Breeze Your Way Through Peer Review
By Sara Treneman
After months or years of research and writing the last thing you want is an unnecessary delay with the peer review of your paper. Sometimes turnaround times are beyond your control, however, there are some simple things you can do to ensure that your paper gets through peer review as quickly and painlessly as possible.
1. Make your manuscript a joy to read
Make sure your manuscript is in tip top condition before you submit it. It should be well written and the quality of English should be excellent. SAGE offers a language editing service for authors, which is particularly useful if English is your second language. Also make sure your manuscript is formatted in a clear and logical way following SAGE’s guidelines. If you use LaTex there is a template you can use, or if you’d rather not format your paper yourself, you can use SAGE’s formatting service.
2. Tell us what is new and exciting about your work
Make sure the novelty of your work is highlighted in the abstract and throughout the paper. You will attract reviewers if it is clear what your paper can offer to the field and therefore get through the peer review process quickly. You also need to make sure your paper does not include any previously published material unless it is fully referenced. If you are in any doubt, use SAGE’s plagiarism checking service.
3. Pick the right journal
Submitting your manuscript to the right journal is incredibly important. Before you submit, read through the aims and scope of the journal on the journal’s website. If you’re unsure which journal is the right fit for your manuscript, why not input some details about your research into the SAGE Journal Recommender or submit using SAGE Path? SAGE Path is a free service which offers expert advice on which SAGE journal is the right fit for your manuscript, so you don’t have the hassle of having to decide where to submit.
4. Read the manuscript guidelines
Before you submit, make sure you read the submission guidelines on the journal website. It might seem laborious, but taking the time to ensure your manuscript meets the journal’s requirements before submitting will mean it can be assigned to an editor more quickly. The submission guidelines will let you know which referencing style to use, if there is a word or figure limit for different article types, what ethical statements you might need to include, and many other journal specific requirements.
5. Check the PDF proof
The final step before you submit your paper is to carefully check the PDF proof. Sometimes when the PDF proof of your manuscript is being compiled things go wrong: referencing is missing, figures aren’t where they’re supposed to be, equations are illegible. If you check over the PDF proof before you submit you will spot any mistakes straight away and can fix them before you submit.
6. Know what is going on with your paper
After submission you can easily check the status of your paper online by logging into your account on the journal’s online manuscript submission system. If you think your paper might be delayed during the process and want more information you can get in contact with the journal’s editorial office via email.
7. Read, revise and respond to reviewer comments
You’re almost there! Once you receive your decision letter, make sure you read it thoroughly, respond to all the comments from the reviewers and the editor in your rebuttal, and revise your manuscript to make it the best it can be.
Good luck!
About the Author
