How long does peer review typically take for top journals?

For top-tier journals like Nature, Cell, and Science, the time to first decision after peer review can range from 3 to 8 weeks. Journals that aim for a faster turnaround might provide a desk rejection in as little as 4–7 days.

What is the difference between "time to first decision" and "time to desk rejection"?

"Time to first decision" refers to how long it takes a journal to provide a decision (accept, reject, or revise) after the manuscript has undergone a full peer review process. "Time to desk rejection" is the much shorter period before a manuscript is sent for peer review, when the editorial office decides it's not a good fit for the journal.

Can I speed up the peer review process?

While you cannot directly control the journal's review timeline, submitting a highly polished manuscript that perfectly matches the journal's scope and guidelines can help avoid delays or early desk rejection. Pre-submission review services can help identify and fix potential issues before submission.

Reference notes

Coverage

57 journals · 3 speed groups

Sources

Journal Intelligence Dataset + publisher and SciRev sources

Last reviewed

February 2026

Prepared by the Manusights editorial team.

Submission-planning reference

Peer Review Timelines: How Long Does Review Take? (57 Journals)

Peer review timelines by journal are scattered across author instructions, editorial reports, and author-reported databases. This reference page puts desk decisions and after-review timelines for 57 biomedical journals in one searchable table.

Each row separates time to desk rejection from time to first decision after peer review, which is the distinction most timeline roundups skip. Both matter, and they lead to very different submission strategies.

Quick orientation

Use this page when the journal shortlist is set and the practical question is how long each outcome path usually takes.

Search, sort, and export desk timing, first decision after review, desk reject rate, and source notes for 57 biomedical journals. Timeline ranges stay visible where journals avoid publishing exact medians.

57 journalsGrouped by speed patternDesk vs review timing

Reading the table

Desk timing and after-review timing answer different questions. A fast desk rejection can still be efficient. A long after-review cycle may still be worth it if the journal is the right strategic target.

Desk Decision vs. Peer Review Decision: What's the Difference?

Desk rejection (days to ~2 weeks)

An editor reads your paper without sending it to reviewers and rejects it. At top journals, this is the most common outcome: over 90% of submissions to Nature, NEJM, and Lancet are desk rejected. Fast journals like Nature Methods return desk rejections in 4–7 days. Slow journals like NEJM or Nature Medicine take 2–4 weeks. A quick desk rejection isn't a sign the work is bad. It often just means scope mismatch.

Peer review decision (weeks to months)

If the editor sends your paper for review, the clock restarts. Reviewer recruitment, availability, and back-and-forth with reviewers can add weeks or months. Most top journals return a first decision after peer review in 6–12 weeks. Some journals: particularly specialty journals and fully OA journals: take 3–5 months. Knowing this upfront helps you decide whether to wait or move on.

Peer review timelines by journal

Filter by journal name, timing pattern, or note text. Export the current view as CSV, TSV, or JSON for your own submission planning.

57 of 57 rows

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Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Blood

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

23.1

Desk decision

~30 days

After review

6–8 weeks

Desk reject rate

~60%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Blood is a flagship hematology journal with a meaningful but not impossible selectivity bar, rewarding studies that matter broadly across hematology.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

BMC Medicine

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

8.3

Desk decision

30–45 days total

After review

8–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

~45%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); BMC Medicine is a general-medicine OA journal with real selectivity but a lower consequence bar than top medical flagships.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

BMJ Open

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

2.3

Desk decision

~134 days total

After review

16–20 weeks

Desk reject rate

~30%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (reported); BMJ Open is a broad soundness-oriented clinical OA journal with slower timelines and a lower novelty threshold than BMJ.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Brain

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

11.7

Desk decision

6–8 weeks total

After review

10–14 weeks

Desk reject rate

~65%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Brain is a selective clinical-neuroscience journal that tolerates slower timelines in exchange for rigorous editorial screening and broad neurologic relevance.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Cancer Cell

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

44.5

Desk decision

~5 days

After review

~8 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cancer Cell is a fast-triage oncology flagship that expects both conceptual depth and real cancer consequence.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Cell

