The old adage that “where there is a will there is a way” seems to be the most appropriate when considering rejection of your research manuscript from a journal. The first thing to do when you receive your rejection review is to view it constructively. This may mean that you have to take a break and come back at it again to remove any negative feelings you may have had while glimpsing it the first time.

Now, when you have considered all suggestions and recommendations provided in the review, you will realize that you have a few options depending on the received feedback. The following are some options to be considered:

  1. Appeal the rejection
  2. Completely abandon the paper
  3. Revise the article according to the specifications of the review and resubmit it to the same journal
  4. Make no changes and submit it to another journal
  5. Make some changes and submit it to another journal

Let us discuss each option briefly to obtain an idea regarding which option would be better suited to your need:

Most journals have their own policy regarding appealing the rejection. You must carefully go over the policy to consider all angles to draft your appeal. The appeal should be based on logic, and the reviewer’s feedback should be minutely decoded. You need to be absolutely sure that your logic is accurate. However, many experienced writers view this option as an ineffective option since you will be writing to the very journal that has rejected your research paper.

You may completely discard the manuscript if you think that it cannot be salvaged even if you make extensive changes to the document. Often, this is the least preferred option by any writer. Unless the article is criticized for its main theme, methodology, or argument, you can definitely resubmit it. It would be prudent to note that many research papers even from high-profile, experienced writers are sometimes rejected before being accepted. So, do not be wary of getting a second opinion and just go for it.

Some journals may invite you to resubmit it after a revision. In this case, you will be required to thoroughly check and recheck your revision before submitting the final draft. The best way is to include a third party (editor or proofreader; formal or informal) to gain a new perspective to your writing.

You can submit your manuscript as it is to another journal. Selecting another journal could be quite frustrating when you are already dealing with a rejection. Although this option seems very simple, this is in fact the most common mistake observed in the writing field. On a practical level, the suggestions by a reviewer are in most cases valid and ignoring them will not improve your chances of getting your research article published in another journal.

Although being quite a hassle, making some modifications to your manuscript and submitting it to another journal is the most common and practical option. Minutely go through all the suggestions received from the reviewer and consider all constructive feedback. Take care of all factual and spelling errors; if possible, consider taking professional help from a third party.