Authors who submit papers to Computational Linguistics (or many other journals) often wonder why it seems so long to process an article. This page aims to explain the various processes involved. We're always trying to make improvements in this process, so if you have a good ideas, feel free to email the editor.
The first decision on a CL submission is in most cases 'revise and resubmit'. It is extremely rare for an article to be accepted with no revisions whatsoever. Our review process includes a discussion stage where the editor and the reviewers aim to reach a consensus on what is required in a resubmission in order for it to 'get across the line'.
| Step # | Description | Who | Interval since Previous Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Article submitted by email to compling@ics.mq.edu.au. | Author | --- |
| 2 | Submission assessed for completeness and appropriateness; if incomplete, sent back to Author for resubmission; if suspected inappropriate, sent to Editor for review; if okay, go to Step 3. | Editorial Assistant | 48 hours |
| 3 | Abstract sent out to Editorial Board to identify reviewers. | Editorial Assistant | 0 days. |
| 4 | Candidate reviewer list constructed. | Editorial Assistant | 10-14 days. |
| 5 | Preferred reviewers selected from candidate list. | Editor | Within 24-72 hours. |
| 6 | Preferred reviewers invited to review; if any refuse, go back to Step 4. | Editorial Assistant | Within 72 hours. |
| 7 | Full paper sent to reviewers. | Editorial Assistant | Within 72 hours of agreeing to review. |
| 8 | Reviews submitted. | Reviewers | Varies significantly, but the 2007 average was 63 days. |
| 9 | Reviews collated and sent to Editor. | Editorial Assistant | Within 48 hours. |
| 10 | Reviews summarised and sent to all reviewers with points for discussion. | Editor | Within one week. |
| 11 | Final decision reached and sent to author. | Editor | Within 1-2 weeks of the start of the discussion. |
In the case of a 'revise and resubmit' decision, the above process is repeateed from Step 7 when the revised submission is received. Most articles go through one revision; many go through a second revision. Once a final revised version meeting the reviewers' concerns has been received, there are also usually some minor final changes required before the paper can be put into the publication process.
Once an article has been accepted for publication, the author is asked to provide a copy that meets the final submission guidelines.
| Step # | Description | Who | Interval since Previous Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Final version of article submitted by email to compling@ics.mq.edu.au. | Author | --- |
| 2 | PDF checked for any obvious formatting or style errors. | Editor | --- |
| 3 | LaTeX sources recompiled locally; copyright forms obtained; PDF and source files sent to MIT Press. | Editorial Assistant | Two weeks. |
| 4 | Text is copy edited. | Copy Editor via MIT Press | --- |
| 5 | Copy-editing changes applied to the source LaTeX. | Typesetter via MIT Press | --- |
| 6 | Revised PDF and author queries sent to author; this version also posted as the Early Access version on the MIT Press website. | MIT Press | --- |
| 7 | Revised PDF checked for errors. | Author and Editor | --- |
| 8 | Corrections applied to source LaTeX. | Typesetter via MIT Press | --- |
| 9 | Final proofreading; if any errors found, repeat Step 8. | MIT Press | --- |
| 10 | Final version of article published. | MIT Press | --- |
Make it better for the next user: let us know by sending us an email.