Latest review
First review round: 31.9 weeks. Overall rating: 0 (very bad).
Outcome: Rejected.
Motivation:
June 3, 2025: I submitted a manuscript to this journal (I had previously had a positive experience, both in terms of editorial handling and review timelines). A 1st reviewer clearly completed the review within approx. 20 days. From that point onward, I received no further information. I attempted 2 times to contact the Editor of the journal, but the system does not provide any functional correspondence channel (the Editorial Manager link leads to an error page). Direct emails to the Editor’s institutional address also went unanswered. No member of the Editorial Team/Section/Associate Editor was reachable. I interacted with Elsevier representatives (each time different) on 21 September, 15 October, 9 December, and 15 December 2025. On 23 December, I was informed that problems had occurred in the peer-review process; I was offered apologies and assured that a new reviewer had been appointed. On 12 January 2026, I received a rejection decision accompanied by only one single review report, evidently the original review that was completed back in June. Hence, from the end of June until mid-January, I waited for a peer-review process that, de facto, never took place.
