How to Get Accepted in Q1 Journals: A Pre-Submission Strategy to Beat Desk Rejection

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How to Get Accepted in Q1 Journals: A Pre-Submission Strategy to Beat Desk Rejection

Publishing one’s work in Q1 journals is considered a notable accomplishment for researchers since Q1 journals belong to the top 25% of journals in terms of impact and influence. Nevertheless, not all papers make it to the peer review stage. They are rejected by the editor at the desk-rejection stage before being submitted to any reviewers.

The decision of an editor to reject papers at the desk rejection stage does not mean that such papers have low quality or contain inaccurate data. The reasons why editors decide to reject papers may include a lack of fit, poor presentation of the manuscript, insufficient originality of the content, inappropriate methodology, or failure to follow editorial guidelines. Understanding these desk rejection reasons can help authors prepare stronger submissions. [1]

1. What Is a Desk Rejection?

The term “desk rejection” refers to the situation when the journal editor deems a manuscript not suitable for the journal without going through peer review.

Such manuscripts may be rejected due to the following factors:

Poor correlation with the scope of the journal
Lack of novelty of research
Low quality of research methodology
Lack of writing standards
Non-compliance with submission guidelines

Editors of prestigious journals receive hundreds or even thousands of papers per year. Therefore, the first stage of the reviewing process is highly competitive. Researchers who wish to avoid desk rejection should ensure their manuscripts satisfy these basic editorial requirements. [2]

2. Why Q1 Journals Have High Desk-Rejection Rates

Scientific contribution is the main objective of Q1 journals. The editors will determine whether the paper contributes scientifically to their field before considering the review process.

These are some of the considerations made by editors:

Originality
Sound methodology
Significance of the research
Ethical considerations
Effective scientific writing

Papers that lack these characteristics tend to be rejected at the initial screening stage. Meeting these expectations is essential to get accepted in Q1 journals. [2]

3. Common Reasons for Desk Rejection

Reason	Why It Leads to Rejection	How to Improve
Out of journal scope	Topic does not match journal aims	Select a suitable target journal
Lack of novelty	Research adds little new knowledge	Clearly highlight research contribution
Weak methodology	Study design lacks rigour	Strengthen methods and validation
Poor English	Difficult to understand findings	Use professional academic editing
Incomplete reporting	Missing figures, ethics, or references	Follow journal reporting guidelines
Formatting issues	Manuscript ignores author instructions	Carefully follow submission requirements

Understanding these common desk rejection reasons enables researchers to prepare manuscripts that meet editorial expectations.

4. Lack of Research Novelty

Inadequacy of originality is one of the most frequent reasons for desk rejection. Q1 journals look for papers providing novel theoretical contributions, methods or application implications.

Editors ask such questions:

Is this paper going to provide an answer to an unresolved question?
Does it bring forward any novelty in the state of knowledge?
Is it sufficiently important for the world community?

It is necessary to demonstrate the research gap and novelty in comparison with previous works. Clearly presenting originality significantly improves the chances to get accepted in Q1 journals. [3]

5. Poor Journal Selection

Quite a few papers are rejected because they are submitted to the wrong journal.

The author needs to consider:

Goals and scope of the journal
Recent publications
The targeted audience
Methodology preferred by the journal
Audition requirements

Aligning the paper with the journal’s goals makes a big difference. Following effective journal selection tips helps authors submit to the most appropriate journal and avoid unnecessary rejection.

6. Weak Methodology and Insufficient Validation

The methodology used is critically evaluated to determine if it is sufficient to justify the results.

Some typical problems related to methodology are:

Insufficient sample size
Bad experiment design
No statistical proof
Lack of control variables
Unjustified conclusions

The right methodology can increase the reliability of research findings.

7. Poor Academic Writing and Organisation

Research that is scientifically correct may end up being rejected if the manuscript is not clear enough. [4]

Editors look for:

Logical structure
Clear research aims
Concise writing style
Terminology consistency
Grammar and formatting

Clear writing leads to effective communication of scientific information and makes a good first impression for the editor, ultimately helping increase acceptance rate.

