Publishing

Academic Skills

Minor revisions: Sample peer review comments and examples

‘Minor revisions’ means that a manuscript only has to undergo small changes and improvements before it can be published in an academic journal. If you review a manuscript and struggle to formulate your feedback to reflect a ‘minor revisions’ verdict,…
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Academic Skills

Major revisions: Sample peer review comments and examples

‘Major revisions’ is one of the most common peer review decisions. It means that the peer reviewer considers a manuscript suitable for publication if the authors rectify some major shortcomings. As a peer reviewer, it is useful to learn about…
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Academic Skills

Revise and resubmit: Sample peer review comments and examples

A ‘revise and resubmit’ decision means that a manuscript has potential but cannot be considered for publication in its current form. Learn more about the reasons for a ‘revise and resubmit’ decision, and have a look at sample peer review…
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Academic Skills

Reject decisions: Sample peer review comments and examples

A ‘reject’ verdict means that a manuscript is not considered suitable to be published in an academic journal. Out of all editorial decisions, a ‘reject decision’ on a manuscript is the harshest. Therefore, it is important to reject a manuscript…
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Academic Skills

Journal vs conference papers: Key differences & advice

Journal and conference papers are not the same, and both formats have advantages and disadvantages. A good understanding of the key differences between journal and conference papers avoids pitfalls, such as copyright issues when wanting to turn a conference into…
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Academic Skills

Types of editorial decisions after peer review (+ how to react)

After submitting their manuscripts to academic journals, authors receive one of several editorial decisions: ‘desk reject’, ‘revise and resubmit’, ‘major revisions’, ‘minor revisions’, or ‘paper accepted.’ Learn what these editorial decisions precisely mean, and how to react. Contents The meaning…
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Academic Skills

The different stages in the manuscript publication process

Submitting a manuscript to an academic journal is a big step. It is also the beginning of a complex publication process in which a manuscript goes through different stages. In each stage, the status of a manuscript changes. Understanding this…
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Academic Skills

How to select a journal for publication as a PhD student

Selecting a suitable journal to publish your academic work can be overwhelming. However, six concrete strategies can help you to select a suitable journal. Combined, these strategies allow you to identify the perfect journal for your next publication. Contents Explore…
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Academic Skills

How to disagree with reviewers (with examples!)

It may come as a surprise, but you can disagree with reviewers. Sometimes it is not attainable or sensible to incorporate all reviewer comments in the revisions of your manuscript. In these situations, you have to politely but firmly disagree…
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Academic Skills

Revising a manuscript by responding to reviewer comments

Publishing scientific articles in academic journals is a lengthy process. Even when manuscripts are accepted, most have to undergo major or minor revisions before being published. This guide explains how to best revise your manuscript and respond to reviewer comments.…
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