Q: Should I withdraw my paper if the status remains unchanged for over a month?
I submitted an original article to a medical journal on September 8, and the status remained “with editor” for more than a month. I sent an inquiry after one month, but received no response. I submitted a research letter (brief paper) to the same journal, and its status has also remained the same - “required reviews completed” - for 2 months. This was not the case when I had submitted a paper to the same journal earlier, but I have heard that the Editor-in-chief has changed recently. Do you think I should withdraw my original article? Or, do you think it would be reasonable to wait for some more time?
As it's only been slightly over a month since you've submitted your original article, I feel it is too soon to consider withdrawal, particularly since your previous experience with the journal has been good. Possibly, the new Editor-in-chief (EiC) is taking some time to settle down and understand the processes. I think you should wait for a couple of weeks more, and then send another inquiry to the journal. Keep following up every two weeks until you receive a response. If you don't receive a response after 4-5 reminders, you can consider withdrawal.
Regarding the short article (research letter), the delay in the review could be for a different reason, and might not be related to the EiC being changed. Moreover, it is not uncommon for journals to take more than 2 months for peer review. However, if you are writing to the Editor about the other submission, you can also request an update on the status of the research letter.
This content belongs to the Journal submission & peer review Stage