Manuscript Review and Publication Timeline
The Journal of Planner and Development (JPD) is committed to ensuring a clear, fair, and academically responsible editorial and peer-review process. The following timeline explains the main stages that a submitted manuscript passes through from initial receipt to the first editorial decision, and then from final acceptance to publication.
The timeline begins only after the journal receives a complete submission file that includes all required manuscript documents, author information, ethical declarations, and any necessary supporting files.
1. From Submission to First-Round Editorial Decision
The first-round review process is expected to be completed within 60 days from the date of receiving a complete manuscript submission. This period includes initial screening, technical and editorial checks, plagiarism/similarity screening, reviewer selection, peer review, and preparation of the first editorial decision.
| Stage | Expected Duration | Main Responsibility | Expected Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manuscript receipt and registration | Day 1 | Editorial Secretary | Manuscript number, date of receipt, and confirmation of basic submission files. |
| Initial technical and editorial screening | Day 2 | Technical Editor | Preliminary technical report on journal template, manuscript structure, tables, figures, maps, references, and missing information. |
| Similarity and plagiarism screening | Day 3 | Screening Officer / Editorial Board | Similarity report and originality check based on the approved similarity-detection system. |
| Preliminary scientific screening | Day 4 | Editor-in-Chief or Subject Editor | Initial academic assessment of the research problem, methodology, results, originality, and relevance to the journal scope. |
| Initial editorial decision and assignment of handling editor | Day 5 | Editor-in-Chief | Decision to proceed to peer review, return for technical correction, desk reject, or refer for special editorial consideration. |
| Reviewer selection and invitation | Day 6 | Handling Editor | Invitation of suitable reviewers to secure at least two independent peer-review reports. |
| Reviewer confirmation and replacement if needed | Days 7–10 | Handling Editor | Confirmation of at least two reviewers and replacement of non-responding reviewers when necessary. |
| First-round peer review | Days 11–45 | Reviewers | Receipt of at least two independent scientific review reports. |
| Assessment and synthesis of reviewer reports | Days 46–51 | Handling Editor | Review of report quality, removal of inappropriate comments if needed, and synthesis of major revision points. |
| Preparation of the first editorial decision | Days 52–56 | Handling Editor / Editor-in-Chief | Editorial recommendation: acceptance, minor revision, major revision, re-review, or rejection. |
| Approval and communication of the first decision | Days 57–60 | Editorial Board | Official first-round decision sent to the author with reviewer comments and revision instructions. |
Accordingly, the expected period from receiving a complete manuscript to issuing the first-round editorial decision is 60 days.
2. After the First-Round Decision
After the first-round editorial decision, the following timelines may apply depending on the type of decision and the extent of revisions required.
| Decision Type | Author Revision Period | Editorial Rechecking Period | Return to Reviewers | Expected Time to Next Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accept without revision | Not required | 3–5 days | No | 3–5 days |
| Minor revisions | 10 days | 5 days | Usually no | Approximately 15 days |
| Major revisions | 21–30 days | 5 days | Yes, if required | 35–50 days |
| Re-review after substantial revision | 21–30 days | 5 days | Yes | 45–60 days |
| Reject | Not applicable | Not applicable | No | The manuscript file is closed. |
3. From Final Acceptance to Publication
After final acceptance, the manuscript enters the production and publication stage. This stage includes final acceptance confirmation, publication fee procedures when applicable, final formatting, proofreading, author proof approval, bibliographic checking, and scheduling for publication.
| Stage | Expected Duration | Main Responsibility | Expected Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issuing final acceptance | 2 days | Editor-in-Chief | Documented final acceptance decision. |
| Requesting publication fees after acceptance only | 3–5 days | Journal Administration / Author | Payment receipt or confirmation of payment. |
| Final technical review of template, language, references, tables, and figures | 5–7 days | Technical Editor | Manuscript prepared for final layout and production. |
| Preparation and author approval of final proof | 2–3 days | Editorial Team | Author approval of the final version. |
| Final pre-publication check | 2 days | Managing Editor / Technical Editor | Verification of bibliographic data, page layout, license information, PDF file, and Word file. |
| Publication scheduling | 3–7 days | Editor-in-Chief / Managing Editor | Assignment of the manuscript to the nearest available issue according to final acceptance date and production readiness. |
Important Notes
- The stated timeline applies to complete submissions that meet the journal’s basic technical and ethical requirements.
- Incomplete submissions, missing files, incorrect formatting, unclear author information, or unresolved ethical issues may delay the editorial process.
- The peer-review period may vary depending on reviewer availability, report quality, and the need to invite additional reviewers.
- Publication fees, when applicable, are requested only after final acceptance and are not a condition for peer-review evaluation.
- The journal reserves the right to reject a manuscript at any stage if serious ethical, methodological, originality, or scope-related concerns are identified.
