Manuscript Turnaround Guarantee
Manuscript Turnaround Guarantee
We guarantee that, if the time from initial submission to first decision after peer review exceeds 60 days, we will provide that author with a full waiver of the journal publication fee. Please see the FAQ below for details about this offer.
Commitment to Fast Decisions
Our professional full-time staff editors provide valuable assistance to the academic journal Editors by screening manuscripts for scope and suitability for the journal, monitoring reviewer assignments, suggesting potential reviewers when appropriate, and assisting Editors with decisions. Our dedicated journal staff members carefully monitor the status of each submitted manuscript to ensure it is progressing through the process appropriately. As a result of this commitment, authors of manuscripts submitted to the AACR journals in 2022 received decisions as detailed below.
First decision without peer review (triage/desk rejection)1
Average: 4.3 days, Median: 3.3 days
First decision with peer review1, 2
Average: 36 days, Median: 34 days, Fraction >60 days: 2.9%
All rejection decisions come with an option for the author to easily transfer their manuscript to another AACR journal that may be more appropriate. Please see our Manuscript Transfer Service page for details.
1 Measured as the time from completion of submission to the sending of the formal decision letter to the corresponding author.
2 98% of first decisions with peer review had comments from 2 or more reviewers.
FAQ
What is the Manuscript Turnaround Guarantee?
If the time from completion of submission to the first decision after review exceeds 60 days, the corresponding author will receive a discount code for a full waiver of the journal publication fees (excluding any open access fee) for that manuscript or a different manuscript accepted for publication by an AACR journal*, and on which he or she is listed as an author.
What manuscript types does the guarantee apply to?
The guarantee applies to all original research article types. It does not apply to reviews, commentaries, or similar types that do not report new research findings.
How is the turnaround time measured?
The time is measured beginning the day the corresponding author receives the official letter from the journal acknowledging receipt of their completed submission and ending the day they receive the first official decision letter from the editor with the reviewer comments.
Does this guarantee apply to manuscripts that are triaged?
No, this guarantee does not apply to manuscripts that are triaged. The guarantee applies only to those manuscripts that are sent out for peer review.
Who can take advantage of this guarantee?
If the measured time described above exceeds 60 days, the individual designated as the corresponding author in the AACR manuscript submission system (SmartSubmit) will receive email notification of the waiver/discount offer and a code necessary to redeem the waiver. The individual who receives the code, and only this person, can use it when he or she is an author on a manuscript submitted to another AACR journal*, regardless of her/his position in the author list.
When will the corresponding author receive the waiver/discount code?
The code will typically be emailed to the corresponding author of the delayed manuscript within two weeks of receiving the first official decision letter.
Who is responsible for inputting the waiver/discount code?
It is up to the corresponding author to redeem the code on the delayed manuscript or another manuscript submitted to any AACR journal*, by making sure the code is input into the Discount Code field in SmartSubmit.
When does the code need to be provided by the author?
The code may be entered into SmartSubmit at any point up to and including submission of the final version of a manuscript following Provisional Acceptance, and before receipt of the formal acceptance letter. The code may not be used during the invoicing phase of the publication process.
How long is the code good for?
The code is good for the calendar year in which the original delayed manuscript was accepted or rejected, and for the following calendar year. The redemption date is the initial submission complete date of the manuscript that is ultimately accepted and for which the waiver/discount is input by the author.
How many times may the code be used?
The code may be used to redeem a waiver for a single accepted manuscript. However, the corresponding author receiving the code may enter the waiver/discount as many times as desired during the two-year redemption period noted above.
May the code be entered on behalf of more than one manuscript at the same time?
Yes, the code may be entered on two or more different manuscripts that are under active consideration at other AACR journals*. However, the waiver will be applied only to the first manuscript that is accepted for publication.
Does the waiver apply to Open Access fees?
No, this waiver/discount does not apply to the article publication charge at Cancer Research Communications or to the open access fee that is applied when an author requests that their manuscript be published as gold open access under a Creative Commons license at one of the AACR’s hybrid journals.
* Excluding the AACR’s open access journal, Cancer Research Communications.
