English Editing Researcher Services

Responding To Peer Review

A guide and template for writing your response letter

 

Responding to peer review is a critical part of the publishing process. Your letter should consist of a) an introductory paragraph addressed to the journal editor, and b) your point by point responses to the reviewers.

 

Describe any major changes in the manuscript in the letter to the editor, for example, if you have deleted any figures or tables. Explain how the journal editor can see how your manuscript has been revised. For example, write that “additions are shown with yellow highlighter.”

It is fine to disagree with reviewers, but make sure you explain why, and provide citations as evidence. Contact the journal editor well in advance if you cannot return the manuscript within the requested time frame.

 

Golden rules to follow


  • Address ALL points raised by the editor and/or reviewers
  • Describe the revisions in your response letter
  • Perform any additional experiments or analysis requested or explain why you didn't in your response letter and give citations
  • Provide a polite and scientific rebuttal to any points or comments you disagree with
  • Differentiate comments and responses in your letter- use different color font, bold type oritalic type
  • Clearly show the major revisions in the text
  • Use highlight to show additions, use strikethrough font to show deletions (use strikethrough font to show deletions)
  • Return revised manuscript and response letter within the requested time period