A decision letter is the editors’ formal response to your submission. It arrives by email and is recorded on your submission’s status page, so you can always find it again.
The decisions and what they mean
- Accept: the manuscript will move into production (copyediting and proofing) on its way to publication.
- Minor revision: the editors expect limited changes; the revised version is usually checked by the editors rather than sent for a full new round of review.
- Major revision: substantial changes are needed, and the revised manuscript may go back to reviewers.
- Reject: the journal will not publish the manuscript. Editors may also return a submission before review, most often for scope reasons; that is a desk decision rather than a verdict on quality.
Inside a decision letter
Alongside the decision itself, a letter can include the editors’ reasoning, specific instructions for a revision, a due date set by the journal, and a link to the action they want you to take. Depending on the journal’s policy, reviewer reports may be released to you with the decision.
Responding to a decision
For minor and major revisions, follow Respond to a revision request. After a rejection, you are free to submit the work elsewhere; the decision applies only to that journal.
Disagree with a decision?Editorial decisions belong to each journal’s team, and any appeal follows that journal’s own policy. Raise it with the editors through the journal’s contact page, not with Scholardemia support.