Manuscript assignment
Manuscript assignment
Editor Center > Managing assignments
Discover how to manage manuscript assignments effectively, including responding promptly, ensuring alignment with your expertise, and avoiding conflicts of interest.
Your new manuscript assignments will be sent via email. You can also access them through your Editor Main Menu in Editorial Manager (EM). These assignments are based on your section’s scope and may occasionally fall outside your specific area of expertise.
To ensure smooth handling, please ensure emails from @plos.org email addresses or em@editorialmanager.com are not marked as spam.
This guidance applies to PLOS Aging and Health, PLOS Complex Systems, PLOS Computational Biology, PLOS Digital Health, PLOS Ecosystems, PLOS Genetics, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLOS Pathogens, and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation only.
How assignments work
You are typically expected to handle eight manuscripts a month, depending on submission volume and the number of active Section Editors in your section.
A detailed understanding of every submission is not required; a general understanding is sufficient to either reject or identify a suitable Academic Editor.
If the manuscript is wholly outside your area of expertise or you believe it has been assigned the wrong section, email your journal office to request reassignment.
If you are unavailable
If you will be away, update your availability in EM by adding Unavailable Dates on the “Update My Information” page. Please indicate whether you are able to continue handling active assignments during your absence.
Initial assessment
After you are assigned a manuscript, you are first responsible for either issuing a reject decision or securing an Academic Editor for further handling.
Aim to take action within four days of assignment. After this period, reminder emails will be sent, and the manuscript may be reassigned to ensure timely processing.
Key criteria to consider
Check the manuscript against your journal’s publication criteria and scope.
Manuscripts must:
Represent high methodological rigor.
Be of interest to the research community.
Fit within the scope and publication criteria.
Please read the publication criteria and scope on your journal's information page.
Next steps
Invite Academic Editors if:
The manuscript meets the publication criteria, or if you feel that you do not have the specific expertise to make an informed decision, invite Academic Editors to handle the manuscript.
If you would like a second opinion before deciding, you may open a Discussion in Editorial Manager with another Section Editor or the Editor-in-Chief.
When a manuscript does not meet your journal’s publication criteria or scope, you may issue a reject or reject and transfer decision. In your decision letter, ensure that authors receive clear and constructive feedback that supports your decision.
Reject without review
You can proceed to a reject decision at this stage if:
- The manuscript contains serious methodological or analytical flaws that cannot be addressed through peer review.
- The conclusions are not supported by the data.
- The hypothesis, rationale, methods, or results are flawed or insufficiently detailed for proper evaluation.
- The methods do not adhere to the ethical standards of the field.
- The study is redundant and does not engage with existing literature.
- Exceptions include replication studies, reanalyses that explicitly reference past research, or manuscripts that meet the journal’s definition of complementary research.
- The required revisions would take longer than a few months, such as extensive reanalysis, new experiments, or major reframing.
- The language quality of the manuscript is not intelligible enough for a reviewer to provide feedback.
Note: If there is a risk that the study could be misused for harmful purposes, review our policy on Dual Use of Research of Concern and please consult your journal office before proceeding.
Reject and transfer
If you determine that the manuscript is not suitable for your journal but you believe it may be appropriate for another of our journals, you can proceed with this decision. In Editorial Manager, you will be asked to select which journal you are recommending the manuscript is transferred to.
What is next:
Inviting Academic Editors
Related editorial resources
Guide to Editorial Manager
Frequently asked questions
