The Official Journal of Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology and GI Endoscopy
23. From Submission to Publication: Approximate Time Duration
Purpose
The Pakistan Journal of Gastroenterology (PJG) is committed to providing an efficient, transparent, and timely editorial and publication process while maintaining the highest standards of scientific quality, ethical integrity, and rigorous peer review. The timelines provided below are approximate and may vary depending on the complexity of the manuscript, reviewer availability, author responsiveness, and editorial requirements.
23.1 Editorial Workflow
The Journal follows the editorial workflow outlined below:
| Editorial Stage | Approximate Duration |
|---|---|
| Initial Manuscript Submission | Day 0 |
| Technical & Administrative Screening | 3–7 days |
| Plagiarism Screening | Within 7 days |
| Initial Editorial Assessment | 5–10 days |
| Reviewer Invitation & Assignment | 5–10 days |
| Double-Blind Peer Review | 2–4 weeks |
| First Editorial Decision | 4–6 weeks from submission |
| Author Revision (Minor Revision) | 1–2 weeks |
| Author Revision (Major Revision) | 2–4 weeks |
| Re-evaluation of Revised Manuscript | 1–2 weeks |
| Final Editorial Decision | 1 week |
| Copyediting & Proofreading | 1–2 weeks |
| Author Proof Approval | 3–7 days |
| DOI Registration & Production | 3–7 days |
| Online First Publication (if applicable) | Within 1 week after final acceptance |
| Publication in Scheduled Issue | According to the Journal publication schedule |
23.2 Overall Processing Time
The Journal aims to complete the editorial process within the following timeframes:
- Submission to First Decision: Approximately 4–6 weeks
- Submission to Final Acceptance: Approximately 6–10 weeks
- Acceptance to Publication: Approximately 2–4 weeks
- Total Submission to Publication: Approximately 8–12 weeks
These timelines are approximate and may vary depending on individual circumstances.
23.3 Factors That May Affect Processing Time
Processing times may be extended due to:
- Difficulty in identifying suitable reviewers.
- Delayed reviewer responses.
- Multiple rounds of revision.
- Requests for additional ethical documentation.
- Verification of clinical trial registration or IRB approval.
- Investigation of publication ethics concerns.
- Extensive language editing or technical corrections.
The Editorial Office makes every effort to minimize unnecessary delays.
23.4 Author Responsibilities
To facilitate timely processing, authors should:
- Ensure that all submission files are complete.
- Follow the Journal's Author Guidelines.
- Submit all required ethical documents (e.g., IRB approval, informed consent, conflict of interest declaration, author undertaking).
- Respond promptly to editorial and reviewer comments.
- Submit revised manuscripts within the requested deadlines.
- Review and return page proofs without delay.
Failure to respond within the specified timeframe may delay publication or result in withdrawal of the manuscript from consideration.
23.5 Editorial Commitment
The Editorial Office is committed to:
- Providing timely communication throughout the editorial process.
- Conducting fair and impartial peer review.
- Maintaining transparency in editorial decisions.
- Ensuring high standards of scientific and publication ethics.
- Publishing accepted manuscripts as efficiently as possible without compromising quality.
23.6 Disclaimer
The timelines provided in this policy are estimates only and do not constitute a guarantee of publication within a specific period.
The Journal reserves the right to adjust processing times based on manuscript volume, reviewer availability, editorial workload, and exceptional circumstances.
References
This policy has been developed in accordance with:
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) – Core Practices.
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations.
- World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) Recommendations.
- Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (DOAJ, COPE, OASPA, WAME).
