Q: Can the status change from "With Editor" to "Decision in Progress" in one month?
I have sent my manuscript to Elsevier. The status changed normally at the beginning from "Submitted" to "With Editor". Then the status did not change, but I have received email that my manuscript was assigned from "Editor in Chief" to "Associate Editor" (in 2 days) and again to "Subject-Specific Editor" (in 3 days). After 1 month, the status was still "With Editor". That was why I contacted the Service Centre by chatting (not by sending email to the editors). 1 day after that, I was a bit surprised that the status changed immediately to "Decision in Progress". I think that must be a "Desk Rejection" or do you have another experience? Now it has been 15 days since the last status. FYI, previously in 2017 my paper was accepted by the same journal after very long process (1.5 years). But at that time, I never checked my portal so that I didn't know my status. I look forward to your answers. Thanks in advance.
All submitted manuscripts are initially screened for completeness and adherence to the journal guidelines. Then, those that pass this assessment are assigned to a Senior Editor or Editor-in-Chief who then assigns them to an Associate Editor (AE). AE considers whether the manuscripts should be sent for peer review.
Sometimes, when a journal receives large numbers of submissions, they are handled by subject-specific editors; i.e. if your manuscript pertains to a niche topic, it may be assigned to an editor who is an expert in that particular area of study. The subject-editor screens the manuscript and then allots it to the AE for evaluation regarding rejection or sending the paper for peer review. In your case, the AE might be taking some time to assess your manuscript. Usually, the time taken for first decision is mentioned on most of the Elsevier journal websites; you could check this and you could also write to the journal inquiring about the status of your manuscript.
Related reading:
What should I do if my paper is showing "With editor" for two months?
How long does ''With editor'' status take after submitting revised manuscript?
Why does the status change from "decision in process" to "with editor" again?
This content belongs to the Journal submission & peer review Stage