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

42.5

Desk decision

~14 days

After review

6–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cell rewards mechanistic completeness and broad biological consequence, and rejects many promising but still-incomplete stories early.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Cell Host & Microbe

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

18.7

Desk decision

30–45 days total

After review

8–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

~75%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cell Host & Microbe is a mechanistic host-pathogen journal with real Cell Press selectivity and a strong preference for complete conceptual stories.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Cell Metabolism

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

30.9

Desk decision

3–7 days

After review

9–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

>80%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cell Metabolism behaves like a metabolism flagship that expects both conceptual breadth and strong mechanistic support.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Cell Reports

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

6.9

Desk decision

~5 days

After review

5–7 weeks

Desk reject rate

~50%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cell Reports is a broad Cell Press OA venue with fast triage and a real completeness bar, but a lower breadth threshold than flagship Cell.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Cell Stem Cell

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

20.4

Desk decision

30–45 days total

After review

8–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

~75%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cell Stem Cell is a selective Cell Press venue that expects both conceptual weight and a very complete evidence package.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Circulation

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

38.6

Desk decision

~7 days

After review

4–6 weeks

Desk reject rate

~70%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Circulation combines fast triage with a flagship-cardiology significance bar and quickly filters out narrow work.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Circulation Research

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

16.2

Desk decision

21–35 days

After review

6–8 weeks

Desk reject rate

~70%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Circulation Research is a selective cardiovascular journal that rewards mechanistic depth and translational cardiovascular relevance more than raw prestige signaling.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Current Biology

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

7.5

Desk decision

30–45 days total

After review

6–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

~40%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Current Biology is broader and less selective than top Cell Press titles, but it still rewards clear conceptual interest and clean narrative packaging.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Developmental Cell

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

8.7

Desk decision

30–45 days total

After review

8–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

~65%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Developmental Cell is a selective Cell Press journal that sits below the flagship tier but still expects mechanistic completeness and a clear developmental concept.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

eLife

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

N/A

Desk decision

~30 days

After review

10–16 weeks

Desk reject rate

~50%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (reported); eLife is an open-review life-sciences venue with a distinct editorial model: public reviews, flexible format, and a meaningful but not flagship-style novelty bar.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

European Heart Journal

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

35.6

Desk decision

~10 days

After review

4–6 weeks

Desk reject rate

~75%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); EHJ is a flagship cardiology venue with rapid triage and a broad-cardiology significance bar.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Frontiers in Immunology

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

5.9

Desk decision

~80 days total

After review

12–16 weeks

Desk reject rate

~30%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Frontiers in Immunology is a broad OA immunology venue with collaborative review and a materially lower novelty threshold than top-tier immunology journals.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Gastroenterology

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

25.1

Desk decision

~14 days

After review

5–7 weeks

Desk reject rate

~70%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Gastroenterology is a flagship GI journal with fairly fast triage and a meaningful breadth bar inside the specialty.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Genome Biology

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

9.4

Desk decision

30–45 days total

After review

8–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

~55%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Genome Biology is a strong OA genomics venue that remains selective on utility, conceptual lift, and field-wide value.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

GUT

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

25.8

Desk decision

~14 days

After review

~5 weeks

Desk reject rate

~70%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); GUT is a selective BMJ specialty flagship that filters for broadly important gastroenterology and hepatology work.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Hepatology

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

15.8

Desk decision

~30 days

After review

6–8 weeks

Desk reject rate

~65%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Hepatology is a flagship liver journal with meaningful selectivity but a more accessible bar than general medical flagships.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Immunity

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

26.3

Desk decision

3–5 days

After review

3–4 weeks

Desk reject rate

~75%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Immunity triages extremely fast and prizes broad conceptual immunology rather than narrow specialist advances.

Standard Timeline (30–45 days to first decision)

JACC

Category

Standard Timeline (30–45 days to first decision)

IF (2024)

22.3

Desk decision

14–21 days

After review

4–6 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); JACC is highly selective and screens first for broad cardiovascular importance and clinical consequence.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

JAMA

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

55.0

Desk decision

2–3 weeks

After review

6–8 weeks

Desk reject rate

>90%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); JAMA behaves as a general medical flagship and rejects many technically strong but too-specialized papers at editorial triage.

