for a manuscript changes "Under Review" to "Ready for Decision", it means that the peer-review process is complete and only the editorial decision is pending. Sometimes, this can take anywhere between 2-6 weeks. It may be that the journal might be waiting to decide based on the theme of the upcoming issue. It may sometimes be that the journals might have an overflow of peer-reviewed manuscripts lined up due to insufficient technical staff, holiday season or based on priority of the manuscript keeping in view the overall aims/scope of the journal. It is best to write to the editor to get an idea about the status of the manuscript.
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