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Short thread on the scientific manuscript (what we nerds call a "paper" before it's called a paper) peer-review process in terms of turnaround time.
(and far more expert & frequent reviewers that I can share their experiences below if they add to this public education thread)
(and far more expert & frequent reviewers that I can share their experiences below if they add to this public education thread)
Journals have an Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors & Editors. These roles may have some money involved, in my experience, often not for Editors. Experts are asked to be an Editor by someone up the food chain; they are known to be experts relevant to journal's intended output
A journal like "Virology" has a lot of stuff to cover, so will need a lot of content-expert Editors.
Editors aren't typesetters or spelling police or grammar checkers (unless so bad it's completely ruined the paper's message IMO). The journal should be doing that stuff.
Editors aren't typesetters or spelling police or grammar checkers (unless so bad it's completely ruined the paper's message IMO). The journal should be doing that stuff.
A broad-ranging journal will have many Editors expert in different parts of the content, other experts in other parts. The Editors get tasked with "handling" manuscripts hopefully specific to their area of expertise. They find and invite two or more suitable reviewers.
Sometimes it can be hard to find reviewers expert in a new area. Sometimes it can be hard to get a reviewer to accept the offer (it involves creating the time & is not a paid role). Sometimes it's hard to get a reviewer to do the review on time.
Some reviewers are more/less pedantic than others. Some want the paper to be different from what it is. Some get too involved. Some hold up perfectly good science for unrealistic reasons. Some reviewers aren't expert enough & let things through. There's a range - because humans.
When a scientist accepts a review assignment they are given a time period - let's say around 2 weeks (varies). Some will accept and get it done. Others will accept and add it to the pile, await the reminder, wait for the threat, *then* get it done. Again, because humans
So there is nothing stopping two reviewers from turning around their review in 30 minutes, or 30 days (if the Editor doesn't dump them for taking too long first)
The reviews get sent back - all this is electronic through the journal's online system. It's probably mostly anonymous from the authors' POV (unless specified or mandated by the journal to be open). That anonymity may encourage some to be over-the-top in their comments of course.
The Editor checks the reviews and if in agreement with the outcome (accept, modify, reject with degrees therein), send that off to the journal office for checking, corrections, formatting and to send proofs back to the authors.
If the eProofs (how the final version looks; my favourite part of the process) are simple & don't have many questions to answer-authors press 'Okay' & then manuscript goes back to the journal & falls somewhere into their queue for eventual publication (can vary with urgency)
How long a journal takes to do its stuff & get new paper online is *entirely* down to them & their processes. It's not written in stone at all. Can be super speedy, or can take weeks & weeks (Ugh). Also depends on reviewer speed. I've been fast
& slow
in my career.
& slow in my career.
Everyone wants good scientific papers out quickly, looking good & being correct (corrections *can* also be sent in later btw). Keep in mind that scientist authors pay good money to most journals for the privilege of the work they already paid for & funded, to get into a journal
To summarise: perfectly possible to get rapid turnaround. More likely for straightforward (not overly complex) & well-written papers.
It's actually preferable to have reviewed science out for reading & discussion sooner rather than months later. Especially in health matters
It's actually preferable to have reviewed science out for reading & discussion sooner rather than months later. Especially in health matters
