Peer-Review Process

• Number of External Reviewers: 2-3


• Average Time for Review: Approximately 3-5 months


• Reviewers’ Comments to Authors: Yes


• Feedback to Authors: Yes, copy of reviews


• Fees Charged to Review Manuscript: None


• Percentage of Non-Refereed Articles: None


• Sponsorship: MIS Research Center (University of Minnesota) and the Association for Information Systems

1. Registration
   • Authors who have not previously submitted papers to MISQ or reviewed for the journal will have to first register themselves on the system. Already being registered at another ScholarOne Manuscripts venue (such as ICIS or Information Systems Research) does NOT mean that you are automatically registered on the MISQ system. Each organization has its own registration directory and you will need to sign up separately for MISQ.
2. Submission
   • Once logged into the MISQ ScholarOne Manuscripts website, you will be asked to answer a set of questions and upload your materials. After you complete your submission, the managing editor will notify the editor-in-chief who will review the author’s nominations and assign the paper to a senior editor.
3. Initial Screenings
   • A senior editor first screens the submission. The senior editor evaluates whether the paper (1) addresses a topic and uses a genre that fits within the mission of MISQ and (2) has achieved a level of quality that justifies further evaluation by a review team.
   • The senior editor then decides whether to seek the assistance of an associate editor. If the senior editor has a high level of expertise in the topic of the paper, they may not engage an associate editor. Similarly, for submissions to the Issues and Opinions and Theory and Review categories, associate editors may serve as a reviewer rather than an editor. If associate editors are engaged, however, they apply a second screening to the paper.
   • If submissions do not pass the initial screening(s), they are returned to the authors as inappropriate or rejected submissions.
4. Review
   • Papers that pass the initial screening are then sent to a panel of reviewers (usually two or three).
   • Once review comments are returned to the editors, the associate editor assimilates them and makes an editorial recommendation regarding publication, revision, or rejection. Associate editors are guided by the recommendations of reviewers, but they do not necessarily comply with the majority recommendation of the reviewers. Instead, they are required to make their own judgment on the merits of a paper.
5. Final Decision
   • The senior editor uses the recommendation from the associate editor as a basis for his/her final decision. Similarly, senior editors are guided by the recommendations of reviewers and associate editors, but they are required to make their own judgments on the merits of a paper.
   • Senior editors make a final judgment on a manuscript and send their report plus a copy of the reports provided by the associate editor and reviewers to authors.
   • The senior editor provides the associate editor and reviewers with a copy of the review reports they send to the authors. Authors’ names are removed from the copy of the review reports sent to the reviewers.
6. Timeline
   • MIS Quarterly strives to provide authors with timely, high-quality reviews. Nonetheless, a full review process may take approximately three to five months from receipt of the manuscript to the first editorial decision.
   • At certain times of the year, authors should be aware that review processes tend to be slower. For example, a review process that takes place during December or January may take longer due to end-of-semester responsibilities.
   • Authors can access the status of their manuscripts as they pass through the review process using the button below. (For papers that entered the review process prior to August 1, 2008, contact the Review Coordinator at misqrevu@umn.edu).

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