Q: Why does my submission remain stuck at 'With Editor' for two weeks? (Elsevier)

Detailed Question -

I submitted my paper in an Elsevier journal, and it has been assigned a manuscript ID. It has been in the same status (With Editor) for almost two weeks. Why do you think this is? Should I send an email to the editor? According to Elsevier, the average duration of submission to first decision is '9 weeks'. What does it mean? Thank You. 

2 Answers to this question
Answer:

Thank you for your question. We understand that you are worried as the status (“With editor”) of your manuscript submission has not been updated since 2 weeks. Please note, this status only means that the manuscript is undergoing the initial checks by the journal editor. We would recommend waiting a week or two and if there is no change in status, you can write to the journal editorial office asking them for a status update.

Further, the time to first decision refers to the time that the journal requires to respond with a decision. As the website provides a timeline of 9 weeks, you can expect a decision on your manuscript submission in 9 weeks. However, please do note that these timelines are generally tentative.

You may also find these resources helpful:

Good luck and we hope you receive a favorable response!

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Answer:

Hi,

Thanks for your answer. 1 month has passed since the status of "With Editor". The date has changed recently, but the status remains at With Editor. Is this a bad indicator? Should I be worried?

Thanks

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