One of the most stressful parts of academicpublishing is the waiting game. After spending months conducting research andformatting your paper, clicking "Submit" on a conference portal isjust the beginning.
Unlike journals, which operate on a rollingsubmission basis and can take anywhere from six months to over a year, academicconferences operate on strict, fixed deadlines. Because the conference date isset in stone, the peer review timeline is highly structured and compressed.
On average, the entire conference peerreview process takes two to three months from the submission deadline tothe final notification of acceptance.
Here is the step-by-step breakdown of whathappens behind the scenes during that time.
Phase 1: Submission and Desk Review(Week 1 to Week 2)
The clock starts the moment the finalsubmission deadline passes. Before your paper is even sent to technicalexperts, it goes through an initial screening.
- What Happens: The Program Chairs or Track Chairs perform a quick sweep of all submissions. They check for strict adherence to formatting guidelines, page limits, anonymity rules (if the conference uses double-blind review), and basic scope alignment.
- The Outcome: Papers that blatantly violate the rules or fall completely outside the conference's scope are immediately rejected. This is known as a "Desk Reject."
- Timeframe: 1 to 2 weeks.
Phase 2: Bidding and Assignment (Week 2to Week 3)
Once the paper survives the desk review, itmust be assigned to the right experts.
- What Happens: The conference Program Committee (PC) members read the titles and abstracts of the submitted papers and "bid" on the ones they want to review. Algorithms then match papers to reviewers based on their bids, expertise, and workload constraints. Each paper is typically assigned to at least three independent reviewers.
- Timeframe: 1 to 2 weeks.
Phase 3: The Reviewing Phase (Week 4 toWeek 7)
This is the core of the peer reviewprocess, where the actual scientific evaluation takes place.
- What Happens: Reviewers read the manuscript, check the methodology, verify the data, and assess the novelty and impact of the research. They then write a detailed critique and assign a preliminary score (e.g., Strong Accept, Weak Accept, Borderline, Weak Reject, Strong Reject).
- The Delay Factor: This phase often faces delays. Reviewers are volunteers with their own academic workloads, and Program Chairs frequently have to chase down late reviews or find emergency substitute reviewers.
- Timeframe: 3 to 4 weeks.
Phase 4: Discussion and Rebuttal (Week 8to Week 9)
Not all conferences have this phase, but itis highly common in top-tier Computer Science and Engineering conferences (likeCORE A/A* venues).
- What Happens: Authors are sent the preliminary reviews and given a short window (usually 3 to 7 days) to submit a "Rebuttal." In the rebuttal, authors can clarify misunderstandings or answer direct questions posed by the reviewers. After the rebuttal is submitted, the reviewers and the Area Chair discuss the paper internally to reach a consensus.
- Timeframe: 1 to 2 weeks.
Phase 5: Final Decision and Notification(Week 10)
The final decisions are locked in, and thesystem is prepared for the mass email send-out.
- What Happens: The Program Chairs finalize the list of accepted papers based on the reviewers' consensus, the target acceptance rate (e.g., 20%), and the available presentation slots at the physical venue.
- The Outcome: You receive the "Notification of Acceptance" (or rejection) email, along with the detailed reviewer comments. If accepted, you will be given a new, short deadline to submit your final "Camera-Ready" paper.
- Timeframe: 1 week.
Summary Checklist for Authors
To ensure your paper moves smoothly throughthis timeline without getting delayed or desk-rejected:
- Double-check all formatting guidelines (margins, fonts, citation styles) before the deadline.
- Ensure all author-identifying information is removed if submitting to a double-blind conference.
- Mark the "Notification Date" on your calendar, but do not panic if the email arrives a few days late; committee delays are very common.