Standard Timeline (30–45 days to first decision)

JAMA Cardiology

Category

Standard Timeline (30–45 days to first decision)

IF (2024)

14.1

Desk decision

14–21 days

After review

4–6 weeks

Desk reject rate

~80%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); JAMA Cardiology is a fast-triage clinical-cardiology journal that rewards broad practice relevance and disciplined general-medical framing.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

JAMA Oncology

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

20.1

Desk decision

~21 days

After review

6–8 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); JAMA Oncology screens for broad oncology relevance and rejects many technically solid but more limited specialty papers.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Journal of Clinical Investigation

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

13.6

Desk decision

2–4 weeks

After review

6–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

~70%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); JCI values disease-oriented mechanistic work and filters out papers that are either too basic for disease relevance or too clinical for mechanistic depth.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Journal of Clinical Oncology

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

41.9

Desk decision

~30 days

After review

6–8 weeks

Desk reject rate

~70%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); JCO is selective but more clinically practical than oncology flagships, rewarding papers that matter directly to oncology practice.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Journal of Neuroscience

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

4.0

Desk decision

45–60 days total

After review

8–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

~40%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Journal of Neuroscience is more accessible than top-tier neuroscience journals, but it still expects solid methodology and a clearly worthwhile neuroscience question.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Lancet Infectious Diseases

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

31.0

Desk decision

2–4 weeks

After review

6–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Lancet Infectious Diseases is a high-selectivity specialty flagship that screens hard for broad infectious-disease consequence and clear clinical or public-health relevance.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Lancet Neurology

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

45.5

Desk decision

2–4 weeks

After review

6–8 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Lancet Neurology is a premier neurology journal with rapid triage and a very high bar for field-wide clinical or translational consequence.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Molecular Cell

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

16.6

Desk decision

3–5 days

After review

3–4 weeks

Desk reject rate

~60%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Molecular Cell values mechanistic depth plus conceptual reach and is more selective than specialty molecular journals but less broad than Cell.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Molecular Psychiatry

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

10.1

Desk decision

45–60 days total

After review

10–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

~65%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Molecular Psychiatry sits at the psychiatry-neuroscience interface and rewards papers with both mechanistic credibility and clear psychiatric relevance.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Nature

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

48.5

Desk decision

~7 days

After review

~8–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

>90%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature is an extreme breadth-and-significance filter. Most technically strong but narrower papers are rejected at editorial triage before review.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Nature Biotechnology

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

41.7

Desk decision

~4 days

After review

6–8 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Biotechnology screens extremely fast for platform consequence and broad translational or field impact.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Nature Chemical Biology

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

13.7

Desk decision

30–45 days total

After review

8–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

>75%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Chemical Biology is selective about true chemical-biology identity and filters out papers that lean too far toward either pure chemistry or pure biology alone.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Nature Communications

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

15.7

Desk decision

~9 days

After review

6–8 weeks

Desk reject rate

~50%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Communications has a lower breadth threshold than flagship Nature titles but remains a real professional-editor novelty filter.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Nature Genetics

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

29.0

Desk decision

~30 days

After review

8–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Genetics is a flagship genetics filter prioritizing broad conceptual significance over merely large or technically competent datasets.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Nature Immunology

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

27.6

Desk decision

~5 days

After review

6–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

>90%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Immunology triages very fast and rewards broad conceptual immunology, not just excellent specialty work.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Nature Medicine

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

50.0

Desk decision

~30 days

After review

8–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Medicine is a translational flagship that screens for direct medical importance, not just elegant biology.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Nature Methods

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

32.1

Desk decision

~7 days

After review

6–8 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Methods filters for generalizable technical advances and quickly rejects narrowly useful or weakly benchmarked methods papers.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Nature Neuroscience

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

20.0

Desk decision

45–60 days

After review

12–16 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Neuroscience is a high-bar neuroscience flagship with slower editorial assessment and a premium on both conceptual importance and evidentiary strength.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

