Q: What is the meaning of “Awaiting Reviewer Scores” and “Awaiting Final Decision” together?
I submitted a paper on ScholarOne last month. Now, after reviewer scores and after awaiting recommendation, the status shows "Awaiting Reviewer Scores" and "Awaiting Final Decision" together. What does this mean?
Answer: Awaiting a decision on a manuscript can require a lot of patience. Here is an answer that may help you that was posted for an earlier question. What is the meaning of awaiting final decision after awaiting reviewer scores?
I’ve actually seen this combination before, and it’s a bit confusing but not unusual.
What it generally means is that the system is in a transition state:
- “Awaiting Reviewer Scores” → at least one reviewer hasn’t submitted their score (or it hasn’t been logged properly yet).
- “Awaiting Final Decision” → the editor may already have enough information (e.g., reviews + recommendations) and is preparing to make a decision.
When both appear together, it usually indicates that:
- The editor has started the decision process, even if one reviewer is late or missing, or
- All reviews are in, but the system hasn’t fully updated and is showing overlapping statuses.
In practice, this often means you’re very close to a decision. I’d just sit tight—changes typically happen within a few days to a couple of weeks
