Review Process (mksc-review-process)

When to trigger

You want to know what happens after you submit, and on what criteria
You received a decision letter and need to interpret it before responding
You are unsure how MKSC review differs from single-blind economics/marketing outlets

Editorial structure. The Editor-in-Chief (Puneet Manchanda, Michigan Ross; term Jan 1 2025–Dec 31 2027, renewable through 2030 — verified 2026-06-22) oversees a set of Senior Editors who handle assigned papers, working with Associate Editors — a Senior-Editor/Associate-Editor routing model, not Management Science's standing departmental Area Editors. Verify the current board on the editorial-board page before relying on specific names.
Double-anonymous review. Regular submissions are reviewed double-anonymous per the INFORMS-wide mandate; reviewers do not see author identities, and the manuscript must stay blinded. The cover letter is seen by the Editor/AE but not reviewers. (Practice/Science-to-Practice tracks are single-blind.)
First pass. The handling team screens for readability and whether the paper makes a significant, original contribution on an important topic using a credible model. Papers that are model-free, off-topic, or unreadable can be returned early.