Does the journal provide a channel for communication with the editor after submission?

Most academic journals do provide established communication channels for authors to contact editors after submission. This interaction is both feasible and standardized through the journal's Manuscript Tracking System (MTS). Direct email communication with the handling editor or journal administrator is also generally permitted when appropriate. Communication should primarily occur through the designated MTS platform unless specific instructions indicate otherwise. Contact must be professional, concise, and warranted – typically reserved for genuine concerns about the review process, exceptional circumstances requiring clarification, reporting potential ethical issues, or critical submission errors. Frequent or trivial inquiries are discouraged. The timing and nature of appropriate contact often depend on the journal's specific policies outlined in their author guidelines. The primary application is resolving significant submission ambiguities or procedural obstacles, thereby ensuring the integrity of the review process. Its value lies in facilitating efficient manuscript handling, addressing urgent ethical matters, and clarifying status-related questions that cannot be resolved via the MTS alone, ultimately supporting a smoother publication workflow for authors and editors.