Manuscript Status

Q: What does a status change from "With editor" to "Decision in process" mean?

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I submitted a research article to a Springer journal on 24/12/2017. The status of the paper was "With editor" till 23/01/2018, and the date was once updated on 11/01/2018. On 24/01/2018, the status changed to "Decision in process." What does this imply? Looking forward to your valuable reply.

Asked on 29 Jan, 2018

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A status change directly from "With editor" to "Decision in process" usually implies a desk rejection. Once a paper is submitted to a journal, it goes through an initial screening process. this screening is done by the editor. If the paper clears the initial screening, it is sent for peer review; else, it is rejected. Rejection without peer review is known as desk rejection.

In your case, since the status has not changed to "Under review" after being "With editor," it means that the paper has not been sent for review. Instead, it has been sent to the Editor-in-chief for the final decision. Therefore, it has a high probability of being rejected. However, don't be demoralized by this. Rejection is a part of the submission process and cannot be avoided. Start preparing to submit your paper to another journal.