article acceptance rates?

[Katrina Gulliver]

Anyone know what the acceptance rates are of journals - or how to find out? I know for some of the big science journals it's 1% or something, and I've heard for some humanities journals it can also be pretty small, but are there any figures?

[research_prof]

You can ask the EiC. They may or may not want to disclose this information.

[Hibush]

You can ask the EiC. They may or may not want to disclose this information.

While you are on the phone with the EiC, ask them what the typical time is from submission to getting reviews and a first decision. I realize that there is a sentiment in the field that that is a question One Does Not Ask. However, I maintain that EiCs who are reluctant to answer, or who think that a year is reasonable, are not editors you really want to deal with. Find one that is more committed to serving the author.

[research_prof]

You can ask the EiC. They may or may not want to disclose this information.

While you are on the phone with the EiC, ask them what the typical time is from submission to getting reviews and a first decision. I realize that there is a sentiment in the field that that is a question One Does Not Ask. However, I maintain that EiCs who are reluctant to answer, or who think that a year is reasonable, are not editors you really want to deal with. Find one that is more committed to serving the author.

Might be a bit tough to get the EiC of a prestigious journal on the phone. But an email might work. As a matter of fact, the EiC of probably the most prestigious journal in my field right now typically responds to emails within 24 hours despite being a full professor and I guess quite busy overall.

[Morden]

It's really hard to compare article acceptance rates because some journals use the eventually accepted rate (which would include all those revise and resubmits) and others use the first try accepted rate.

[research_prof]

It's really hard to compare article acceptance rates because some journals use the eventually accepted rate (which would include all those revise and resubmits) and others use the first try accepted rate.

Yes, a common tactic for journals is to give "revise and resubmit" decisions instead of major revisions because they consider that as a rejection.

[Ruralguy]

In the sciences I know (or at least in my field), the first accepted rate is almost nothing. Almost everyone suggests or has had suggested, some minor revisions,
and not too un-often, major revisions.

[Hibush]

It's really hard to compare article acceptance rates because some journals use the eventually accepted rate (which would include all those revise and resubmits) and others use the first try accepted rate.

Yes, a common tactic for journals is to give "revise and resubmit" decisions instead of major revisions because they consider that as a rejection.

This technique is blatantly gaming the system, but there seems to be no downside. It gives the journal the faux prestige of a low acceptance rate as well as a faux expeditiousness of a short time from submission to publication. That means everyone does it. You are a dolt of an EiC if you don't play the game.

[Parasaurolophus]

Individual journals sometimes make that information public. Association journals are usually required to disclose that stuff to the association's membership in their yearly editorial reports.

If memory serves, for most of the T20 general and top specialist journals in philosophy, it's something like 1-5%, and maybe goes up to 10% if you extend down to the next 20 or so, with the occasional 15% outlier. R&R rates are higher, though, and R&R acceptance rates are quite high (like, 40-60%).

[Sun_Worshiper]

Some journals have annual reports, and there are a few subfield specific lists out there, but there is not a centralized large scale list that I've come across.

If memory serves, for most of the T20 general and top specialist journals in philosophy, it's something like 1-5%, and maybe goes up to 10% if you extend down to the next 20 or so, with the occasional 15% outlier. R&R rates are higher, though, and R&R acceptance rates are quite high (like, 40-60%).

This sounds about right for my field as well.

[Katrina Gulliver]

Thanks everyone, the different ways of calculating are a bit opaque. I know one very good journal that has an acceptance rate of <10%, that's counting from first submissions. They say about 20% of submissions get R&R, and of those a bit less than half make the journal.

[Wahoo Redux]

For humanities, the MLA Directory of Periodicals usually lists approximate number of manuscripts submitted in a year and the usual number published.  But I think these are only journals associated with the MLA.  Not sure if that is helpful.

[youllneverwalkalone]

Anyone know what the acceptance rates are of journals - or how to find out? I know for some of the big science journals it's 1% or something, and I've heard for some humanities journals it can also be pretty small, but are there any figures?

Elsevier has a tool called "Journal Finder" (https://journalfinder.elsevier.com/) where you can find out, among other things, about the acceptance rate for specific Elsevier journals.

[born_a_prof]

25% physical review letters the flagship physics letters journal

[mamselle]

25% physical review letters the flagship physics letters journal

Hunh?

I'm missing something here...

M.