Timeline Overview
How Long Does Peer Review Take?
"How long until I hear back?" is the question every author asks after hitting submit. The answer ranges from a few days to several months, depending on the journal and on whether the editor stops at a desk decision or sends the paper to external review.
The table below is the fast overview layer for 169 journals. It focuses on first-decision timing: the initial response from the journal, whether that is a desk rejection, a revise decision, or an invitation deeper into review. If you want the more detailed desk-versus-after-review split, use the full peer review timeline dataset.
A fast first decision is not automatically better. Some journals are fast because they desk reject aggressively. Others are slow because they send more papers into full review. The real question is whether the timeline fits your deadline, your backup plan, and how much iteration time you can afford.
Fastest first answers
Science Advances, Appl. Energy, JAMA
These are among the fastest places to learn whether the submission is moving forward or being turned away early.
What this page is for
Quick journal-speed triage
Use this overview when deciding whether a journal is fast enough for your current submission window before you dig into a deeper journal-by-journal comparison.
Slowest first decisions
Current Research in Translational Medicine, Cells & Development, Appl. Catal. A
These timelines are where a “safer” journal can quietly become the slower strategic choice overall.
| Journal | Time to First Decision | Acceptance Rate | Impact Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Science Advances | 1-4 weeks to first editorial decision | ~10% | 13.9 |
| Appl. Energy | 1 day to first decision | ~35-45% | 12.2 |
| JAMA | 2-3 weeks to first decision | <5% | 65.4 |
| BMJ | Days to 2 weeks for desk decisions; ~48 days median with peer review | ~7% overall; ~4% for research articles | 55.1 |
| Gut | ~2 weeks for desk decisions; 24 days median with peer review | ~12% | 24.6 |
| J. Clin. Investigation | 2-4 weeks to first decision | ~8-10% | 14.3 |
| Lancet Infectious Diseases | 2-4 weeks to first decision | ~12% | 29.5 |
| Lancet Neurology | 2-4 weeks initial decision | ~10% | 22.8 |
| Sustainability | ~2-6 weeks | ~35-45% | 4.1 |
| Environmental Research | 2 days submission to first decision on ScienceDirect | ~15-25% | 8.2 |
| Cell Metabolism | 3-7 days to desk decision; ~9-10 weeks to first decision after review | ~5-8% | 37 |
| Immunity | 3-5 days to desk decision; 3-4 weeks to first decision after review | ~8-10% overall; ~25% of manuscripts sent for peer review | 30.6 |
| Molecular Cell | 3-5 days to desk decision; 3-4 weeks to first decision after review | ~13% | 16 |
| BMC Medicine | 3 days median to first editorial decision | ~20% | 8.7 |
| Microchem. J. | 3 days to first decision; 29 days after review | Not publicly disclosed | 5.1 |
| Acta Materialia | ~3-5 months to first decision | ~20-30% | 10.7 |
| Diabetologia | ~3-6 weeks | ~15-20% | 10.4 |
| Nature Biotechnology | 4 days median to first editorial decision | <10% | 44.5 |
| Neuron | 4 days to first decision | Not disclosed | 16.9 |
| The EMBO Journal | 4-day median first decision | ~10-15% est. | 8.4 |
| Carbohydr. Res. | 4 days to first decision | Not publicly disclosed | 2.5 |
| Phytomedicine | ~4-8 weeks | ~20-25% | 11.3 |
| Cancer Cell | ~5 days to desk decision; ~8 weeks to first decision after review | ~8-10% | 56.1 |
| Nature Immunology | 5 days median to first editorial decision | ~5-8% | 26.5 |
| Cell Reports | 5 days median to first editorial decision | ~15-20% | 7.7 |
| ESWA | 5 days to first decision | Selective | 9.4 |
| Appl. Catal. B | 5 days to first decision | ~30-35% | 19.7 |
| Chemical Physics | 5 days submission to first decision (publisher display) | Not publicly disclosed | 2.4 (publisher-displayed) |
| PRX Quantum | 5 days before review; 58 days after review (2025 APS aggregates) | Not publicly reported | 12.3 |
| Brain | 6-8 weeks for first decision | ~15% | 12.6 |
| PLOS Medicine | 6-8 weeks to first decision | ~15% | 9.9 |
| AMP | ~6-12 weeks | ~10-20% | 6.9 |
