(DE ----- AE----- four reviewers ----- AE ----- DE)

1) Within a day or two, it will be transferred to the appropriate Department Editor. You can confirm the status of your paper at any point in the review process at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ms in your Author Center.

2) The DE will review the paper to determine if it should be sent to an Associate Editor (AE). It will be sent to an Associate Editor if the DE feels (i) the paper's research domain falls within the scope of the journal's editorial mission and (ii) the paper has the potential to make a sufficient contribution to the literature to consider it for publication in Management Science. If the DE decides not to send your paper to an AE, then the DE will notify you of this decision and provide an explanation.

3) Assuming the paper is sent to an AE, the AE will also make an initial screening for fit and contribution and decide whether further review is warranted. If not, the AE will upload a report explaining his/her reason for not reviewing the paper.

4) Assuming the AE sends the paper out for review, the AE will collect the reviews and write a recommendation to the DE.

5) The DE will make a final decision on the manuscript and send you the decision along with the set of all reports received.

The goal at Management Science is to complete reviews in approximately 65 days (conditional that the AE sends the paper out for review) and 90% of our reviews within 90 days. If you have waited longer than 90 days, then you should feel free to contact the Department Editor to inquire regarding the status of your manuscript.