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What review time includes
- Editor’s first check: the editor decides whether the paper fits the scope and meets the basic standard. Papers that fail here are desk rejected, often within one to three weeks.
- Finding reviewers: the editor invites two or more experts. This step alone can take weeks in small fields.
- Peer review: reviewers read the paper and send comments, usually within the journal’s deadline of two to six weeks.
- Revisions: you answer the comments and resubmit. One or two rounds are common, and each round adds time on both sides.
- Acceptance: the final decision. Publication online usually follows within days to a few weeks.
How we measure it
Many publishers deposit two dates for every article in Crossref, the open registry behind DOIs: the date the paper was received and the date it was accepted. For each journal we take its research articles from the last 24 months, count the days between these two dates, and report the median (the middle value) with the typical range (the middle half of papers). A journal needs at least 10 articles with both dates to get a figure. Same-day dates and gaps over four years are left out as deposit errors.
Two limits to keep in mind. Received-to-accepted counts only the papers that were accepted, so desk rejections are not in it. And some publishers record the date of the revised version as “received”, which makes their review look shorter. Treat the number as a guide for planning, not a promise.
Journals with the shortest review time
These indexed journals had the shortest median time to acceptance in our data. For your own subject, use the fastest-review journals by subject page, which ranks every field (for example computer science, medicine or engineering) and every subject category, with quartile, indexing and open access, and lets you check the review time of any journal by name.
| Journal | Median days to acceptance | Indexed in |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Cancer Drugs | 3 | SCIE |
| New Directions for Evaluation | 3 | Scopus |
| The Journal of Urology | 3 | SCIE |
| American Journal of Clinical Oncology | 4 | SCIE |
| Family Court Review | 4 | ESCI |
| Journal of Leadership Studies | 4 | ESCI |
| Journal of Religious History | 4 | AHCI |
| Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey | 4 | SCIE |
| Communication Education | 5 | ESCI |
| Current Forestry Reports | 5 | SCIE |
Indexed journals with at least 20 articles counted. A very short review is not always a good sign: check scope, indexing and real reviewer comments too.
How to avoid losing months
- Pick the right journal the first time. Each rejection restarts the clock. Use the Journal Finder to see which journals publish papers like yours, and filter them by review time, indexing, quartile and APC waiver for your country.
- Check readiness before you submit. The free readiness check shows common gaps that lead to desk rejection.
- Follow the template and author guidelines exactly. Formatting problems send papers back before review even starts.
- Answer reviewer comments point by point. A clear response letter often avoids a second revision round.
- Know the cost too. If the journal charges an APC, check whether your author team qualifies for a waiver with our free APC waiver checker.
Is a very fast review a good sign?
Not always. A review of a few days, or a promise of acceptance within a week, can be a sign of a weak or absent peer review, which is common in predatory journals. A fast, legitimate journal still sends real reviewer comments. Check indexing, look at recent issues and check the journal’s retraction history before choosing a journal for its speed.
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal review time for a journal?
It varies by field and journal. Across journals in our data the median from submission to acceptance is several months; many journals fall between three and six months, and some take over a year.
Where can I see the review time of a specific journal?
Each journal page on ScholarsColab shows its median review time, the typical range, how many articles it is based on and the date of the data, when the publisher deposits these dates. The Journal Finder also shows it next to each suggested journal.
Why does the journal’s own website show a different number?
Journals often report “time to first decision”, which includes fast desk rejections and stops before revisions. Our figure is received to accepted for published papers, so it is usually longer.
Why is there no review time for some journals?
Not every publisher deposits received and accepted dates in Crossref. Springer Nature, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, BMC and Hindawi usually do; Elsevier, IEEE, MDPI, Frontiers and SAGE mostly do not, so their journals have no figure here. Without at least 10 articles with both dates, we do not show a figure.
How often is the data updated?
Every three months. The date of the data is shown with each figure.
Can someone help me choose a journal that reviews quickly?
Yes. ScholarsColab’s Journal Selection & Submission service shortlists up to 5 journals that match your manuscript, indexing requirement and quartile, and can take review time into account.
Want a PhD expert to choose the journal with you?
Our Journal Selection & Submission service shortlists up to 5 journals that match your manuscript, indexing requirement and target quartile, and handles the submission. If your paper was rejected before, a Manuscript Audit shows what to fix first.