10.1

Desk decision

30–45 days total

After review

8–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

>80%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Structural & Molecular Biology is selective about conceptual payoff and rejects many technically strong structure papers that do not change the biology enough.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Neuron

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

15.0

Desk decision

3–5 days

After review

4–5 weeks

Desk reject rate

~75%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Neuron triages very quickly and rewards broad, conceptually important neuroscience rather than narrow subfield advances.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

New England Journal of Medicine

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

78.5

Desk decision

~21 days

After review

6–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

>90%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); NEJM is an extreme clinical filter focused on practice-changing consequence. Most competent clinical studies are rejected before full review.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Nucleic Acids Research

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

13.1

Desk decision

~45 days total

After review

6–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

~40%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); NAR is more accessible than flagship genetics or methods venues, especially for strong methods and resource papers, but still expects clear utility and good fit to its strongest editorial lanes.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

PLOS Medicine

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

9.9

Desk decision

6–8 weeks total

After review

10–14 weeks

Desk reject rate

~50%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); PLOS Medicine is a selective OA medicine journal with a broad clinical and public-health scope, rewarding rigor and consequence more than prestige theater.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

PLOS ONE

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

2.6

Desk decision

~40 days total

After review

8–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

~30%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (reported); PLOS ONE is a soundness-first OA venue with a much lower novelty bar than prestige journals, but still a real rigor and reporting filter.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

PNAS

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

9.1

Desk decision

~45 days total

After review

6–8 weeks

Desk reject rate

~50%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); PNAS sits below Nature and Science in breadth selectivity but still expects clear cross-field importance rather than purely specialist merit.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Science

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

45.8

Desk decision

~14 days

After review

8–12 weeks

Desk reject rate

>90%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Science screens first for broad significance and general scientific consequence, not just technical merit.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

Science Advances

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

12.5

Desk decision

1–3 weeks

After review

6–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

~60%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Science Advances is a selective AAAS OA venue with a lower breadth bar than Science but still a real general-science filter.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Science Translational Medicine

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

14.6

Desk decision

4–8 weeks total

After review

8–14 weeks

Desk reject rate

~75%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Science Translational Medicine is a selective translational journal that rewards credible bench-to-bedside consequence rather than generic translational branding.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

Scientific Reports

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

3.9

Desk decision

~120 days total

After review

14–20 weeks

Desk reject rate

~20%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Scientific Reports is a high-volume OA venue with a lower novelty threshold than flagships, but it still rejects weakly supported or poorly reported work.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

The BMJ

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

42.7

Desk decision

Days to 2 weeks

After review

~48 days with review

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (reported); The BMJ is a general medical flagship with strong reporting expectations and a high bar for broad clinical consequence.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

The EMBO Journal

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

8.3

Desk decision

4–6 weeks total

After review

8–14 weeks

Desk reject rate

~65%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); The EMBO Journal is a respected mechanistic biology venue with real selectivity, rewarding complete stories more than hype.

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

The Lancet

Category

Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)

IF (2024)

88.5

Desk decision

21–28 days

After review

6–10 weeks

Desk reject rate

>90%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); The Lancet screens hard for broad medical and policy consequence, not only study quality.

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

The Lancet Oncology

Category

Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)

IF (2024)

35.9

Desk decision

~14 days

After review

4–6 weeks

Desk reject rate

>85%

Notes

Canonical dataset row (estimated); Lancet Oncology is a fast-triage oncology flagship prioritizing broad oncology and clinical consequence over narrower specialty impact.

