Individual reviews do not decide a manuscript’s fate on their own. The handling editors weigh them together, a step often called meta-review, and record a formal editorial decision. This article explains what happens to your review after you submit it.
What the editors see
Editors read each completed review in full: the structured assessment, the comments intended for the authors, the confidential comments, and the recommendation. Where the journal scores reviews against criteria, those scores sit alongside. Reviewer identities are visible to the editors even in double-blind review; blinding is between reviewers and authors.
Weighing the reviews
Journals normally wait for a minimum number of completed reviews, typically two, before deciding. The editors then select which reviews inform the decision. Recommendations guide but do not bind: two reviews suggesting minor revision and one suggesting rejection still require editorial judgement, and where a reviewer declared a conflict, the editors must record how it was handled.
The decision
Common outcomes include:
- Accept: the manuscript proceeds towards publication.
- Request revision: the authors are asked to revise, minor or major, and resubmit.
- Reject: the manuscript will not be published in this journal.
The decision reaches the authors as a decision letter; what each outcome means for authors is covered in Understanding decision letters.