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Q: What does awaiting ED decision after awaiting BM assessment mean ?

Detailed Question -

Recently, my status of the manuscript has changed from " Awaiting BM assessment " to " Awaiting ED decision ". Does it mean my manuscript has not undergone peer-review and being desk rejected ? It is bit strange to see such a development in Proceedings of the Royal Society A journal. I don't know for sure whether my manuscript has been peer-reviewed at all. Please kindly help me in this regard. Thanks very much indeed for your help and support in advance !!!

1 Answer to this question
Answer:

Thank you for your query. 

As detailed on the journal’s author guidelines page, each submission is handled by a Board Member (BM) with oversight from the editorial office. If the BM deems it suitable for peer review, it will be sent out for external review and typically be seen by at least two reviewers selected by the BM. (Note: The journal doesn’t make clear who handles contacting the peer reviewers.) Once peer review is done, the BM will provide their assessment and the Subject Editor will make the final decision. 

The change from “Awaiting BM assessment” to “Awaiting ED decision” suggests that your manuscript has finished its initial desk review process and has been forwarded to the editor for the next step.  

However, based on the information from the journal, the next step isn’t clear. However, some possibilities are: 

  • Rejection without peer review: The BM decided your paper is not suitable and it will not be peer reviewed. They have sent their decision to the editor. The editor will let you know the decision shortly. If rejected, they may possibly let you know other options, such as other journals for your submission. 

  • Preliminary acceptance, peer review will take place: The BM has decided that your paper should undergo peer review. They have designated some referees and have submitted this to the editor who will handle the next peer review steps. 

  • The paper was already reviewed: The peer review has already taken place, but peer review status isn’t being shown on the status screen. The editorial office will let you know the decision shortly. 

Finally, the journal has an average time from initial submission to first decision of 32 days. If 32 days haven’t elapsed yet, I suggest that you hang tight and wait a few weeks before chasing them up. If the process hasn’t moved along, politely reach out to the editorial office to inquire about the status of your manuscript and any next steps you may need to take. 

I hope you receive good news soon! 

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