| Nature | 7 days median to first decision | <8% | 56.1 |
| Nature Methods | 7 days median to first editorial decision | ~8-10% | 28.3 |
| Colloids and Surfaces A | 7 days to first decision | Not publicly stated | 5.4 |
| J. Biol. Chemistry | ~8-12 weeks | ~30-35% | 4.1 |
| Nature Cancer | 8 days median to first editorial decision | Not publicly disclosed | 28.0 (2025 JIF) |
| Nature Communications | ~9 days to first editorial decision | ~20% | 18.1 |
| Applied Surface Science | 9 days to first decision | 19% | 6.6 |
| Chemical Engineering Journal | 10 days to first decision | ~20-30% | 12.5 |
| Nature Chemical Biology | 11 days median to first editorial decision | Not publicly disclosed | 15.8 |
| Science | ~14 days to first decision | <7% | 47.3 |
| Cell | ~14 days to first decision | <8% | 45.1 |
| Lancet Oncology | ~14 days (very fast) | ~8% | 33.7 |
| JACC | 14-21 days for initial decision | ~5% | 21.7 |
| JAMA Cardiology | 14-21 days to first decision | ~8% | 15.6 |
| Circulation | 17 days median to first decision | ~7% | 41.3 |
| European Heart Journal | ~20 days | ~10% | 45.3 |
| Lancet | 21-28 days to first decision | <5% | 109 |
| NEJM | 21 days median to first decision | <5% | 84.5 |
| Scientific Reports | 21 days median to first editorial decision | ~57% | 4.9 |
| JAMA Oncology | ~21 days | ~8% | 23.9 |
| Circulation Research | 21-35 days for initial decision | ~10% | 16.5 |
| Adv. Funct. Materials | ~21 days median to first decision | ~12-18% | 19.9 |
| Bioinformatics | ~23 days median first decision | ~20-25% | 5.5 |
| Appl. Phys. Lett. | 24 days to first decision | ~40-50% | 3.8 |
| Gastroenterology | ~25 days | ~12% | 29.7 |
| Nature Medicine | ~30 days to first decision | <8% | 52.5 |
| Nature Genetics | ~30 days to first decision | <10% | 25.5 |
| eLife | ~30 days to editorial assessment; reviewed preprints published regardless | ~15% | N/A |
| J. Clin. Oncology | ~30 days | ~15% | 44.7 |
| Blood | ~30 days | ~20% | 23.9 |
| Hepatology | ~30 days | ~15% | 18 |
| Cell Host & Microbe | 30-45 days to first decision | ~12% | 18.7 |
| Cell Stem Cell | 30-45 days | ~10% | 19.8 |
| Current Biology | 30-45 days for initial decision | ~35% | 9.2 |
| Developmental Cell | 30-45 days initial decision | ~18% | 9.2 |
| Genome Biology | 30-45 days to first decision | ~15% | 12.0 |
| Nature Struct. & Mol. Biol. | 30-45 days to first decision | ~12% | 16.5 |
| Angewandte Chemie | ~30 days to first decision | ~8% | 17.6 |
| Physical Review Letters | ~30 days to first decision | ~7% | 9.4 |
| ACS Appl. Materials | ~30 days median to first decision | ~25-30% | 7.8 |
| IEEE Access | ~30 days median to first decision | ~40-45% | 4.2 |
| ACS Nano | 31.9 days median to first decision with peer review | ~8.4% | 17.3 |
| PLOS ONE | 40 days median to first decision | ~31% | 2.8 |
| Advanced Materials | ~40 days to first decision | ~6% | 29.1 |
| PNAS | ~45 days to first decision | ~15% | 9.5 |
| Nucleic Acids Research | ~45 days | ~45% | 15 |
| Journal of Neuroscience | 45-60 days | ~25% | 4.4 |
| Molecular Psychiatry | 45-60 days to first decision | ~12% | 11.0 |
| Nature Neuroscience | 45-60 days to first decision | ~9% | 20.3 |
| JACS | ~45 days to first decision | ~8% | 16.6 |
| IJMS | ~45 days to first decision | ~30% | 5.6 |
| J. Cleaner Production | ~45 days median to first decision | ~20-25% | 10.7 |
| RNA | ~45-75 days median | ~25-35% | 4.3 |
| Sci. Total Environment | ~60 days to first decision | ~18% | 8.0 |
| Physical Review B | ~60 days to first decision | ~35% | 3.9 |
| ApJ | ~60 days median to first peer review decision | ~70-75%; rejection is primarily editorial/scope-based | 5.7 |
| Physical Review D | ~60-90 days median | ~50-60% | 5.3 |
| Molecules | ~60-90 days median | ~50-60% | 5.1 |
| RSC Adv. | ~60-90 days median | ~60-70% | 6.1 |
| Sensors | ~60-80 days median | ~50-60% | 4 |
| Nutrients | ~60-90 days median | ~50-60% | 5.8 |
| Appl. Sci. | ~60-90 days median | ~50-60% | 2.9 |
| Remote Sens. | ~60-90 days median | ~50-60% | 4.3 |
| Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. | ~60-90 days median | ~5-10% (highly selective, mostly invited) | 118 |
