I submitted a manuscript to a medical journal published by a well-known open-access publisher late last month. To my surprise, the initial progress was incredibly fast:
- Submission checks completed and editor assigned on 24 March
- Reviewers invited and accepted by 25–28 March
- Manuscript marked as “Reviews received” by First reviewer 30 March
Everything moved swiftly within a few days. However, it’s now been over three weeks and one of the reviewers still hasn’t submitted their report. The editor hasn’t moved things forward, so it seems we’re waiting on that second review.
This delay is making me a bit anxious as I’m in the final stages of my PhD and was hoping to include this paper as part of my thesis submission. I’m aiming for it to be peer-reviewed and accepted before my viva.
Has anyone experienced this kind of hold-up after an otherwise quick start?
- How long are reviewers usually given before their review is considered overdue?
- Is it reasonable/advisable to contact the editor and explain my situation, or would that be seen as undue pressure?
Appreciate any insights from those who’ve been in a similar spot. Cheers!
Manuscript Review Progress: Quick Start but Now Delayed by Reviewer 2
I submitted a manuscript to a medical journal published by a well-known open-access publisher late last month. To my surprise, the initial progress was incredibly fast:
- Submission checks completed and editor assigned on 24 March
- Reviewers invited and accepted by 25–28 March
- Manuscript marked as “Reviews received” by First reviewer 30 March
Everything moved swiftly within a few days. However, it’s now been over three weeks and one of the reviewers still hasn’t submitted their report. The editor hasn’t moved things forward, so it seems we’re waiting on that second review.
This delay is making me a bit anxious as I’m in the final stages of my PhD and was hoping to include this paper as part of my thesis submission. I’m aiming for it to be peer-reviewed and accepted before my viva.
Has anyone experienced this kind of hold-up after an otherwise quick start?
- How long are reviewers usually given before their review is considered overdue?
- Is it reasonable/advisable to contact the editor and explain my situation, or would that be seen as undue pressure?
Appreciate any insights from those who’ve been in a similar spot. Cheers!
Comments
Oh, yes—just recently. Reviewer 2 kept the manuscript for more than a month. After we submitted the revision, the editor held the decision for another month. I checked the system every day.
I understand your anxiety, but in my field it usually takes at least 3-6 months for journals to come back with a decision. April is an extremely busy time of year and reviewing manuscripts is done on a volunteer basis. It could be different in your field ofc, but I would personally wait at least wait a few more weeks to check back in.
It hasn’t been that long. It’s volunteer work with no reward except trying to help the community. Please be patient. You are not “in a spot.” You have submitted a paper to a journal, not ordered an item from a warehouse.