More From the Rumorbusters

Abstract

Last month I used the Editor's Note to debunk myths about the Journal and its peer-review process. My Editorial Board has reminded me about a few more rumors that need “busting.” “When your paper is rejected, it's all over.” Every author who submits to our Journal receives a “disposition” (decision) letter written by the Editor. The Editor explains the decision—which usually is based on a summary of the reviewers' comments and the comments of the Editorial Board member (EBM) or the Associate Editorial Board Member (AEBM)—and sometimes elaborates on these comments. Most important, the letter contains comments on whether the paper can be resubmitted. We want to see papers with potential resubmitted after authors make the revisions suggested by the reviewer team. We ask authors who need any clarification to contact the EBM, the AEBM, or the Editor, and we supply phone numbers and e-mail addresses in every disposition letter. Nothing saddens me or the review team more than to see a manuscript that could be resubmitted lost to our readers. Rejection feels lousy, and there is no getting around it. As I often write in disposition letters: As an author who has had my own papers rejected, I know that this decision is disappointing to you. Remember that all manuscripts submitted to the Journal are reviewed by content experts. The comments offered by the reviewer team are intended to guide you. The goal of this process is to ensure that credible information is presented as clearly as possible for the reader, and, in many ways, it assists authors in clearly and accurately communicating their ideas and data. When we say that we believe a manuscript can be successfully revised and resubmitted, we mean it! Resubmitted manuscripts often proceed swiftly through the …