Service Spotlight: The Transfer Desk

Author: Penny Freedman

This month’s spotlight is on our Transfer Desk Service. One journal’s rejection may be another’s discovery. Find out how the service works and benefits both authors and editors.

As an author when a paper you’ve spent time and effort researching and writing gets rejected from a journal, it can be hard not to take it to heart. As an editor it can be discouraging to have to reject a great paper that might be a better fit for another journal that is just too interdisciplinary or a poor fit for the scope of your journal. At Springer we want to ensure that all papers find the right home for their research. Enter the Transfer Desk, a service that is easy for both authors and editors to use.

What does the Transfer Desk do?

The Transfer Desk service allows authors to resubmit their papers to other suitable journals after facing a rejection on their original submission. It can be difficult to begin the submission process from the very start, and with the Transfer Desk service you don’t have to go at it alone. The Transfer Desk combines any editor recommendations, your preferences, and our journal matching technology to find the best home for your work.

How does this benefit me as an author?

Save yourself time and effort, as well as missing out or further delaying publishing your research. When you agree to a transfer, our transfer team does all the work of handling the re-submission process. The team will analyze your manuscript and select one or more journals where your paper may be a good fit. You can suggest your own ideas for journals to resubmit to as well. The Transfer Desk will do a pre-submission inquiry to all of your selected journals for you.

Do I have to use the service? Will I be charged?

No, you don’t have to use the service. You can automatically decline, or stop at any time during the process. Your manuscript will never be sent to a journal without your permission. The Transfer Desk service is completely free, and at no time will you be charged.

I’m an editor – how does this service benefit me? Will it add more time to my day?

As an editor, it’s easy to help authors find the right home for their research. It will take no additional time on your part. It simply requires clicking a different button in Editorial Manager. Instead of hitting “Reject,” just click “Decline and Transfer to Transfer Desk.” It’s as easy as that! Utilizing the service helps to promote good quality research, and leaves authors with a more positive impression of your journal even when faced with a rejection.

While utilizing the service does not guarantee that a paper will be published, it does ensure that a rejection is not the end of the line for sound research. Get answers to more questions about the Transfer Desk here.