Spreadsheet for academics

Journal Submission & R&R Tracker

A paper can sit at three journals and two rounds over a couple of years, and the dates live in a dozen emails. This keeps them in one place and tells you what needs doing: a revision due next month, an editor who has had your paper for 120 days, the reviewer comments nobody has answered yet.

The tabs

Submissions

One row per round, so a paper's history reads top to bottom: journal, manuscript number, submitted, status, decision date and revision due. Days in review count themselves from today's date, and a flag column marks a revision that is overdue or due soon, and a first-round review that has run past your nudge threshold.

R&R Responses

The response matrix editors expect: one reviewer comment per row, your response, where the paper changed, who owns it and whether it is done. Filter by paper and round when you write the response letter.

Journals

What you know about each outlet (stated turnaround, acceptance rate, open-access fee) beside your own record with it: how many times you submitted, how many were accepted, and your average days to a decision.

Dashboard

In review now, revisions in progress, overdue and due-soon counts, editors to nudge, your acceptance rate on decided papers, average days to a first-round decision, and reviewer comments still open.

Excel or Google Sheets

Open the .xlsx in Excel as it is. For Google Sheets, choose File, Import, Upload, and pick "Replace spreadsheet"; the formulas, dropdowns and colour flags come across. It also comes in the researcher bundle in a six-spreadsheet bundle for $39, along with the other trackers and the Grant Budget Builder.