Q: My paper had an "Awaiting Production Checklist" status after acceptance but it disappeared. What does this mean?

Manuscript status indicators and related timelines depend on the publisher and journal to some extent. “Awaiting Production Checklist” is a term used by some academic journals during the publication process. This is the stage where the manuscript is queued for printing/online publication. In other words, your paper is nearing publication!

The status “Awaiting Production Checklist” typically indicates that the manuscript has been accepted for publication, and it has been through the initial copyediting and formatting stages to prepare it for typesetting and final production. It could also mean that the journal’s production team is waiting for the authors to complete and submit a “Production Checklist” or similar checklist/questionnaire. This checklist requires authors to confirm that the manuscript title, author names, affiliations are correct; provide any final updates or corrections; sign off on any copyright transfer agreements, etc.

Did you receive such a list (perhaps as a clickable link), and if so, did you fill it up and send it back? Once authors submit the completed checklist, the production team can proceed to finalize the manuscript formatting and move it into the publication production workflow. If the “Awaiting Production Checklist” status has disappeared from the manuscript tracking, it likely means you submitted the completed checklist, and the manuscript has moved into the final production stage before being scheduled for publication. Another reason could be that there was an issue with the checklist submission, and the production team may reach out to you for clarification or re-submission.

This “disappearance” therefore need not be a cause for worry as it is a transitional status indicating the journal is ready to produce the final publication.