Q: What should I do if the status has been Awaiting Reviewer Scores for a month?

You have three questions. Let’s take them one by one.

Is one month a long time to wait for the reviewer scores?

It is a bit long, but the delay could be because not all the reviewer scores have come in. Perhaps one reviewer (or two, in case the manuscript was sent to more than two reviewers) is still to send in their review.

Is the long time (delay) a bad sign?

Not necessarily. However, we can understand your anxiety over the delay, which actually brings us to the last question and its answer.

Should you write to the editor?

Yes, it’s a reasonable ask to write to the editor requesting an update on the manuscript, and they should be okay with responding to you in case they have an update. Even if not, they should be able to inform you about the reason for the seeming delay.

In case you need help with writing to the editor, you may find this handbook helpful: How To Communicate With The Journal? Peer Review Comments, Cover Letter And More [It’s one of the many learning offerings from a family brand, R Upskill, and offers templates for a variety of communication scenarios, including asking about delays.]

And for more on the current status, you may find it useful to go through these similar queries by previous researchers:

• What does it mean if the status has been Awaiting Reviewer Scores for four weeks - and what should I do?
• What are the indicators of acceptance in highly trusted journals, and what does 'Awaiting reviewer scores' mean?

Hope that helps. All the best for the next on your manuscript!