I had a terrible experience with the JSCS: waited for a year to get the first round of reviews, they asked for R&R and it was finally rejected because it did not fit with the scope of the journal. It would have been less painful to learn that from the beginning.
It also took me a year to get a definitive response from them. I was happy that they published my article in the end, but the wait was painful. Also, it seemed like one of the reviewers didn’t even read the article. The comments from the one who provided the most feedback were really helpful though.
I also went through a long review process with JSCS (split reader’s reports, R&R, rejected) without much help from the editorial board to try to deal with the three different readers’ divergent revision demands.
My sense about this journal is that it has been publishing many of the same people, over and over again, since its inception. This is admittedly my own subjective assessment, but I doubt I will send anything to them again.
JSCS published an article of mine a few years ago. It was under review for roughly a year when I was asked to R&R. Six months after that, it was accepted for publication. (I don’t recall how long it took me to revise, probably three months.) It then appeared in the journal’s following issue, which came out 4 months later. Total: 1 year, 10 months from submission to appearance in print.
The readers’ comments were pretty helpful and the editorial staff was professional and kind. I think part of the reason the process took so long had to do with the fact the journal was changing university headquarters.
Lastly, my impression is that the journal is among the best that do cultural studies related to Spain.
They took 6 months to get back to me from initial submission (with a R&R), which I thought was quite a long time. The reviews pointed out that my article didn’t quite fit the journal’s aims (and I think they were right, as I’m not in Hispanic Cultural Studies but another discipline); one of them suggested different ways of making it more suitable for the journal and this was really helpful but I don’t know whether I’ll resubmit as I would need to make quite extensive changes to my article with which I don’t feel entirely comfortable, and I’m a bit concerned that they’ll take another 6 months to reply.
I had a horrible experience. I submitted an article and it took them a year to get back to me. They rejected it, which is fine, however, the comments from the reviewers were very, very aggressive and hurtful and of very little help to improve my article. I was astonished at the lack of professionalism of what is supposed to be a reputable journal.
I had a similar experience with a long delay as well. It took them 13 months to publish my article, but their comments were overall very helpful.
I understand they’re bringing in a new managing editor and changing the position to full time from part time. Hopefully once they’re better staffed the turn around time will improve.
They asked me for changes and resubmission. I made all the changes they requested but they rejected my article, arguing very weak reasons. I will never submit anything to them again. The editors and reviewers of this journal think they are better than anybody else in the Spanish academia.
I have not submitted anything here and I definitely won’t. the comment above suggests “they think they are better than anybody else in the Spanish academia.” That is so much so. A few pals got together, decided to start a journal. they shape it according to their tasting — mediocre cultural studies stuff. Indeed they think they are very top, but no one else agrees.
I have to differ with most of the commenters, having recently had an excellent experience with the JSCS. The reviewers seemed genuinely interested in improving my submission and were very much experts in the area. One in particular was very generous, writing up six pages of very detailed and constructive criticism, which eventually made it possible for my somewhat (in retrospect) mediocre article to become publishable work. Timewise, I can’t complain at all. It took about four months for the first round of comments to come back, and since the piece needed some work, they gave me two months to revise. After that they took two more months to get me the last round of comments and acceptance. To me this seems like an example of the peer-review process working exactly as it should. I wonder if the improvement is due to the change in managing editor. He seemed very well organized and was both very helpful and quick to respond to communications.
The Journal is very solid but had management problems in the past. They have a new Managing Editor and I believe that he may be the reason I had a great experience with them. I received valuable, relevant feedback and collegiate treatment. They always kept me informed about the status. I would certainly send my work to them in the future.
I did not have a positive experience with this journal. I sent a manuscript that had been vetted by very knowledgable colleagues. The journal took seven months to respond with a decision, which was a harsh rejection coupled with unhelpful, vitriolic comments. At the advice of colleagues, I sent the article verbatim to another journal, where it was accepted with minor revisions.
I did not have a positive experience with this journal. It took them seven months to respond to my manuscript, which had been vetted by very knowledgable scholars. The decision was a harsh rejection coupled with unhelpful, vitriolic comments. At the advice of colleagues, I sent it verbatim to another journal. It was accepted with minor revisions.
I think the JSCS publishes the best scholarship in the field, and my experience in publishing with them was positive: they are rigorous during the review and editing process, and respond pretty quickly. I highly recommend that particularly junior colleagues submit their work to this journal.
I had a terrible experience with the JSCS: waited for a year to get the first round of reviews, they asked for R&R and it was finally rejected because it did not fit with the scope of the journal. It would have been less painful to learn that from the beginning.
