Sign-Off Editor tasks

These instructions are for Sign-Off Editors providing feedback on submissions on group Editorial Manager sites.

From 30 April 2024 the option to ‘Initiate Production’ and begin the copy editing and proofing process will be available on the Central Editorial Service EM site only. Please transfer any submissions intended for publication, directly to Central Editorial Service.

If a Managing Editor needs you to sign-off or accept a review for publication, you will be assigned as the editor in charge of the current stage of the editorial process to Submit an Editor's Decision of Accept. See also Handling Editor tasks.

Note: As of November 2023, the first assigned editor remains the Corresponding Editor throughout the editorial process on the Cochrane Central Editorial Service site. It will apply to assignments from the point of change, and not to submissions that were already out with Sign-Off editors. The Corresponding Editor can still be changed manually.

Accept a review for publication (sign-off)

You will receive an email from the Managing Editor asking you for your overall verdict on a submission.

  • Log in to Editorial Manager with your Cochrane Account.
  • The submission will be in the New Assignments and/or Submissions with Required Reviews Complete folder on your main menu.
  • Open the folder to view the submission(s).

  • The Action menu gives you different options for assessing the review:
    • View Submission to open a PDF of the review.
    • File Inventory will allow you to view author responses to peer review comments.
    • View Reviews and Comments will open peer review comments.

  • To submit your decision, select Submit Decision and Comments.

  • On the Submit Decision and Comments screen, select Accept to accept the review for publication and Proceed.
  • This will return the review to the Managing Editor who can send the review for copy edit and notify authors.


You can also view peer review comments from the decision screen if needed.

  • To view all answers to reviewer checklist questions, click View Review Question Responses.
  • To view an individual reviewer's comments to authors and editors, click the decision term (Major / Minor Revision, Accept, Reject) next to the reviewer's name.