Category	Journal	IF (2024)	Desk decision	After review	Desk reject rate	Notes
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Blood	23.1	~30 days	6–8 weeks	~60%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Blood is a flagship hematology journal with a meaningful but not impossible selectivity bar, rewarding studies that matter broadly across hematology.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	BMC Medicine	8.3	30–45 days total	8–12 weeks	~45%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); BMC Medicine is a general-medicine OA journal with real selectivity but a lower consequence bar than top medical flagships.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	BMJ Open	2.3	~134 days total	16–20 weeks	~30%	Canonical dataset row (reported); BMJ Open is a broad soundness-oriented clinical OA journal with slower timelines and a lower novelty threshold than BMJ.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Brain	11.7	6–8 weeks total	10–14 weeks	~65%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Brain is a selective clinical-neuroscience journal that tolerates slower timelines in exchange for rigorous editorial screening and broad neurologic relevance.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Cancer Cell	44.5	~5 days	~8 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cancer Cell is a fast-triage oncology flagship that expects both conceptual depth and real cancer consequence.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Cell	42.5	~14 days	6–10 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cell rewards mechanistic completeness and broad biological consequence, and rejects many promising but still-incomplete stories early.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Cell Host & Microbe	18.7	30–45 days total	8–10 weeks	~75%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cell Host & Microbe is a mechanistic host-pathogen journal with real Cell Press selectivity and a strong preference for complete conceptual stories.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Cell Metabolism	30.9	3–7 days	9–10 weeks	>80%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cell Metabolism behaves like a metabolism flagship that expects both conceptual breadth and strong mechanistic support.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Cell Reports	6.9	~5 days	5–7 weeks	~50%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cell Reports is a broad Cell Press OA venue with fast triage and a real completeness bar, but a lower breadth threshold than flagship Cell.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Cell Stem Cell	20.4	30–45 days total	8–10 weeks	~75%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Cell Stem Cell is a selective Cell Press venue that expects both conceptual weight and a very complete evidence package.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Circulation	38.6	~7 days	4–6 weeks	~70%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Circulation combines fast triage with a flagship-cardiology significance bar and quickly filters out narrow work.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Circulation Research	16.2	21–35 days	6–8 weeks	~70%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Circulation Research is a selective cardiovascular journal that rewards mechanistic depth and translational cardiovascular relevance more than raw prestige signaling.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Current Biology	7.5	30–45 days total	6–10 weeks	~40%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Current Biology is broader and less selective than top Cell Press titles, but it still rewards clear conceptual interest and clean narrative packaging.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Developmental Cell	8.7	30–45 days total	8–12 weeks	~65%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Developmental Cell is a selective Cell Press journal that sits below the flagship tier but still expects mechanistic completeness and a clear developmental concept.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	eLife	N/A	~30 days	10–16 weeks	~50%	Canonical dataset row (reported); eLife is an open-review life-sciences venue with a distinct editorial model: public reviews, flexible format, and a meaningful but not flagship-style novelty bar.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	European Heart Journal	35.6	~10 days	4–6 weeks	~75%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); EHJ is a flagship cardiology venue with rapid triage and a broad-cardiology significance bar.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Frontiers in Immunology	5.9	~80 days total	12–16 weeks	~30%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Frontiers in Immunology is a broad OA immunology venue with collaborative review and a materially lower novelty threshold than top-tier immunology journals.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Gastroenterology	25.1	~14 days	5–7 weeks	~70%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Gastroenterology is a flagship GI journal with fairly fast triage and a meaningful breadth bar inside the specialty.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Genome Biology	9.4	30–45 days total	8–12 weeks	~55%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Genome Biology is a strong OA genomics venue that remains selective on utility, conceptual lift, and field-wide value.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	GUT	25.8	~14 days	~5 weeks	~70%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); GUT is a selective BMJ specialty flagship that filters for broadly important gastroenterology and hepatology work.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Hepatology	15.8	~30 days	6–8 weeks	~65%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Hepatology is a flagship liver journal with meaningful selectivity but a more accessible bar than general medical flagships.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Immunity	26.3	3–5 days	3–4 weeks	~75%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Immunity triages extremely fast and prizes broad conceptual immunology rather than narrow specialist advances.
Standard Timeline (30–45 days to first decision)	JACC	22.3	14–21 days	4–6 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); JACC is highly selective and screens first for broad cardiovascular importance and clinical consequence.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	JAMA	55.0	2–3 weeks	6–8 weeks	>90%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); JAMA behaves as a general medical flagship and rejects many technically strong but too-specialized papers at editorial triage.
Standard Timeline (30–45 days to first decision)	JAMA Cardiology	14.1	14–21 days	4–6 weeks	~80%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); JAMA Cardiology is a fast-triage clinical-cardiology journal that rewards broad practice relevance and disciplined general-medical framing.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	JAMA Oncology	20.1	~21 days	6–8 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); JAMA Oncology screens for broad oncology relevance and rejects many technically solid but more limited specialty papers.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Journal of Clinical Investigation	13.6	2–4 weeks	6–10 weeks	~70%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); JCI values disease-oriented mechanistic work and filters out papers that are either too basic for disease relevance or too clinical for mechanistic depth.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Journal of Clinical Oncology	41.9	~30 days	6–8 weeks	~70%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); JCO is selective but more clinically practical than oncology flagships, rewarding papers that matter directly to oncology practice.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Journal of Neuroscience	4.0	45–60 days total	8–12 weeks	~40%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Journal of Neuroscience is more accessible than top-tier neuroscience journals, but it still expects solid methodology and a clearly worthwhile neuroscience question.