When this electronically enabled review process unfolds smoothly, it works extremely well. As much as I would rather not have to admit it, not all of our review processes unfold as described above. Glitches, delays, and disruptions do occasionally arise, although we would like to believe that these are occurring less frequently over time. Some of these problems are beyond our control. Let me briefly explain.
Problems do surface that are beyond our control.
First, some authors have experienced considerable difficulties in providing us with an electronic version of their manuscripts. In a few cases, it has taken a month or more to get a viable electronic version of a manuscript. In rare instances, we have had to send referees hard copies of a manuscript. Since the editorial office has recently made extensive enhancements to its technology, we expect such problems to occur with far less frequency. Third, our editors and editorial staff do travel and are otherwise absent from work.