ETQ journal editorial activity report (2024)

Executive summary

This report analyzes the journal's editorial activity for the period January 1 - December 31, 2024. The data reveals significant shifts in submission processing, acceptance rates, and publication efficiency compared to historical performance. Most notably, the journal has substantially improved its decision-making timeline while adopting more selective acceptance criteria, with the acceptance rate decreasing from a historical 49% to the current 26%.

Submission volume and outcomes

For the 2024 calendar year, the journal received 46 submissions, projecting to approximately 143 submissions annually (compared to the historical rate of 32/year). This represents a significant increase in submission volume. Of these submissions:

• Accepted manuscripts: 28 (53% of decided manuscripts)
• Declined manuscripts: 25 (47% of decided manuscripts)
  • Desk rejections: 14 (56% of all rejections)
  • Rejections after review: 11 (44% of all rejections)
• Published manuscripts: 24
• In progress/imported submissions: 0

The total number of decisions (53) relative to submissions (46) indicates efficient processing, with most manuscripts receiving decisions within the calendar year.

Decision efficiency

The editorial process demonstrates remarkable improvements in decision-making speed:

• Days to the first editorial decision: 2 days (compared to the historical 133 days)
• Days to accept: 92 days (compared to historical 183 days)
• Days to reject: 38 days (compared to historical 91 days)

These figures represent substantial efficiency gains in manuscript processing, with particularly dramatic improvement in first decision timing (98.5% faster than the historical average). Both acceptance and rejection decisions now occur significantly faster than historical averages, indicating streamlined review processes across all manuscript categories.

Acceptance and rejection analysis

The current acceptance rate of 26% represents a significant decrease from the historical rate of 49%. Correspondingly, the rejection rate has increased substantially from 29% to 74%. This shift appears across both initial screening and post-review evaluations:

• Desk reject rate: 41% (up from historical 17%)
• After review reject rate: 32% (up from historical 11%)

These figures suggest implementing more stringent quality standards throughout the editorial process, with heightened scrutiny at both the initial screening and peer review stages.

Publication efficiency

With 24 manuscripts published during 2024 compared to 28 acceptances, the journal is maintaining a reasonable publication flow with a small and manageable acceptance-to-publication pipeline. The projected annual publication rate of 99 manuscripts (24/year) indicates sustainable production capacity relative to the current acceptance volume.

Comparative analysis

Several metrics warrant particular attention:

1. Submission volume: The significant increase in annual submissions (from 32/year historically to a projected 143/year) suggests enhanced journal visibility or repositioning within the field.

2. Processing efficiency: Despite increased submission volume, first decisions are now made 98.5% faster (2 days vs. 133 days), representing a transformative improvement in initial manuscript handling.

3. Selectivity balance: The substantial decrease in acceptance rate (26% vs. 49% historically) indicates a strategic shift toward more selective publication criteria.

Conclusion

The 2024 data reveals a journal that has successfully implemented significant operational improvements while transitioning to a more selective publication model. The dramatic enhancement in decision speed, particularly for initial screening, represents a notable achievement that benefits authors regardless of final decision outcomes. The journal appears well-positioned to maintain its more selective stance while continuing to process manuscripts efficiently, provided submission volumes remain manageable with current resources.