Peer Review- A decisive stage in publication

Reacting to Peer Review Comments can be stressful

Responding to peer review comments is one of the most important steps in the publication journey. It is not uncommon to be particularly worried about this stage as it is the first interaction researchers have with experts who, even if not responsible for the final verdict, maintain the quality of the journal.

The top 10 Commandments for response

1. Treat the first round of review as the final one.
2. Persuade the reviewer, through your arguments, that you will not require a second review.
3. Work constructively on criticism.
4. Peer Review is almost like a second chance and is to be taken advantage of. It offers a chance of improving the manuscript.
5. Be kind and empathetic. Put yourself in the reviewer’s shoes and try to understand their perspective.
6. Use the right tone so that you don’t sound offended or offensive.
7. Looking at the reviewer’s comments may cause panic and stress. Remember to be calm and respond to the comments appropriately.
8. Illustrate your responses with the changes you’ve made according to what the reviewer expects of you.
9. Do not skip any comment made by a reviewer as it is most likely to come up in the second stage once again and will only end up annoying the reviewer.
10. 10. Don’t hesitate to seek advice and opinion from people in academia, your mentor, and friends.

Use feedback and constructive criticism to your advantage

You may feel the need to defend your research paper in case you are asked to change something you were strongly confident about. While it is not recommended to blatantly show that you disagree, if you are truly convinced and have a strong argument or rationale to back you up, you can always present the same, nevertheless with clarity and precision. Moreover, think deeply about the reviewer’s criticism and whether you could come up with an alternative to be more in line with your reviewer’s perspective.

Having interacted and served researchers for over 16 years now, Editage has consistently tried to use their expertise to develop and deliver education solutions for researchers all over the world. Having reached out to 112,390 researchers globally, the Editage Training Academy  aims to support authors in all stages of publication.