Contacting EICs in peer-review delays?

In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

A question about journal etiquette. I have a paper that has been under review at a journal for nine months. For the past two months, I have not been able to get any response from the managing editor about the status of my paper. My question is: is it ok to write to one of the chief editors of the journal about this? Also, the journal is triple-blind, but as far as I understand that applies to the area editor who is handling the submission.

Good question! Another reader submitted the following reply:

I got a paper off the backlog at [redacted], where it had been stuck for nine months with no response from the ME, by emailing someone from the editorial board. I tried the chief editor first, but they had not responsive either. But the editorial board member was very apologetic and got me a decision in a week. Extreme times call for extreme measures, I think. My only caveat: be extra polite if the CE works in your area or it's a journal you need to publish in at some point (I purposely chose a board member as far removed from my area as possible).

I'm curious what other readers think. Do any of you have any helpful tips or experiences to share?

Comments

[Douglas W. Portmore]

You have to be careful. If it's triple-blind, then contacting the EIC or one of the Associate Editors could result in a loss of anonymity, which in turn could result in further delays because then the editors that learned of your identity will now have to recuse themselves and other editors will have assume their roles. I would follow the procedures that the journal tells you to follow with regarding to contacting the journal about your submission. Of course, if that doesn't result in a response (even after repeated attempts), then you're dealing with a very poorly run journal.

[Early career]

For whatever it might be worth, I had a paper under review at a generalist journal for 12 months for the last six of which the managing editor was not responsive. I contacted the Chief Editor who responded promptly and apologetically and thanking me for contacting them. I guess that suggests in this case that my appeal to the CE was not improper. I did then receive a reviewer report within a week.

[Anonymous associate editor]

It does sometimes happen that due to personal crisis or whatever reason the managing editor is unresponsive. It also sometimes happens that your paper simply got lost in the process (this is thankfully rare and I only saw it once, when the journal transitioned from one format/editing system to another.) I think given the timeframe and silence of the managing editor, it is appropriate to contact the E-i-C.