Q: How do I interpret rapid changes between the 'Awaiting Technical Editor Scores' and 'Awaiting AE Recommendation' statuses?

In the case of some journals, a ‘technical editor’ means a peer reviewer, as the peer reviewer has the technical expertise in the subject of the paper. So, ‘Awaiting Technical Editor Scores’ means the associate editor (AE) is awaiting the peer reviewer’s comments and evaluation of the paper. The status also means that the paper has been sent to the minimal number of peer reviewers required by the journal (it being 2-3 for most journals).

Here, the first change (from ‘Awaiting Technical Editor Scores’ to ‘Awaiting AE Recommendation’) means that the AE received the peer reviewers’ comments and evaluations for the paper. The change back (from ‘Awaiting AE Recommendation’ to ‘Awaiting Technical Editor Scores’) possibly means that not all the scores were in (after initially believed so) or that the AE sent the paper back to one or all reviewer(s) for some clarification. The status ‘Awaiting AE Recommendation’ means that, based on the peer reviewer (or technical editor review, in this case), the AE is making a decision on the paper. The AE then conveys their decision to the Editor-in-Chief (EiC), who makes the final decision. So, you should wait for some time to know what’s in store for your paper. All the best in the meantime!

Until then, you may also refer to these resources:

• When can I expect the status "Awaiting AE Recommendation" to change?
• Behind the scenes: How a journal editor reaches a decision on a manuscript after peer review
• Keep calm and wait: A guide to understanding journal statuses [Handbook]