Publishing Timeline
Indicative duration of each stage of the publication process at the Journal of Sanskrit & Indic Research
End-to-End Publication Timeline
The figures below summarise the total time from initial manuscript submission to online publication. The range reflects whether the manuscript requires minor or major revisions.
(minor revisions, prompt reviewers)
(one round of revisions)
(major revisions + re-review)
Submission to first decision (before any revision): approximately 10–13 weeks.
Submission to online publication: approximately 14–34 weeks depending on the extent of revisions required.
Stage-by-Stage Breakdown
| # | Stage | Who acts | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Acknowledgement of receipt Editorial office confirms submission received. |
Editorial office | Within 5 working days |
| 2 |
Initial editorial screening Scope fit, originality, guideline compliance, plagiarism check. |
Editor-in-Chief / Managing Editor | 2–3 weeks |
| ↳ Running total after screening: ~3 weeks from submission | |||
| 3 |
Reviewer assignment Two external reviewers identified and invited. |
Editor | ~1 week |
| 4 |
External peer review Two independent reviewers evaluate against published review criteria. |
External reviewers | 6–8 weeks |
| ↳ Running total after peer review: ~10–12 weeks from submission | |||
| 5 |
Editorial decision communicated Decision letter and anonymised reviewer reports sent to corresponding author. |
Editor | 1–2 weeks |
| ↳ Running total — first decision: ~11–14 weeks from submission | |||
| 6 |
Author revisions Minor revisions: up to 2 weeks. Major revisions: up to 4 weeks. Must include a point-by-point response document. |
Authors | 2–4 weeks |
| 7 |
Re-review / Editor assessment of revision Minor revisions assessed by editor. Major revisions returned to original reviewers. |
Editor / Reviewers | 1–4 weeks |
| 8 |
Final acceptance decision Formal acceptance letter issued. Accepted date recorded. |
Editor | 1–2 weeks |
| ↳ Running total — acceptance: ~17–24 weeks from submission (one revision round) | |||
| 9 |
Copy-editing and typesetting Language editing, formatting, DOI assignment, metadata preparation. |
Technical editors | 2–4 weeks |
| 10 |
Author proof approval Typeset proof sent to corresponding author for final review. |
Authors + Technical editors | ~1 week |
| 11 |
Online publication Article published with DOI, full metadata, and received/accepted/published dates. |
Technical editors | ~1 week |
| ↳ Total — submission to online publication: ~21–30 weeks (typical) | |||
All durations are indicative. Authors are notified at each stage transition.
Timeline Scenarios
The two most common scenarios are illustrated below for quick reference.
- Screening: 2 weeks
- Peer review: 6 weeks
- Decision: 1 week
- Minor revisions by author: 2 weeks
- Editor check: 1 week
- Copy-editing + proof: 2 weeks
- Screening: 3 weeks
- Peer review: 8 weeks
- Decision: 2 weeks
- Major revisions by author: 4 weeks
- Re-review: 6 weeks
- Final decision: 2 weeks
- Copy-editing + proof: 4 weeks
Factors That May Affect the Timeline
- Reviewer availability: Identifying reviewers with specialist expertise in rare areas of Sanskrit scholarship can take additional time.
- Extent of revisions: Manuscripts requiring major structural revision and re-review take longer than those requiring minor corrections.
- Author response time: Authors needing additional time beyond the standard revision window should contact the editorial office before the deadline to request an extension.
- Volume of submissions: Periods of high submission volume may extend the screening stage.
- Sanskrit typesetting complexity: Manuscripts with extensive Devanagari text, critical apparatus, or complex tables may require additional production time.
- Special issues: Guest-edited special issues follow a separate timeline communicated by the Guest Editor in the Call for Papers.
Status enquiries: Authors may contact the editorial office at head@sanskrit.du.ac.in if they have not received an acknowledgement within 5 working days of submission, or a decision within 16 weeks. Routine enquiries before these thresholds may not receive individual responses.