---
name: jmr-review-process
description: Use when understanding how the Journal of Marketing Research (JMR) review process works — initial editorial evaluation and possible desk rejection, double-anonymized review, the EIC-plus-Coeditor domain-routing model, the requirement of two independent reviews to reach a Revise/Accept decision, and how to read a JMR decision letter. Sets expectations; jmr-rebuttal drafts the response.
---

# Understanding the JMR Review Process (jmr-review-process)

## When to trigger

- Before submitting, to set realistic expectations for timing and decisions
- After a decision letter, to interpret what the editor and reviewers are signaling
- You are unsure how JMR routes papers or how many reviews are required
- You want to understand the difference between a desk reject and a post-review reject

## How JMR routing works

JMR uses an **EIC + Coeditor** model. A single **Editor-in-Chief** oversees a panel of **Coeditors** (currently four; the incoming 2026–2029 team has five) who handle manuscripts by **methodological/substantive domain**, alongside **Associate Editors** and an **Editorial Review Board**. This is analogous to INFORMS-style departmental routing, but organized around methodological/substantive domains rather than fixed departments. Practical implication: your domain keywords and article type at submission influence which Coeditor/AE your paper reaches, so choose them to land with an expert in your area. (The by-domain routing chart itself is not published — 待核实 — so this is inferred from the masthead structure.)

> Transition note: Rebecca Hamilton (Georgetown) is EIC of record through 30 June 2026; Raphael Thomadsen's incoming team (WashU) has handled **new** submissions since 1 April 2026. Authors submitting now are effectively reviewed by the incoming team.

## The stages

1. **Initial editorial evaluation** — the editor screens for scope, fit, and conformance. Out-of-scope or non-conforming papers can be **desk-rejected without peer review** (e.g., wrong venue, exceeds 50 pages, missing exact-statistics/transparency requirements).
2. **Double-anonymized peer review** — identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed from both parties.
3. **Decision** — to reach a **Revise or Accept** decision, the manuscript requires **two independent reviews**. The editor has final authority and integrates the reviews with their own read.

## Read the decision letter by genre

- **Rigor-bar objections** — "identification is not convincing," "the manipulation is confounded," "report effect sizes / exact p-values," "the instrument is weak." These are often addressable with new analyses, studies, or Web Appendix material.
- **Substance-bar objections** — "the contribution is incremental," "what do we learn?" These are harder; they may require reframing (`jmr-contribution-framing`) or additional studies, not just robustness.
- **Both bars** — JMR's dual standard means a paper can be methodologically clean yet rejected for thin contribution, or interesting yet rejected for weak identification. Diagnose which bar the letter is really about.

## Set expectations

- First-round **accepts are essentially unheard of**; a Revise (R&R) is a strong outcome.
- Expect multiple rounds; reviewers are domain experts who will probe identification, process evidence, and exact-statistics reporting.
- A desk reject is usually about fit or conformance, not a verdict on quality — re-target or fix conformance.

## Anti-patterns

- Treating a desk reject as a content verdict (it is usually scope/fit/format).
- Reading only the reviews and ignoring the **editor's** framing of which concerns are pivotal.
- Assuming one enthusiastic review is enough — two independent reviews gate Revise/Accept.

## Output format

```text
[Target] JMR
[Decision] desk-reject / reject / R&R / minor
[Routing] likely Coeditor/AE domain
[Pivotal bar] rigor / substance / both
[Editor's framing] key asks ...
[Tractability] addressable via analysis/studies vs. reframe
[Next skill] jmr-rebuttal (if R&R)
```

## Resources

- [`../../resources/official-source-map.md`](../../resources/official-source-map.md)
- [`../../resources/external_tools.md`](../../resources/external_tools.md)