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Lancet Infectious Diseases	31.0	2–4 weeks	6–10 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Lancet Infectious Diseases is a high-selectivity specialty flagship that screens hard for broad infectious-disease consequence and clear clinical or public-health relevance.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Lancet Neurology	45.5	2–4 weeks	6–8 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Lancet Neurology is a premier neurology journal with rapid triage and a very high bar for field-wide clinical or translational consequence.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Molecular Cell	16.6	3–5 days	3–4 weeks	~60%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Molecular Cell values mechanistic depth plus conceptual reach and is more selective than specialty molecular journals but less broad than Cell.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Molecular Psychiatry	10.1	45–60 days total	10–12 weeks	~65%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Molecular Psychiatry sits at the psychiatry-neuroscience interface and rewards papers with both mechanistic credibility and clear psychiatric relevance.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Nature	48.5	~7 days	~8–12 weeks	>90%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature is an extreme breadth-and-significance filter. Most technically strong but narrower papers are rejected at editorial triage before review.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Nature Biotechnology	41.7	~4 days	6–8 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Biotechnology screens extremely fast for platform consequence and broad translational or field impact.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Nature Chemical Biology	13.7	30–45 days total	8–12 weeks	>75%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Chemical Biology is selective about true chemical-biology identity and filters out papers that lean too far toward either pure chemistry or pure biology alone.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Nature Communications	15.7	~9 days	6–8 weeks	~50%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Communications has a lower breadth threshold than flagship Nature titles but remains a real professional-editor novelty filter.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Nature Genetics	29.0	~30 days	8–12 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Genetics is a flagship genetics filter prioritizing broad conceptual significance over merely large or technically competent datasets.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Nature Immunology	27.6	~5 days	6–10 weeks	>90%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Immunology triages very fast and rewards broad conceptual immunology, not just excellent specialty work.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Nature Medicine	50.0	~30 days	8–12 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Medicine is a translational flagship that screens for direct medical importance, not just elegant biology.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Nature Methods	32.1	~7 days	6–8 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Methods filters for generalizable technical advances and quickly rejects narrowly useful or weakly benchmarked methods papers.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Nature Neuroscience	20.0	45–60 days	12–16 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Neuroscience is a high-bar neuroscience flagship with slower editorial assessment and a premium on both conceptual importance and evidentiary strength.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Nature Structural & Molecular Biology	10.1	30–45 days total	8–12 weeks	>80%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Nature Structural & Molecular Biology is selective about conceptual payoff and rejects many technically strong structure papers that do not change the biology enough.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Neuron	15.0	3–5 days	4–5 weeks	~75%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Neuron triages very quickly and rewards broad, conceptually important neuroscience rather than narrow subfield advances.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	New England Journal of Medicine	78.5	~21 days	6–10 weeks	>90%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); NEJM is an extreme clinical filter focused on practice-changing consequence. Most competent clinical studies are rejected before full review.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Nucleic Acids Research	13.1	~45 days total	6–10 weeks	~40%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); NAR is more accessible than flagship genetics or methods venues, especially for strong methods and resource papers, but still expects clear utility and good fit to its strongest editorial lanes.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	PLOS Medicine	9.9	6–8 weeks total	10–14 weeks	~50%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); PLOS Medicine is a selective OA medicine journal with a broad clinical and public-health scope, rewarding rigor and consequence more than prestige theater.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	PLOS ONE	2.6	~40 days total	8–12 weeks	~30%	Canonical dataset row (reported); PLOS ONE is a soundness-first OA venue with a much lower novelty bar than prestige journals, but still a real rigor and reporting filter.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	PNAS	9.1	~45 days total	6–8 weeks	~50%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); PNAS sits below Nature and Science in breadth selectivity but still expects clear cross-field importance rather than purely specialist merit.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Science	45.8	~14 days	8–12 weeks	>90%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Science screens first for broad significance and general scientific consequence, not just technical merit.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	Science Advances	12.5	1–3 weeks	6–10 weeks	~60%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Science Advances is a selective AAAS OA venue with a lower breadth bar than Science but still a real general-science filter.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Science Translational Medicine	14.6	4–8 weeks total	8–14 weeks	~75%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Science Translational Medicine is a selective translational journal that rewards credible bench-to-bedside consequence rather than generic translational branding.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	Scientific Reports	3.9	~120 days total	14–20 weeks	~20%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Scientific Reports is a high-volume OA venue with a lower novelty threshold than flagships, but it still rejects weakly supported or poorly reported work.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	The BMJ	42.7	Days to 2 weeks	~48 days with review	>85%	Canonical dataset row (reported); The BMJ is a general medical flagship with strong reporting expectations and a high bar for broad clinical consequence.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	The EMBO Journal	8.3	4–6 weeks total	8–14 weeks	~65%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); The EMBO Journal is a respected mechanistic biology venue with real selectivity, rewarding complete stories more than hype.
Longer Timelines (45+ days to first decision)	The Lancet	88.5	21–28 days	6–10 weeks	>90%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); The Lancet screens hard for broad medical and policy consequence, not only study quality.
Fastest Desk Decisions (under 2 weeks)	The Lancet Oncology	35.9	~14 days	4–6 weeks	>85%	Canonical dataset row (estimated); Lancet Oncology is a fast-triage oncology flagship prioritizing broad oncology and clinical consequence over narrower specialty impact.

