We have submitted an article in a finance journal ( ABDC rank A) more than one year ago. After around 6 months they sent us the review of two reviewers where one reviewer reject the paper with few correction suggestions and another gave relatively good comments with additional correction suggestions. Hence the editor asked for revise and resubmission and also mention that if we comply with the reviewer's comments, he will personally read that article. Accordingly, we revise and resubmit that paper. It has been 7 months since our resubmission and they still do not give any feedback. Since I am a Ph.D. student, such a long review process is hurting my Ph.D. process. Can anyone suggest me what should be my action in this regard? Should I send the editor an email? If the editor does not respond even after that email, should I withdraw that paper from that journal?
-
1If you withdraw it, what other options do you have? Will you be in a better or worse place? – Buffy Jun 08 '20 at 12:11
-
Maybe we can submit relatively same kind of journal@Buffy – Syed Riaz Mahmood Ali Jun 08 '20 at 12:17
-
And wait how long? You don't want another year to go by, I'd think. – Buffy Jun 08 '20 at 12:20
-
@Buffy yes, that is true. Do you think sending an email will increase the possibility of rejection or it is a normal issue for an editor? Since it is a rank A journal, I do not want to withdraw – Syed Riaz Mahmood Ali Jun 08 '20 at 12:27
-
Academia has been in turmoil for the past 4 months, so that can be a valid reason for a delay. Send a polite email to the editor asking about the process and reminding him it is a resubmission. Do not retract the paper, since you are past the first round you have quite a good chance of getting published. – Jun 08 '20 at 13:04
2 Answers
If you haven't heard anything for seven months it is certainly time to send the editor an email and ask for a status update. There might be valid reasons for a long delay, but it has been a long time.
Don't threaten to withdraw, as it will probably have no positive effect, but you can certainly say that the delay is affecting your prospects of completion.
But only withdraw if you have a better option. Starting over in the process with another journal may be good or bad and I can't guess which.
- 363,966
- 84
- 956
- 1,406
My own probably unpopular opinion: I don't think 7 months is that long, and under the current environment of busy academics, many submissions and few reviewers, the need to read very carefully and verify the manuscript, etc. it is certainly reasonable not to get your 2nd round of reviews after seven months. That is how science works, slow.
That said, you can of course explain your personal situation to the editor politely and ask them about the matter.
- 13,258
- 3
- 37
- 64