What editors look for

Your paper's first reader is an editor, who decides whether it goes to reviewers at all. Rejecting without review is called a desk rejection, and at selective journals it's the most common outcome.

Why papers get desk-rejected

• Out of scope: the journal doesn't publish this kind of work.
• Not enough advance for this venue: sound, but too small or too similar to existing work.
• Unclear message: the editor can't tell what's new from the title, abstract and introduction.
• Obvious flaws: no control, tiny sample, no baseline.
• Not following instructions: wrong format, over the word limit, missing statements.
• Ethics or integrity concerns: missing approvals, high text overlap.

What gets a paper sent out

• A clear, important question that fits the journal's readers.
• A clear answer, visible in the abstract and first figure.
• Sound methods, at a glance.
• A professional, complete submission.

Desk rejection isn't the end

It usually comes quickly, so you lose little time. Read the reason, fix what you can, and send to a better-fitting venue. Many excellent papers were desk-rejected first.

RememberEditors decide fast from the title, abstract, introduction and first figure. Make the fit, the message and the soundness obvious there.