| Nat. Rev. Cancer | ~60-90 days median | ~2-5% (highly selective, mostly invited) | 60.7 |
| Trends Mol. Med. | ~60-90 days median | ~10-20% (primarily invited reviews) | 18.1 |
| AJHG | ~60-90 days median | ~20-30% | 7.7 |
| Genome Res. | ~60-90 days median | ~25-35% | 6.3 |
| JEM | ~60-90 days median | ~15-25% | 11.6 |
| MSB | ~60-100 days median | ~15-25% | 6.7 |
| PLOS Biol. | ~60-90 days median | ~10% | 6.9 |
| Materials | ~70-100 days median | ~50-60% | 3.7 |
| Frontiers in Immunology | ~80 days | ~40% | 7 |
| Food Chem. | ~80-120 days median | ~35-40% | 10.4 |
| J. Chem. Phys. | ~80-110 days median | ~35-40% | 3.7 |
| Front. Plant Sci. | ~80-110 days median | ~50-60% | 5.9 |
| Environ. Sci. Technology | ~90-120 days median | ~25-30% | 12.2 |
| Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. | ~90-120 days median | ~50-60% | 5.2 |
| J. Hazard. Mater. | ~90-120 days median | ~30-35% | 10.6 |
| Int. J. Hydrog. Energy | ~90-130 days median | ~40-50% | 9.2 |
| Int. J. Biol. Macromol. | ~90-120 days median | ~45-55% | 8.7 |
| Bioresour. Technol. | ~90-120 days median | ~35-45% | 8.2 |
| Front. Microbiol. | ~90-120 days median | ~40-50% | 5.8 |
| Chem. Commun. | ~90-120 days median | ~20-30% | 4.3 |
| Nano Lett. | ~90-120 days median | ~15-20% | 9.1 |
| Anal. Chem. | ~90-120 days median | ~35-45% | 7.3 |
| Ceram. Int. | ~90-120 days median | ~45-55% | 6 |
| J. Agric. Food Chem. | ~90-120 days median | ~40-50% | 6.7 |
| Carbohydr. Polym. | ~90-120 days median | ~45-55% | 13.2 |
| J. Phys. Chem. C | ~90-120 days median | ~45-55% | 3.4 |
| J. Appl. Phys. | ~90-120 days median | ~50-60% | 2.7 |
| Clin. Infect. Dis. | ~90-120 days median | ~25-35% | 8.3 |
| J. Immunol. | ~90-120 days median | ~40-50% | 4 |
| Ann. Oncol. | ~90-120 days median | ~10-20% | 80.4 |
| Struct. Biol. | ~90-120 days median | ~25-35% | 10.1 |
| Constr. Build. Materials | ~100-150 days median | ~30-35% | 8.9 |
| J. Alloys Compd. | ~100-130 days median | ~40-50% | 6.7 |
| Journal of Materials Chemistry A | ~100-140 days median | ~35-40% | 9.2 |
| Energy | ~100-140 days median | ~40-50% | 10.1 |
| Fuel | ~100-130 days median | ~40-50% | 7.8 |
| Small | ~100-140 days median | ~15-25% | 11.8 |
| Adv. Energy Mater. | ~100-140 days median | ~15-25% | 25.5 |
| Water Res. | ~100-120 days median | ~25-35% | 12.8 |
| J. Power Sources | ~100-130 days median | ~30-40% | 8.4 |
| ACS Catal. | ~100-130 days median | ~20-30% | 13.6 |
| J. Colloid Interface Sci. | ~100-130 days median | ~40-50% | 9.6 |
| Cancer Res. | ~100-130 days median | ~15-20% | 22.6 |
| Clin. Cancer Res. | ~100-130 days median | ~20-30% | 10.9 |
| Diabetes Care | ~100-130 days median | ~30-40% | 22.6 |
| Chemical Reviews | ~120 days to first decision | ~5% | 64.2 |
| Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. | ~120-180 days median | ~30-40% | 18 |
| Astron. Astrophys. | ~120-150 days median | ~40-50% | 6.1 |
| BMJ Open | 134 days median with review | 27% | 2.5 |
| Chem. Soc. Rev. | ~150-200 days median | ~15-25% | 48.3 |
| Science Immunology | Fast editorial triage for poor-fit submissions | Highly selective | 16.4 |
| Front. Pharmacol. | Varies by specialty section and review path | Not officially published | 5.4 |
| Science Translational Medicine | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed | 15.6 |
| IEEE TPAMI | Editorial screening first | Highly selective | 20.4 |
| Ann Surg Oncol | Not publicly verified | Not publicly disclosed | Not verified as a current 2025 JCR value |
| EnergyChem | Not publicly verified | Not publicly disclosed | 23.8 (publisher-displayed) |
| JCAP | Editorial screening first | Selective specialist journal | 6.4 |
| Journal of Hydrology | Editorial screening first | Selective environmental science journal | 7.3 |
| RMP | Proposal and editorial encouragement first | Highly selective and proposal-led | 48.9 |
| Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy | Editorial screening first; peer review after editor fit | Selective Elsevier pharmacotherapy journal | 7.5 |
| Journal of CO2 Utilization | Editorial screening first; peer review after editor fit | Selective Elsevier CO2 utilization journal | 8.6 |
