Use a proofreading service or ask a friend or colleague to read your article to avoid ‘writer’s blindness’
Follow the journal’s instructions on how and where to submit
Wait patiently (and then wait a little longer)
Typical turn-around time is 14 weeks
Check the journal for expected response time and allow two more weeks before tactfully (and politely) emailing the editor
Do not send your paper to another journal until you have a response. While you wait, consider focusing on another publication
The editor will respond with their decision, which usually falls into one of the four responses below:
Acceptance: “Yes – we’ll publish this, no changes are needed” (a rare response!)
Acceptance on the condition that the work be improved in certain ways: “Yes – we’ll publish this subject to some minor changes”
Rejection but encouragement to revise and resubmit: “No – we won’t publish this in its current form, but if major changes are made, we might”
Outright rejection: “No – we won’t publish this under any circumstances”
If your article is rejected, consider whether this is the right publication for your article
If accepted for editorial review, your article will be read and edited to ensure it meets the standard and requirements of the journal. Details of the editorial process, roles and timeframes are often available on a journal’s website
The importance of peer review
Peer review is undertaken by credible scholarly journals to ensure the content published is of a high academic standard. Journals editors select subject experts to evaluate submitted content before publication
Remember, peer review is a process to improve the quality of your work. This is an opportunity for you to critically reflect on your work and strengthen your paper. Even Nobel Prize winning papers will be carefully reviewed.
Responding to reviewers’ comments
Don’t respond immediately (cool down first!)
Read the revision letter carefully, noting each point the reviewer/editor has made, so you have a full understanding of the reviewer/s and editors concerns
Editors/reviewers comments typically come in two categories, the more substantial requirements (such as clarifying the case for your research or clarifying your contribution), and then more minor issues (such as editing).
Address all comments/points raised by reviewers individually. Create a list of all comments with another column identifying the changes you’ve made
Where you disagree:
Politely and tactfully explain why you disagree
Support your point with evidence, e.g. cite other published work
Summarise all changes/rebuttals and thank the editor and reviewers in your response email
Remember: when responding to peer review, it is important to be polite, clear and concise
Dealing with rejection
Remember: this happens to everyone! (Consider yourself in good company – Animal Farm, Gone With the Wind and Harry Potter were all rejected multiple times before they were published!)
Rejection can be a very useful learning process, even if it hurts!
