Q: What does the status 'Decision in Process' mean if it occurs before sending the paper for review?

Hello Ereny – Welcome to the forum!

To get to your query straight away, the ‘Decision in Process’ means that the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) is making a decision on the manuscript. As it’s happening before peer review, it means the Associate Editor (AE) has gone through the manuscript and decided not to send it for peer review (and has referred this decision to the EIC, who makes the final decision). This could be because the manuscript is not matching up with the journal’s requirements for any (or all) of the following reasons: research novelty, quality of writing/presentation, and match with journal’s focus.

In case of the first two factors, it may be a desk rejection or, at times, a reject-and-resubmit decision. In case of the third factor, if it’s a large publisher with multiple journals, they may ask you to resubmit to a related journal with a better focus match. So, as you can see, the status even before peer review doesn’t mean all bad. You should wait for the next update. In case you don’t hear from them soon, you could drop them a mail requesting an update.

Now, in case it’s a reject, as you may know, you may make changes and submit to another journal. And in case it was due to the presentation, writing, or even the science, you may wish to consider utilizing an editing service such as ours, which can help improve your manuscript in several ways to increase its chances of acceptance. If so, you may learn more about our range of editing services here: Editage Editing Services

For the present, you may also find the following resources helpful:

• What is the meaning of "decision in process" status?
• Tips to avoid journal rejection [Free e-book]

Immediately though, all the best for the next update!