Your Submission Queue
Accessing the Queue
After logging in as a Section Editor, navigate to your assigned submissions:
User Menu → Dashboard → My Queue
Only submissions explicitly assigned to you appear here. Submissions handled by other editors are not visible.
If your journal uses multiple Section Editors, each editor sees only their own queue. Contact your Editor-in-Chief if you believe a submission has been assigned to you incorrectly.
The My Queue Tab
The My Queue tab shows all active submissions that require your attention. Each row represents one submission and displays a summary of its current state.
Queue Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Manuscript title; click to open the submission workspace |
| Section | The journal section this submission belongs to (e.g. Articles, Reviews) |
| Date Submitted | The date the author completed their submission |
| Stage | Current workflow stage: Submission, Review, Copyediting, or Production |
| Days in Stage | How many days the submission has been in its current stage |
| Reviewers | Number of reviewers assigned (shown during the Review stage) |
| Actions | Quick-action buttons relevant to the current stage |
Sort by Days in Stage to bring the oldest submissions to the top. This helps you prioritise manuscripts that may be at risk of exceeding your journal's target turnaround time.
Filtering and Sorting
Use the controls above the submission list to narrow results:
- Click the Filter button to open the filter panel
- Filter by one or more of:
- Stage (Submission, Review, Copyediting, Production)
- Section (limited to the sections you are assigned to)
- Active reviews (shows only submissions currently in review)
- Click any column header to sort ascending or descending
- Use the Search box to find a submission by title or author name
To clear all filters, click Reset.
Understanding Submission Stages
Each submission moves through up to four sequential stages. As Section Editor your primary work occurs in the Submission and Review stages, after which accepted manuscripts typically move to Copyediting and Production.
| Stage | What it Means | Your Typical Action |
|---|---|---|
| Submission | Manuscript received; pending initial review | Assess suitability, make desk-accept/decline decision |
| Review | Under peer review | Assign reviewers, track responses, record decision |
| Copyediting | Manuscript accepted; being copy-edited | Monitor progress; limited SE involvement |
| Production | Manuscript being typeset and proofed | No SE action required in most workflows |
You can decline a submission at the Submission stage without sending it to review. This is called a desk rejection. Use this for manuscripts clearly outside scope or below the journal's quality threshold.
Active Submissions vs. Archives
The My Queue tab only shows active submissions. To find completed or declined submissions:
- Click the Archives tab in the Dashboard
- Use the search and filter tools to locate the specific submission
Archived submissions are read-only but can be reviewed for audit or reference purposes.
Further Reading
- Learning OJS – Editorial Workflow — full overview of OJS workflow stages
- PKP Community Forum — community discussions and troubleshooting tips