Last updated: April 2026 · 8 min read · Audience: Authors, students, early-career researchers · Reading level: Introductory
Introduction
Authors with grant deadlines, thesis submission cut-offs, or time-sensitive findings often need to publish faster than the conventional 6–12 month cycle. The relevant question is not whether such journals exist — they do — but how to recognise the legitimate ones from venues that simply skip the work.
This page concerns the entire publication pipeline: editorial screening, peer review, decision, revision, copy-editing, and online posting. Improvements at any of these stages reduce the total. The goal is to choose journals that have built efficient workflows, not journals that have abandoned them.
Why this problem exists
Traditional journal publishing was structured around print issues, which forced articles to wait for issue closure regardless of when individual reviews completed. Even after the shift to online publication, many journals retained issue-based scheduling, copy-editing backlogs, and slow reviewer assignment. The result is total times that often exceed the time spent on substantive review by a significant margin.
A second factor is reviewer availability. Peer reviewers volunteer their time alongside other obligations; manuscripts can sit in review queues for weeks before the assignment phase even begins. Journals that have invested in active editorial offices, broad reviewer pools, and continuous publication run substantially faster as a structural matter, not because they bypass review.
Available solutions
Several patterns of fast publication are now common.
| Pattern | Total time | Where the speed comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous online OA journal | 4–10 weeks | No issue wait; immediate online posting |
| Rapid communications / short letters | 2–6 weeks | Brief format, abbreviated review |
| Fast-track within established journal | 8–12 weeks | Prioritised handling, sometimes paid |
| Preprint + journal publication | Same day + standard cycle | Citable preprint while journal proceeds |
All four are legitimate. The difference between them is mostly editorial workflow design, not editorial standards. The selection should match the kind of contribution being submitted: short reports fit rapid communications; full-length original work fits continuous OA or fast-track.
Best options based on situation
If speed is the primary driver
Continuous-publication open-access journals running monthly or rolling release cycles tend to publish accepted articles within 2–4 weeks. Verify by sampling three or four recent articles on the journal site and checking the dates printed on each.
If cost is the primary constraint
Speed correlates roughly with APC investment because efficient editorial workflows require staff. Diamond open-access journals (subsidised, free to authors) are occasionally fast but inconsistent. Low-APC continuous-publication open-access often offers the best balance when the APC is documented.
If acceptance probability matters most
Selectivity is independent of speed. A fast journal can be highly selective; a slow journal can have a high acceptance rate. Authors prioritising probability should look at the journal's published acceptance rate (where disclosed) rather than the speed signal.
Practical recommendations
- Submit a fully formatted manuscript on first attempt; technical revisions add weeks to the timeline.
- Choose the article type that matches the contribution; submitting a full original article when a short report would suffice slows everything.
- Suggest reviewers when the system allows; this often shaves 7–14 days off the assignment phase.
- Respond to revision requests within the journal's stated window; author delays are commonly the longest part of the timeline.
- Return proofs the same day they arrive; this is the largest controllable variable in the post-acceptance phase.
What to avoid
Other patterns to avoid: journals that quote their fastest-ever publication time but not the median; venues that publish quickly but lack indexing or DOI assignment; titles whose editorial board members cannot be verified through their institutional affiliations.
Decision guidance
If two journals offer comparable speed, the better choice is usually the one with stronger indexing and editorial transparency. A four-week journal indexed in Scopus is generally a stronger choice than a two-week journal not indexed anywhere; the marginal time saving rarely outweighs the citation infrastructure.
| Speed signal | Stronger | Weaker |
|---|---|---|
| Stated timeline | Median, with year measured | 'Rapid' with no number |
| Publication model | Continuous online | Quarterly or annual issue |
| Reviewer assignment | Within 7–10 days | Open-ended |
| Editorial responsiveness | Reply within 48 hours | Multi-week silence |
| Indexing | Verified in major databases | Logos pasted without proof |
Example scenarios
Scenario: an author with a grant deadline three months out
Three months is workable. Target a journal with median time-to-publication under 8 weeks, prepare a fully-formatted manuscript, and submit immediately. Plan one round of revision into the timeline; major revisions can usually be turned around in two weeks if the author is responsive.
Scenario: a student needing publication evidence for thesis defence
If the defence is two months away, a short-format article in a continuous-publication journal is the most realistic path. Combine it with a preprint deposit on submission for an immediately citable version. A full-length article submission is unlikely to complete review, revision, and publication in that window.
Scenario: a budget-limited researcher with time pressure
This is the hardest combination. Diamond open-access is usually too slow; low-APC continuous-publication open-access is the most likely fit, with waiver requests submitted alongside the manuscript where eligible. Avoid the temptation to relax review standards in exchange for speed; budget pressure makes a single failed submission expensive.
What to do next
If a target journal has been identified and the manuscript is broadly ready, the next step is to verify the publication model (continuous vs issue-based) and prepare the submission package fully. Authors targeting EP Journals Group venues operate on monthly publication cycles with continuous online posting once accepted; the central submission form routes the manuscript to the relevant editorial office.
Frequently asked questions
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Related reading and next steps
- Submission portal — Submit a manuscript through the central form
- Journals list — Six peer-reviewed journals across disciplines
- Fast publication journals for research — What 'fast' means in practice
- How to publish a research paper quickly — Practical steps for shorter timelines
- Fast vs slow publication process — What each timeline looks like in practice
- Publishing in engineering — Field-specific scope and submission notes
- Journals for fast publication — Reducing time to publication
Editorial enquiries
Questions about this guide or about preparing a manuscript for submission may be directed to the editorial office. Where a query relates to a specific journal in the portfolio, please indicate the journal abbreviation in your message.
Email: editor@ep-journals.org