Authors who submit papers to Computational Linguistics (or many other journals) sometimes wonder why it seems to take so long for their article to appear in print. This page aims to explain the various processes involved. We're always trying to make improvements in this process, so if you have a good idea, feel free to email the Editor.
The first decision on a CL submission is in most cases 'revise and resubmit'. It is extremely rare for an article to be accepted with no revisions whatsoever. Our review process includes a discussion stage where the editor and the reviewers aim to reach a consensus on what is required in a resubmission in order for it to 'get across the line'.
| Step # | Description | Who | Interval since Previous Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Article submitted. See the submission guidelines for instructions. | Author | --- |
| 2 | Submission assessed for completeness and appropriateness; if incomplete, sent back to Author for resubmission; if suspected inappropriate, sent to Editor for review; if okay, go to Step 3. | Editorial Assistant | 48 hours |
| 3 | Abstract sent out to Editorial Board to identify reviewers. | Editorial Assistant | 0 days. |
| 4 | Candidate reviewer list constructed. | Editorial Assistant | 10-14 days. |
| 5 | Preferred reviewers selected from candidate list. | Editor | Within 24-72 hours. |
| 6 | Preferred reviewers invited to review; if any refuse, go back to Step 4. | Editorial Assistant | Within 72 hours. |
| 7 | Full paper sent to reviewers. | Editorial Assistant | Within 72 hours of agreeing to review. |
| 8 | Reviews submitted. | Reviewers | Varies significantly, but the 2007 average was 63 days. |
| 9 | Reviews collated and sent to Editor. | Editorial Assistant | Within 48 hours. |
| 10 | Reviews summarised and sent to all reviewers with points for discussion. | Editor | Within one week. |
| 11 | Final decision reached and sent to author. | Editor | Within 1-2 weeks of the start of the discussion. |
In the case of a 'revise and resubmit' decision, the above process is repeated from Step 7 when the revised submission is received. For articles submitted through the electronic submission system, see our help page for instructions on how to submit the revised article. Most articles go through one revision; many go through a second revision. Once a final revised version meeting the reviewers' concerns has been received, there are also usually some minor final changes required before the paper can be put into the publication process.
Once an article has been accepted for publication, the author is asked to provide a copy that meets the final submission guidelines.
| Step # | Description | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Final version of article submitted by email to contact@cljournal.org. | Author |
| 2 | LaTeX sources recompiled locally; copyright forms obtained; PDF and source files sent to MIT Press. | Editorial Assistant |
| 3 | Text is copy edited. | Copy Editor via MIT Press |
| 4 | Copy-editing changes applied to the source LaTeX. | Typesetter via MIT Press |
| 5 | Revised PDF and author queries sent to author; this version also posted as the Early Access version on the MIT Press website. | MIT Press |
| 6 | Revised PDF checked for errors. | Author and Editor |
| 7 | Corrections applied to source LaTeX. | Typesetter via MIT Press |
| 8 | Final proofreading; if any errors found, repeat Step 7. | MIT Press |
| 9 | Final version of article published. | MIT Press |
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