Understanding Editorial Workflow

Contributor

Every article in PATHS moves through a structured editorial workflow before reaching learners. Understanding this process helps you work effectively within the system and set realistic expectations for your content timeline.

The Five Stages

The editorial workflow consists of five sequential statuses:

Draft — the starting status. You have full editing control. Save, refine, and add media at your own pace. Contributors create, edit, and submit.
In Review — the article is in the editorial queue. An editor evaluates accuracy, clarity, and formatting. Editors review, approve, or return to Draft.
Approved — the editor has confirmed quality standards are met. No further edits. Publishers publish or return to earlier status.
Published — the article is live and visible to learners based on its access level. Publishers manage and archive.
Archived — retired from active use but preserved in the system for reference. Publishers and Admins archive or restore.

Status Transitions

Not all status changes are available to every role. Here is how transitions work:

From	To	Who
Draft	In Review	Contributor
In Review	Approved	Editor
In Review	Draft	Editor (with feedback)
Approved	Published	Publisher
Approved	In Review	Publisher (if issues found)
Published	Archived	Publisher
Archived	Draft	Admin (for rework)

Article status dropdown in the admin panel showing available workflow transitions

One direction at a time

As a contributor, you can only move articles from Draft to In Review. All other transitions are handled by editors, publishers, or admins. This separation of responsibilities ensures content quality.

The time from submission to publication varies depending on editorial workload and revision needs. A well-prepared article with no revisions can move from In Review to Published within a few business days. Articles requiring multiple rounds of revision will naturally take longer.

The best way to shorten your publication timeline is to submit polished, complete drafts. Review the submission checklist before changing your article status to In Review.

Your Role in the Workflow

As a contributor, your responsibilities are focused on the first two stages:

Create and refine your article while it is in Draft status.

Submit for review when the article is complete and polished.

Revise if needed when an editor returns the article to Draft with feedback.

Resubmit after addressing all editorial feedback.

Once your article reaches Approved status, your work is done. Editors and publishers handle everything from that point forward.