Modeling Time-to-Acceptance for ISI-Indexed Journals in the Profession of Library and Information Science

Abstract

Abstract:There are many factors affecting review duration after a paper has been submitted to a journal. Developing a time-to-acceptance model of each journal for the whole time span from submission to acceptance can help researchers when they are selecting journals to publish research results, as well as help editors when they are optimizing workflow and strategy. Using ISI-indexed journals in the profession of library and information science as an example, this study aims to explore the possible patterns of time-to-acceptance for refereed articles. Based on the theories of maximum likelihood estimation, this article models probability distributions for the retrieved data through the R package fitdistrplus. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is further used to determine if the distribution for each journal can be accepted. ABSTRACTThere are many factors affecting review duration after a paper has been submitted to a journal. Developing a time-to-acceptance model of each journal for the whole time span from submission to acceptance can help researchers when they are selecting journals to publish research results, as well as help editors when they are optimizing workflow and strategy. Using ISI-indexed journals in the profession of library and information science as an example, this study aims to explore the possible patterns of time-to-acceptance for refereed articles. Based on the theories of maximum likelihood estimation, this article models probability distributions for the retrieved data through the R package fitdistrplus. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is further used to determine if the distribution for each journal can be accepted.

Publication Patterns of U.S. Academic Librarians and Libraries, 2013–2017 with Comparison to Preceding Studies

“…These brief turnaround times were much shorter than turnarounds for the vast majority of articles and far shorter than the median turnaround times found in Wu and Yang's study of turnaround times. 19 These very short turnarounds suggested the fast-tracked articles underwent a vetting different from peer review. In response, the authors decided to observe a minimum twentyfive-day turnaround as evidence of peer review, unless other factors, such as acknowledgment of anonymous reviewers, justified an exception.…”