Q: Is it a good sign or a bad sign if the review is completed within 23 days?

23 days is neither too long nor too short for the completion of peer review. It could be considered an average amount of time. In fact, given that it’s a Springer-based journal, it probably happened quite fast.

However, the timeline is no real indication of the initial decision over the paper. The turnaround time could also be a reflection of the subject area or topic of the paper and/or the availability of the reviewers. Having said that, it probably means a major or minor revision in this case. You should know in a few days.

Presently, the Associate Editor (AE) will go through the reviewer comments and make their decision on the paper. Based on that, they may update the status or discuss it with the Editor-in-Chief (EiC). As the status has been getting updated at regular intervals in this case, the next status should happen soon.

Based on the various points discussed here, we have shared a variety of resources that you may find helpful. Do have a look.

• A guide to understanding journal statuses [Handbook]
• Peer review process and editorial decision making at journals
• How to respond to comments by peer reviewers

And of course, all the best for the next update!