How to Use This Data

If you're on a deadline

Grant submissions, job applications, and graduation timelines all interact with publication timelines. If you need a decision within 6 weeks, avoid journals where full review takes 3–5 months. Journals like Circulation, Neuron, and Immunity return first decisions within 3–5 weeks once past the desk.

If you're trying to avoid wasting months

Top journals with fast desk decisions (Nature Methods at 4 days, Cell at ~14 days) are actually efficient even with high rejection rates. A 5-day desk rejection from Nature Methods is much better than waiting 90 days at a lower-tier journal only to get revisions you could have handled elsewhere.

If you're comparing submission options

A journal with a 40% acceptance rate and 120-day timeline (Scientific Reports) might serve you worse than a journal with a 15% rate and a 35-day timeline (Science Advances). Timeline and acceptance rate together determine your expected time from submission to a yes. Run both numbers.

Data Sources

• Publisher statistics: Journal websites and annual editorial reports where publicly available (BMJ publishes median time-to-decision; Nature family journals publish metrics; AAAS journals publish statistics)
• Author-reported timelines: SciRev.org (peer-verified submission outcome reports), supplemented by published author surveys and Web of Science Reviewer Recognition data
• Publisher-published data: Journals that disclose average time-to-first-decision in their author information pages, including BMJ (bmj.com/about-bmj), eLife (elifesciences.org), and PLOS (journals.plos.org/plosone/s/journal-information)
• Editor commentary: Published editorials and interviews where editors have disclosed timeline data
• All figures are ranges or estimates: individual experiences vary based on reviewer availability, editorial workload, and seasonal factors
• Last updated: February 2026

Version history

February 2026

Reviewed journal timing ranges, refreshed source notes, added dataset export options, and standardized citation formatting.

December 2025

Expanded the timeline coverage to 57 biomedical journals and separated desk timing from first decision after peer review.

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