Nature Genetics 'Under Consideration': What Each Status Means and When to Expect a Decision
If your Nature Genetics submission shows Under Consideration, here is what each status means, the typical timeline, and what it signals about your paper.
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Decision cue: Nature Genetics desk rejects approximately 70% of submissions. If your paper shows "Under Consideration" past the 10-day mark, you have very likely passed the desk screen. The journal publishes genetic and genomic studies that advance understanding of human biology and disease. The editorial test is whether the genetic insight is substantial enough to change how researchers think about the biology, not just whether the dataset is large.
Check your next submission's readiness while you wait.
Nature Genetics review pipeline
Status | What is happening | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
Received | Administrative processing | 1 to 2 days |
Under Consideration | Editor evaluating, consulting team, possibly inviting reviewers | Days to weeks |
Under Review (if shown) | Sent to external reviewers | 4 to 8 weeks |
Decision in Process | Editor reviewing reports | 3 to 7 days |
Decision Made | Check email | Same day |
Like other Nature journals, the tracking system is not highly granular. "Under Consideration" covers everything from initial editorial read to active reviewer search. The most reliable signal is elapsed time.
What the desk screen evaluates
Nature Genetics editors look for:
- Scale of genetic insight: Does the study reveal something new about genetic architecture, gene regulation, or genetic basis of disease? A larger GWAS of a known trait is less interesting than a novel genetic mechanism.
- Functional follow-up: GWAS hits without functional validation are increasingly difficult to publish at this tier. Editors want to see what the genetic association means biologically.
- Ancestry and diversity: Studies limited to European ancestry populations face questions about generalizability. Multi-ancestry analyses are valued.
- Methodological innovation: New analytical methods, statistical frameworks, or computational approaches that enable new biological insights.
What happens during peer review
Papers that pass the desk go to 2 to 3 expert reviewers, typically including at least one computational geneticist and one with domain expertise in the disease or trait being studied. Reviewers evaluate:
- statistical genetics methodology (appropriate models, proper multiple testing correction)
- functional validation depth (computational fine-mapping, eQTL analysis, experimental validation)
- ancestry representation and generalizability
- novelty relative to existing genetic knowledge
- data quality and completeness
Understanding the decision
- Revise: Nature Genetics revisions often require additional computational analyses, new cohort data, or functional experiments. Multi-ancestry replication is commonly requested.
- Reject after review: The genetic insight was not substantial enough, or the functional follow-up was insufficient. The detailed reviewer feedback is valuable for revision before targeting another journal.
- Redirect: Editors may suggest American Journal of Human Genetics, PLOS Genetics, or Genome Biology.
When to worry, when to wait
Situation | What it likely means |
|---|---|
Under Consideration, day 5 | Editor reading or discussing with team |
Under Consideration, day 10+ | Likely passed desk, reviewers being invited |
Under Consideration, day 14+ | Active review likely underway |
Under Consideration, day 45+ | Possible reviewer delay. Follow up politely |
Decision in Process | Reports received, decision within days |
What to do while waiting
- do not submit the same paper elsewhere
- prepare for reviewer requests for additional functional experiments or multi-ancestry replication
- Nature Genetics revisions often require new computational analyses or additional cohort data
- check your next manuscript's readiness while you wait
Related guides
Sources
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Reference library
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This article answers one part of the publishing decision. The reference library covers the recurring questions that usually come next: how selective journals are, how long review takes, and what the submission requirements look like across journals.
Dataset / reference guide
Peer Review Timelines by Journal
Reference-grade journal timeline data that authors, labs, and writing centers can cite when discussing realistic review timing.
Dataset / benchmark
Biomedical Journal Acceptance Rates
A field-organized acceptance-rate guide that works as a neutral benchmark when authors are deciding how selective to target.
Reference table
Journal Submission Specs
A high-utility submission table covering word limits, figure caps, reference limits, and formatting expectations.
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- Nature Genetics Submission Guide: What Editors Want, What Gets Rejected, and How to Prepare the Package
- How to avoid desk rejection at Nature Genetics
- Is Nature Genetics a Good Journal? A Practical Fit Verdict for Authors
- Pre-Submission Review for Genetics and Genomics Papers: What Nature Genetics Reviewers Expect
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