| Building and Environment | Editorial screening first; peer review after editor fit | Selective Elsevier built-environment journal | 8.4 |
| Cell Death and Differentiation | Editorial screening first; peer review after editor fit | Selective Springer Nature cell-death journal | 13.6 |
| Cell Death & Disease | Editorial screening first; peer review after editor fit | Selective Springer Nature open-access journal | 12.2 |
| Drugs | Presubmission inquiry before invited Review development | Proposal and invitation led | 14.7 |
| JCB | Presubmission replies often within about two days; peer-review timing depends on editor fit | Selective RUP cell-biology journal | 6.1 |
| JCR | Editorial screening first; peer review after delivery-mechanism fit | Highly selective Elsevier drug-delivery journal | 12.4 |
| Journal of Energy Storage | Elsevier insights report first decision and review timelines at journal level | Selective Elsevier energy-storage journal | 10.7 |
| Tourism Management | Editorial screening first; peer review after theory and method fit | Highly selective Elsevier tourism journal | 14.5 |
| The Plant Cell | The journal reports fast first-decision timing for reviewed manuscripts | Selective ASPB and OUP plant-science journal | 11.6 |
| Appl. Catal. A | Check current publisher guidance | Not publicly reported | 4.8 |
| Cells & Development | Not publicly verified | Not publicly disclosed | Not verified as a current 2025 JCR value |
| Current Research in Translational Medicine | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Verify current JCR |
What these timelines actually measure
Most journals report "time to first decision," but that means different things at different journals. At Nature and Cell, a fast first decision usually means a quick desk reject or an invitation to send the full paper (if you submitted a presubmission inquiry). At PNAS, the first decision comes after full peer review.
Journals with professional editors (Nature family, Cell Press, Science) tend to have faster desk decisions because the editors are full-time and handling manuscripts is their primary job. Journals with academic editors (many society journals) can be slower because the editors are also running labs and teaching.
The full publication timeline
From submission to published paper, most researchers should expect 4-12 months. Here's a rough breakdown:
- Desk decision: 3 days to 4 weeks
- Peer review: 3-8 weeks after the desk decision
- Revision period: 30-90 days (your time to respond)
- Second review (if needed): 2-4 weeks
- Production: 1-4 weeks after acceptance
The step most people underestimate is the revision period. Journals give you 60-90 days for major revisions, and you should use enough of that time to do the work properly. Submitting your revision in three days tells the editor you didn't take the comments seriously.
When the timeline matters most
Speed matters when you're in a competitive field and someone else is working on the same question. It matters when you have a job application deadline or a grant report due. It matters less when you have the luxury of time and care more about getting the best possible feedback.
If speed is critical, check whether the journal offers expedited review (some do for time-sensitive findings). Also consider preprints: posting on bioRxiv or medRxiv establishes your priority date while you wait for the journal process to play out.
For more on choosing the right journal for your situation, see our guide on how to choose the right journal.
Before you wait six months to find out
Know if your manuscript is ready before you submit
Review timelines are long because most manuscripts need revision. The faster move is to screen the draft for submission-readiness issues before you enter the queue.
Run the submission-readiness checkRelated resources
- Journal Acceptance Rates - how selective each journal is
- How to Respond to Reviewer Comments - make the revision process as smooth as possible
- Major vs Minor Revision - what each decision actually means for your paper
- All Journal Publishing Guides - detailed submission advice for each journal