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My recent submission to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) was rejected after the first round of reviews. The journal suggested transfer of the manuscript (after revision and response to reviewers) to its sister open-access journal PNAS Nexus. I looked up the details and found the following information:

  • PNAS Nexus was started in 2022 as a open-access sister to PNAS.

  • It charges a article processing fee of ~4000 USD from developed countries.

  • It seems to be a similar venture as in the case of Science Advances vs. Science.

The Clarivate impact factor report of 2023 gives it an impact factor of 2.2, although the journal website states its first impact factor will be revealed in 2024 summer.

What is the journal processing steps after transfer of a submission already reviewed by PNAS? Do they send for review again? Or do they decide on the basis of previous reviews directly?

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  • This might depend on the reason for rejection. I doubt that nexus has lower standards.
    – Buffy
    Commented Aug 13 at 14:49
  • @Buffy If the standards were identical, it would be pointless to suggest a transfer, or to have two separate journals, for that matter.
    – user71659
    Commented Aug 13 at 19:43
  • @user71659, one is open access the other is not. That is the difference. The standards could be the same or not, and that is why I mentioned the reasons. If the reason is simply scope mismatch it make sense.
    – Buffy
    Commented Aug 13 at 20:19
  • Have you considered asking the editor that recommended this?
    – Scott Seidman
    Commented Aug 13 at 21:18
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    @Buffy These days PNAS is close enough to open access, at least in spirit. There is an expensive option for immediate (gold) open access, and a cheaper option that is initially paywalled but becomes free to access after six months. PNAS Nexus doesn't have the delay option.
    – Anyon
    Commented Aug 14 at 0:00

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What is the journal processing steps after transfer of a submission already reviewed by PNAS? Do they send for review again?

Well, like with all such transfer processes I've seen in different journals the answer is that it depends. Important factors tend to be what the reviews say (contrast "can't be published until X, Y and Z are fixed" vs. "great paper but not broad enough interest for this journal") and whether you make changes to the manuscript during the transfer process. That is, transfers tend to speed up the process, but it's not guaranteed in each case. The Submitting to the PNAS portfolio page seems to agree

Submission transfers

Benefits of submission transfer

...

  • Rapid route to publication: Any previous reviews of your PNAS submission will be transferred to PNAS Nexus alongside your manuscript, potentially reducing the number of reviews required at PNAS Nexus and time to decision.
  • Alleviate reviewer fatigue: Because any previous PNAS reviews (and reviewer identities) will transfer alongside your manuscript, PNAS Nexus may make a decision informed by previous feedback, or invite the same reviewers to consider your revision. This allows PNAS Nexus to build upon the valuable assessment already conducted when possible, rather than starting anew.

Also note

However, it is important to note that a transfer recommendation is not a guarantee of acceptance at PNAS Nexus; the PNAS Nexus Editorial Board operates independently of PNAS and will assess your transferred submission against its own criteria.

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