8. Ethical and Reporting Issues

The journals of Q1 ensure stringent publication ethics.

Common editorial scrutiny includes:

Ethics committee approval
Consent (where relevant)
Plagiarism
Data integrity
Conflict of interest disclosure
Funding information

Non-compliance with ethics may lead to immediate rejection. Maintaining ethical standards is essential to get accepted in Q1 journals. [5]

9. Strategies to Avoid Desk Rejection

Researchers can improve publication success by following a systematic approach.

Step	Best Practice
Literature Review	Identify genuine research gaps
Journal Selection	Match manuscript with journal scope
Study Design	Use robust methodology
Writing	Present findings clearly and logically
Reporting	Follow journal author guidelines
Final Review	Conduct language, plagiarism, and formatting checks

10. Preparing a Publication-Ready Manuscript

Before submission, the following criteria need to be fulfilled by the author:

The paper must provide evidence of a research contribution.
It must address an important scientific question.
Statistical analysis should be sound and appropriate.
Figures and tables should be high quality.
The manuscript must comply with journal guidelines.
Authors must satisfy reviewer expectations before submission.

Preparation of the manuscript is essential for its selection for peer review process. A comprehensive manuscript pre-submission checklist covering language, formatting, ethics, originality, and journal requirements can significantly increase acceptance rate.

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Conclusion

It is common for researchers to be desk rejected when submitting their work for publication especially in Q1 journals that have high editorial standards. Most cases of desk rejections are not because of a lack of value of the research done but because of failure to meet the standards of the editor’s concerning originality, rigour, relevance of the manuscript to the journal, quality of writing, or ethics. It is by familiarizing oneself with the editor screening process that one will overcome the hurdles.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is a desk rejection in journal publishing?

A desk rejection occurs when a journal editor rejects a manuscript before peer review because it does not meet the journal’s scope, novelty, quality, methodology, or submission requirements.

2. Why do Q1 journals have a high rate of desk rejection?

Q1 journals receive many submissions and prioritize research with strong originality, scientific significance, robust methodology, ethical compliance, and clear presentation.

3. What are the most common reasons for manuscript desk rejection?

Common reasons include poor journal selection, lack of research novelty, weak methodology, unclear writing, incomplete reporting, ethical concerns, and failure to follow journal guidelines.

4. How can researchers improve their chances of getting accepted in Q1 journals?

Researchers can improve acceptance chances by selecting the right journal, highlighting research novelty, strengthening methodology, following reporting guidelines, improving manuscript quality, and conducting a thorough pre-submission review.

5. How important is journal selection for avoiding desk rejection?

Journal selection is critical because submitting a manuscript that does not align with the journal’s scope, audience, and publishing priorities can result in immediate rejection, even if the research quality is strong.

References

Künzli, N., von dem Knesebeck, O., Madarasova Geckova, A., Park, S., & Woodrow, C. (2026). Desk Rejection Decisions – Do Co-Editors-In-Chief of This Journal Agree?. International journal of public health, 71, 1608909. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2026.1608909
Teixeira da Silva, J. A., Al-Khatib, A., Katavić, V., & Bornemann-Cimenti, H. (2018). Establishing Sensible and Practical Guidelines for Desk Rejections. Science and engineering ethics, 24(4), 1347–1365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9921-3
Kumar, N., Ali, Z., & Haldar, R. (2023). Novelty in research: A common reason for manuscript rejection! Indian journal of anaesthesia, 67(3), 245–246. https://doi.org/10.4103/ija.ija_143_23
Aydin, A., Yürük, S. E., Reisoğlu, İ., & Goktas, Y. (2023). Main barriers and possible enablers of academicians while publishing. Scientometrics, 128(1), 623–650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-022-04528-x
Tulchinsky T. H. (2018). Ethical Issues in Public Health. Case Studies in Public Health, 277–316. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804571-8.00027-5