Q: My manuscript status changed from out for review to decision pending. Is it a good or a bad sign?

Thank you for your question. It seems like a decision hasn’t been arrived as yet so there’s no need to worry right now. “Out for review” essentially means that the paper was sent for peer review and once that was done, it was with the Editor-in-Chief for consideration. It’s likely that the Editor felt the need for further peer review, which it why the status changed again. This is common if the comments from the previous peer reviews aren’t sufficient for the Editor to arrive at a decision or if perhaps the subject is quite niche and further review is required. The additional peer review must now be completed, which is why the status has changed to “Decision Pending” again. A decision hasn’t been arrived at yet so you should perhaps wait till you hear from the journal. I hope you find this information useful. All the best with your paper!