IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON IMAGE PROCESSING

2022/04/10, submitted, passed pre-review after approximately 2 months.
2022/07/20, requested assignment of associate editor (AE), status changed from "AE not assign" to "in peer review" in the afternoon.
2022/10/10, first time requesting progress update, received a reply to be patient and wait.
2022/12/10, second time requesting progress update and also inquired about the disappearance of AE's name, received a reply that it is a normal phenomenon for the AE's name not to be displayed in the system.

In recent years, the quality of articles in TIP can be subjective. Personally, I feel that there is a growing gap in the direction involving DL (Deep Learning) and top conferences, which may be related to the slow review process.

However, there are also cases where the review process is faster. TIP invited reviewers for a paper submitted in July, and now the paper is awaiting AE decision in early November. It is possible that the fast track was taken with the help of acquaintances.

The general review period for TIP is five months, and there is no need to rush it. Even if you send emails, no one will reply. There is nothing we can do, that's just how it is. TIP does not allow for a second major revision; the only option is to reject the submission and resubmit. Therefore, the first major revision is crucial. Make careful revisions and hope for the best. Some reviewers are not too strict with language and writing requirements, and minor revisions are usually enough for publication. However, with certain reviewers, another major revision may be necessary, resulting in rejection and resubmission. This can be troublesome as a new reviewer will be assigned for the second round, essentially starting the submission process again. It is best to provide a thorough response during the first round and pass the review in one go. If everything goes smoothly, it may take a little over half a year to be accepted; if not, it could take a little over a year.