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2 years ago in Academic Publishing By Deeksha S

How should I respond to "Revise and Resubmit" (R&R) decision from a journal?

I just got an R&R with pages of comments from three reviewers. Some comments seem contradictory, others ask for impossible new experiments. How do I tackle this strategically without getting overwhelmed?

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By Zack Answered 1 year ago

An R&R is a vote of confidence, not a rejection. Treat it as a collaborative editing process. First, create a spreadsheet listing every comment from all reviewers and the editor. Categorize them: "Easy Fix," "Substantive but Doable," "Debatable/Contradictory." Address every single point in your resubmission. In your revision letter, start by thanking the reviewers. Then, for each comment, state: 1) The comment, 2) Your action ("We have added a sentence...", "We conducted the suggested analysis..."), 3) The location (Page, Line). For contradictory requests, explain your reasoned choice. For impossible requests, explain why respectfully (e.g., "Beyond scope," "Technically infeasible within this study's design"). The goal is to show you've engaged deeply and improved the paper. Most R&Rs lead to acceptance if handled well.

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