It also took me a year to get a definitive response from them. I was happy that they published my article in the end, but the wait was painful. Also, it seemed like one of the reviewers didn’t even read the article. The comments from the one who provided the most feedback were really helpful though.
I also went through a long review process with JSCS (split reader’s reports, R&R, rejected) without much help from the editorial board to try to deal with the three different readers’ divergent revision demands.
My sense about this journal is that it has been publishing many of the same people, over and over again, since its inception. This is admittedly my own subjective assessment, but I doubt I will send anything to them again.
JSCS published an article of mine a few years ago. It was under review for roughly a year when I was asked to R&R. Six months after that, it was accepted for publication. (I don’t recall how long it took me to revise, probably three months.) It then appeared in the journal’s following issue, which came out 4 months later.
Total: 1 year, 10 months from submission to appearance in print.
The readers’ comments were pretty helpful and the editorial staff was professional and kind.
I think part of the reason the process took so long had to do with the fact the journal was changing university headquarters.
Lastly, my impression is that the journal is among the best that do cultural studies related to Spain.
They took 6 months to get back to me from initial submission (with a R&R), which I thought was quite a long time. The reviews pointed out that my article didn’t quite fit the journal’s aims (and I think they were right, as I’m not in Hispanic Cultural Studies but another discipline); one of them suggested different ways of making it more suitable for the journal and this was really helpful but I don’t know whether I’ll resubmit as I would need to make quite extensive changes to my article with which I don’t feel entirely comfortable, and I’m a bit concerned that they’ll take another 6 months to reply.
If you are not in Hispanic Cultural Studies, why did you submit your manuscript there? It makes no sense.
Hello, have you ever heard about interdisciplinary research? Your comment adds nothing to the discussion whatsoever.
I had a horrible experience. I submitted an article and it took them a year to get back to me. They rejected it, which is fine, however, the comments from the reviewers were very, very aggressive and hurtful and of very little help to improve my article. I was astonished at the lack of professionalism of what is supposed to be a reputable journal.
I had a similar experience with a long delay as well. It took them 13 months to publish my article, but their comments were overall very helpful.
I understand they’re bringing in a new managing editor and changing the position to full time from part time. Hopefully once they’re better staffed the turn around time will improve.
The managing editor will continue to be part-time and non-tenured, but they will start using an electronic system to manage manuscripts
This journal is pretty bad in all respects.
My article must be “comfortable” because they are still sitting on it…
They asked me for changes and resubmission. I made all the changes they requested but they rejected my article, arguing very weak reasons. I will never submit anything to them again. The editors and reviewers of this journal think they are better than anybody else in the Spanish academia.
I have not submitted anything here and I definitely won’t. the comment above suggests “they think they are better than anybody else in the Spanish academia.” That is so much so. A few pals got together, decided to start a journal. they shape it according to their tasting — mediocre cultural studies stuff. Indeed they think they are very top, but no one else agrees.
I have to differ with most of the commenters, having recently had an excellent experience with the JSCS. The reviewers seemed genuinely interested in improving my submission and were very much experts in the area. One in particular was very generous, writing up six pages of very detailed and constructive criticism, which eventually made it possible for my somewhat (in retrospect) mediocre article to become publishable work.
Timewise, I can’t complain at all. It took about four months for the first round of comments to come back, and since the piece needed some work, they gave me two months to revise. After that they took two more months to get me the last round of comments and acceptance.
To me this seems like an example of the peer-review process working exactly as it should. I wonder if the improvement is due to the change in managing editor. He seemed very well organized and was both very helpful and quick to respond to communications.
The Journal is very solid but had management problems in the past. They have a new Managing Editor and I believe that he may be the reason I had a great experience with them. I received valuable, relevant feedback and collegiate treatment. They always kept me informed about the status. I would certainly send my work to them in the future.
I did not have a positive experience with this journal. I sent a manuscript that had been vetted by very knowledgable colleagues. The journal took seven months to respond with a decision, which was a harsh rejection coupled with unhelpful, vitriolic comments. At the advice of colleagues, I sent the article verbatim to another journal, where it was accepted with minor revisions.
Do you mind if I ask what journal you submitted to after being rejected for this one?
I did not have a positive experience with this journal. It took them seven months to respond to my manuscript, which had been vetted by very knowledgable scholars. The decision was a harsh rejection coupled with unhelpful, vitriolic comments. At the advice of colleagues, I sent it verbatim to another journal. It was accepted with minor revisions.
to which one, if I may know?
I think the JSCS publishes the best scholarship in the field, and my experience in publishing with them was positive: they are rigorous during the review and editing process, and respond pretty quickly. I highly recommend that particularly junior colleagues submit their work to this journal.
If you take a look at the names on the editorial board and the names of whom they’ve published in the last decade, you’ll see what’s going on.