TMLR desk rejection rate jumps to 53%, editors quiz authors on their own papers

ducha_aiki · x · 2026-09-17

TMLR co-EiC Nihar Shah says desk rejection has surged from 6% in 2023 to roughly 53% due to a deluge of submissions and limited reviewer capacity. To assess the process, the editors contacted authors of 10 papers slated for desk rejection and asked them questions about their own submissions, testing whether authors understand their papers. Results of the pilot study were shared publicly for feedback.

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