Module 6 Dealing with Reviews ASM Webinar: Scientific Writing and Publishing

Rejection hurts, but is it fatal?

Publication Process COMPLETION OF RESEARCH PREPARATION OF MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPT ASSIGNMENT AND REVIEW DECISION

REJECTION

REVISION RESUBMISSION RERE-REVIEW

ACCEPTANCE

REJECTION

Editorial Decision • Accepted with no revisions – this is very rare! • Modify • Read critiques carefully • Revise manuscript to address concerns • Send in revisions

• Rejected • Read critiques carefully • Revise manuscript to address concerns • Resubmit to another journal

PUBLICATION!

Response • Don’t look for bias and intent • Begin with the presumption that the reviewers were unbiased • They put substantial (unpaid) effort into understanding your work

After Receiving Your Reviews… • Read and get mad; put reviews away for 24-48 hours • Re-read reviews • Try to understand what reviewers are saying • Discuss reviews with collaborators • Look for clues in editor’s cover letter • Reviewer is ALWAYS right

Clues

Response to Acceptance Letter

Here’s one you don’t want to receive!

• Celebrate!

“Dear Authors:

• Wait for the proofs

Thank you for your submission. We have included two rejection letters. One for this submission and one for your next submission.”

Proofs

• Acceptance is much more common following revisions

Accepted with Revision: Revising Manuscript

• A preliminary copy of the printed article • Read carefully • Usually can not make drastic changes

• Re-write sections of manuscript where confusing

• Answer all queries

• Give manuscript to someone else to read along with reviewer comments

• Usually requires quick, often 48-hour response from you!

• If you decide not to revise the manuscript, contact the editor and withdraw it

Response to Modify Letter • Do additional experiments or data analysis if needed • Make appropriate revisions in manuscript • Point-by-point response to comments by the editor and by the reviewers • Respond to the letter and the intent of the suggestions • Explain any additional changes • Return revisions in a timely manner (50%)

More on Responding • Thank the reviewer and editor • Consider which issues are critical • Give way on minor inconsequential points • Draft response to each point made • Detail changes made to manuscript • If you think reviewer is wrong, give reasons politely disagree

and

The Revised Manuscript

Response to Reject Letter • Evaluate reviews and identify the problem(s)

• Follow journal (editor) instructions

• Revise and resubmit to same journal

• Return to proper location (usually the corresponding editor)

• Revise and resubmit elsewhere

• Include a cover letter and manuscript identification information

• Do not lose hope or your temper • Most journals >60%

More on Rejection

Why a Manuscript Gets Rejected • Inappropriate for journal

• Don’t take it personally. Look for the good points and build on them.

• Research is merely confirmatory

• Editor can help resolve conflicting reviews

• Study is an incremental advance only

• Rebut and resubmit, but don’t pretend to fix something if you haven’t!

• Study was poorly designed

• If sending to a different journal, is the previous rejection relevant? • Be diplomatic

Contacting the Editor

• Conclusions made are not supported by data • Manuscript was poorly written or organized

Check List • Re-read the decision letter and reviews

• Don’t understand reviewers’ comments

• Have you answered all the questions? • Have you followed the instructions?

• Inappropriate reviewer comments • Are your responses concise, clear, and effective?

• Question regarding additional experiments • Withdrawing manuscript

• Do you need to eliminate any angry or inappropriate comments? • Did you make any modifications that were not suggested? • Describe any major changes and explain why