Desk Rejection in Journal Submission: Understanding the Process and Wait Times

When submitting a research manuscript to a journal, one of the concerns that authors often have is the desk rejection process. Desktop rejection, also known as rapid rejection, is a decision made by the journal's editor without sending the manuscript to peer reviewers. This article will explore the factors that influence the desk rejection process and the typical wait times involved.

Factors Influencing Desk Rejection

The time it takes for a journal to desk reject a manuscript can vary widely due to several factors. Key among these are the journal's internal policies, the volume of incoming submissions, and the workload of the editorial team. Generally, you can expect a desk rejection to occur within a few days to a few weeks after submission. However, under certain circumstances, this period can extend up to several months.

There are numerous reasons why a manuscript might be desk rejected, including poor language, vague literature review, insufficient or excessive references, incoherence in logic, and other issues that make the manuscript unsuitable for peer review at this stage. Due to the time and effort required to properly evaluate a manuscript, many editors opt to desk reject papers that clearly do not meet the journal's standards.

Specific Time Frames

The wait time for desk rejection can significantly vary depending on the journal. Some highly reputable, Scopus-indexed journals might take anywhere from three months to one year to complete this process. Conversely, regular journals typically take one to three months. In some extreme cases, the desk rejection might be as quick as a week.

Industry Insights and Real-Life Examples

One notable example from my personal experience involved a manuscript submitted to a journal in 2012. The manuscript was from an author based in Iran and had a lot of grammatical errors. After a quick initial evaluation by the editorial team, it was determined that the paper did not meet the publication standards and was desk rejected immediately. From the moment the paper was assigned to the editor at 1:05 PM, it was desk rejected at 1:25 PM the same day. The editor provided substantial feedback on the language quality, indicating that poor language was a primary reason for the desk rejection.

Initial checks during the manuscript evaluation process are crucial and can prevent the paper from reaching the peer review stage. These checks often include verifying the manuscript's language, logic, word count, and overall structure. Issues that are easily identified in these initial stages, such as language errors, can significantly expedite the desk rejection process.

Conclusion

In summary, the time it takes for a journal to desk reject a manuscript is influenced by the journal's policies, submission volume, and the workload of the editorial team. While most desk rejections occur within a few days to a few weeks, the process can be extended to several months in some cases. Poor language, inappropriate literature review, and incoherent logic are common reasons for desk rejection. Understanding these factors and the process can help authors better prepare their manuscripts for submission and improve their chances of successful publication.