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Editorial Decisions
We aim to keep turn around times of manuscripts as short as possible. Currently, the average time from submission to first decision is 35 days.
Types of Decisions
- Manuscript unsuitable
- Rejection
- Rejection, resubmission invited
- Revision
- Further revision needed
- Acceptance subject to editing
- Final acceptance
Manuscript unsuitable
The subject matter is inappropriate for Journal of Ecology or the manuscript lacks novelty or is of insufficient general interest. The manuscript is therefore not sent out for peer review.
Rejection
The peer review process reveals that the manuscript is not acceptable for publication in Journal of Ecology.
Rejection, resubmission invited
The manuscript in its current state is not acceptable for publication, but the referees and editors see the potential of the presented work. Addressing the concerns raised during peer review would alter the manuscript to an extent that makes it unfeasible to predict whether the re-worked paper will reach the desired standard. Authors are therefore invited to make the necessary changes and resubmit their work for further peer review so that the paper’s suitability for publication can be established.
Revision
The comments by reviewers and editors indicate that major or minor changes are required before the manuscript can be considered acceptable.
Further revision needed
The comments made by the reviewers and editors have been only partly or insufficiently addressed and further ambiguities remain. Authors are asked to address these concerns in their final version.
Acceptance subject to editing
The manuscript content is of acceptable standard for publication and only editorial changes are required. At this stage, we ask for an exclusive licence to publish, colour artwork forms and image files of appropriate quality.
Final acceptance
After a final editorial check, acceptance is confirmed and the manuscript files along with the obtained forms are sent to the publisher.
Appeals
Authors wishing to appeal a decision should outline their reasons for the appeal in an email to the Managing Editor. The Managing Editor will discuss the case with the Executive Editor and, where necessary, with the responsible Associate Editor. The authors will be informed whether the appeal is granted or the original decision is upheld.
