I have submitted two manuscripts to IJOC for about 9 months ago. For both of them, their first response email (immediate response email received on the submission date) stated that "it typically takes more or less 10-15 weeks for a decision to be made". But, unfortunately I have not received a second reply for both manuscripts until today and I could not see any additional information and progress on submission site. I tried to contact their editor and editorial staff but I cannot contact with them.
Is this a normal process for this journal?
Is there any other way to contact the editors of the journal?
Dear Mustafa Özgür Arici
I see that something problematic is going on with this journal. Looking at the Scopus content coverage https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/29865#tabs=2 you can see that there were years where they publish 200-300 papers annually. Nowadays they (desperately?) try to come to a little bit more than 100 papers annually (on averag)e.
Because of this I see that basically all papers published are accepted in 20202/2021 and are only published now in 2024. So there is a dramatic backlog on accepted papers waiting for publishing.
See for example:
https://journals.lww.com/indianjcancer/fulltext/2024/61010/a_comparative_study_of_treatment_on_portal_vein.3.aspx download paper and you see accepted 17 September 2020, published 22 Juni 2021, assigned issue Jan-March 2024
https://journals.lww.com/indianjcancer/abstract/9900/the_relationship_between_clinical_and_pathological.69.aspx download paper and you see accepted 19 October 2020, published 1 March 2024, not assigned yet (status published Ahead-of-Print)
So, I guess this is one of the reasons why it takes such a long time before they proceed in the peer review process. In general, I can add that the search for suitable peer reviewers is in most cases the reason why it takes such a long time.
If there is a certain degree of urgency to get your papers published, then you might consider withdrawing the submission and go for another journal title.
Best regards.
Thanks for your comment. I can understand to some extent that things are moving very slowly in that journal, but it makes me thoughtful that I can't find anyone to respond to this situation. I get absolutely no positive or negative response to any of my messages, so I have no idea how to act.
Dear Mustafa Özgür Arici
See for examples how to withdraw a submission:
https://paperpal.com/blog/academic-writing-guides/professional-writing/manuscript-withdrawal-reasons-consequences-and-how-to-withdraw-submitted-manuscripts
https://www.enago.com/academy/how-to-withdraw-manuscript-after-submission/
https://www.editage.com/insights/how-to-write-a-withdrawal-letter-to-the-journal
See for tips how to deal with a journal that does or will not respond to yoir withdrawal:
https://www.quora.com/I-want-to-withdraw-my-submitted-manuscript-from-X-journal-to-resubmit-it-in-another-journal-faster-The-editors-of-the-X-journal-didnt-confirm-my-withdrawal-What-should-be-done-to-this-problem
I would like to add that you indicate in your letter that you expect a prompt reply or otherwise you consider no response as an confirmation of their recognition that you withdrew the paper/manuscript.
Best regards.
PS. According to https://journals.lww.com/indianjcancer/Pages/instructionsforauthors.aspx the contact info is [email protected]