BMJ Open Under Review: What the Status Means and How Long It Takes

Total to first decision: 8-16 weeks from submission. High-volume periods (January, September) run toward the longer end.

BMJ Open operates fully open peer review. This means:

• Reviewers are told who the authors are (not anonymous review)
• Reviewers sign their names on their reports
• The reviewer reports and author responses are published as a pre-publication history alongside the final article

This transparency model affects the timeline. Reviewers who agree to open review are committing to a public record of their judgment. Some potential reviewers decline open review invitations, which can extend the time it takes to secure reviewers, particularly for sensitive or contested clinical topics.

If your paper has been Under Review for more than 10-12 weeks, the most likely explanation is reviewer recruitment difficulty, not a negative signal about the manuscript.

Yes. BMJ Open rejects a portion of papers at the editorial stage before peer review, primarily for scope mismatch, serious methodological problems identified at the desk, or failure to meet reporting standards (CONSORT for RCTs, STROBE for observational studies, PRISMA for systematic reviews). If your paper is Under Review, it passed that filter.

The more useful calibration:

• Under Review for less than 4 weeks: Probably in reviewer recruitment. No read on quality.
• Under Review for 4-8 weeks: Reviewers may be writing their reports. Normal.
• Under Review for 8-12 weeks: Approaching first decision. Still within normal range.
• Under Review for 12+ weeks: Longer than typical. A polite inquiry is appropriate.

BMJ Open reviewers focus on methodological soundness, not novelty or significance. The editorial criteria do not require a paper to demonstrate high-impact findings. Reviewers check:

• Study design and methods: are they appropriate for the research question?
• Reporting completeness: does the paper follow the relevant reporting guideline?
• Statistical analysis: are the methods correct and the conclusions supported?
• Ethical approvals and data availability
• Whether the abstract accurately reflects the content

A paper with solid methods, appropriate reporting, and supported conclusions passes BMJ Open's bar regardless of whether the findings are unexpected or the sample is large.

Wait at least 10-12 weeks from submission before contacting the editorial office. When you do:

• Use the BMJ Open contact form or the email listed in your acceptance confirmation
• Reference your manuscript ID
• Keep the message brief: request a status update, note when you submitted

One follow-up per 4-week interval after the 12-week mark is reasonable. BMJ Open is a high-volume journal and cannot provide individualized timelines, but the editorial office will usually acknowledge and escalate genuinely delayed cases.

• Reject: Usually with reviewer comments explaining why. The methodology problems identified are genuine and worth addressing before submitting elsewhere.
• Major revision: Common at BMJ Open. Expect requests to clarify methods, add limitations, update the reporting checklist, or address specific reviewer questions.
• Minor revision: Usually quick to resolve (2-4 weeks turnaround).
• Accept subject to revision: Less common as a first response, but possible for well-prepared manuscripts.

Before submitting a revision with significant methodological changes, a pre-submission review can assess whether your response addresses the reviewers' core concerns.