ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

I have submitted several times and summarized the experience. EP and STOTEN are different. All manuscripts need to be submitted to the editor-in-chief first, who will conduct an initial review before assigning them to the associate editor. The option to choose an editor in the submission system is basically useless. I have submitted several times, but none of them were assigned to the chosen editor. For other journals, the assignment of reviewers depends on the editor's mood. If there is no arbitration in the initial review of EP, there will be three reviewers. After receiving the third review report, the status will change from "under review" to "required reviews completed". The first review usually takes about 1-2 months. The editor's handling efficiency is relatively high, and any delays in the process are usually due to the reviewers. Technical testing is not required for revisions. The revised manuscript will be sent directly to the editor, without the status of "submitted to journal". Each time a revised manuscript is submitted to the editor, the "with editor" time will change, indicating that the editor has read it, agreed to send it for review, and then handed it over to the original associate editor.

2021-1-26 sub - Submitted on January 26, 2021
2021-3-15 maj - Major revision on March 15, 2021
2021-4-20 resub - Resubmitted on April 20, 2021
2021-5-23 min - Minor revision on May 23, 2021

The journal editor is very responsible. They invited three reviewers in total. One of them seems to be quite old-fashioned, and all the comments they provided gave me a feeling of discussing the issues with an old professor. Another reviewer has a very creative way of thinking and provided innovative suggestions. The third reviewer is more conventional. When I submitted the manuscript, I specifically requested to avoid reviewers from within my institution, so I can ensure that these three reviewers are not affiliated with me. This creates a better academic atmosphere.

The only thing is that whenever there is any issue that requires editorial handling, the editor takes three to five days to respond. These days are quite frustrating, and I often check for updates. I understand that some editors are not full-time and are industry experts themselves.

I hope to receive a good result and wanted to share the review process with everyone.