Emailing journals to check on a manuscript's status?

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

My journal submission has been under review for a while now. I want to email the journal to inquiry about the status. How should I write the email without frustrating the editor?

I don't think one should worry about frustrating the editor, provided your paper has been under review a sufficiently long time. Just write a respectful note that you wish to check on the paper's status. Does anyone disagree, or have different advice?

Comments

[Craig Agule]

From ChatGPT:

I am a philosopher, and I have an article under consideration at a journal. They have been reviewing it for a while, and I would like to know the status of the review. Could you write a respectful email to the editor asking for the status of my article?

Dear [Editor's Name],

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to inquire about the status of my article, "[Article Title]", which has been under review at [Journal Name] for some time now.

I appreciate the thoroughness and care with which the reviewers have been evaluating my work, and I understand that the review process can take time. However, as I am eager to know the outcome of the review, I would be grateful if you could update me on the status of my article.

I would be happy to provide any additional information or answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

[same here]

Follow-up question: What do you do if you email the journal because your paper's been there for a while, but don't get a response (and you can only email the journal administration assistant due to triple-blind review)?

[ehz]

I agree it's fine once enough time has passed. Probably over 3 months at most journals. But write something much shorter than the first comment suggests.

[Person]

Agreed. I’d write only after five months or maybe four. Something like: “would you mind updating me on the status of my article? Many thanks for your consideration.”