How to respond to reviewer comments (with a template)
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A decision of "major revision" is not a rejection. It means the editor sees potential in your paper. A clear, polite and complete response letter is the best way to move it forward. The layout and wording advice below is practical experience, not an official standard; the ethics rules it refers to come from the sources listed at the end.
Structure of a response letter
- Start with a short thank-you to the editor and reviewers, and one sentence on what changed overall.
- Copy every reviewer comment, numbered, exactly as written. Do not shorten or skip any.
- Under each comment write your reply, then say what you changed and where (page and line, or section).
- Answer every point, including minor ones. If you did not change something, say so and give the reason.
- Keep the same tone for each reviewer. Be factual and polite, even when a comment seems wrong or harsh.
The journal's own reviewers are asked by COPE to be objective, specific and constructive, to avoid hostile or derogatory remarks, and to be considerate of authors writing in a non-native language. Reply in the same spirit. COPE asks reviewers to distinguish essential requests from optional ones, so look for which comments are essential and deal with them first.
When you disagree
- You do not have to accept every request, but you do have to answer it.
- Explain with evidence: a reference, a figure from your data, or a point about your design. Do not argue from authority or emotion.
- Begin with what you agree with. Then explain the point of disagreement calmly, for example: "We understand the concern. We kept the analysis because ... ; we have added a sentence about this limitation in the Discussion."
- Where the reviewer has misread the paper, treat it as a sign that the text was unclear, and clarify it in the manuscript.
- If a request would require data you do not have, or would take the study beyond its scope, say so briefly and add the limitation to the manuscript.
- If a reviewer asks you to cite particular papers and you cannot see a scientific reason, you can say so politely. COPE tells reviewers not to suggest citing their own or associates' work just to raise citations, and Elsevier says such requests must be for genuine scientific reasons.
- Do not contact reviewers directly; COPE tells reviewers not to contact authors without the journal's permission, so all communication goes through the editor. If you suspect a conflict of interest or unfair review, write to the editor.
- Do not add or remove authors or change their order at this stage without telling the editor. The ICMJE asks editors to require a signed statement from all authors, and from the person added or removed, when authorship changes after submission.
Marking changes in the manuscript
- Submit a clean revised manuscript and, if the journal asks, a version with tracked changes or highlighted text. Check the instructions in the decision letter.
- Use the same page and line numbers in the letter as in the file you upload, and check them again after the final edit.
- If you changed numbers, tables or conclusions, say it clearly in the letter.
- Do not change other parts without mentioning it. If you add a new analysis, tell the editor.
- Meet the deadline in the decision letter. If you need more time, ask the editor in advance.
Template
Replace all text in brackets. Delete what does not apply.
Dear Dr [Editor's name],
Thank you for the opportunity to revise our manuscript "[title]" (manuscript number [number]). We are grateful to the reviewers for their careful comments. We have revised the manuscript accordingly. Our replies are below; reviewers' comments are in italics and our changes are marked in [colour or tracked changes].
Reviewer 1
Comment 1: [copy the comment exactly]
Response: Thank you. We agree / We respectfully disagree because [reason with reference]. We have [changed the text / added an analysis] (page [x], lines [y-z]).
Comment 2: [copy the comment]
Response: [reply and location of change]
Reviewer 2
Comment 1: [...]
Response: [...]
We hope the revised manuscript is now suitable for publication in [journal name]. Please contact us with any questions.
Sincerely,
[Corresponding author's name, affiliation, ORCID]