From major revision to accept: strategies for crafting effective reviewer responses in contemporary business research

Purpose - The importance of crafting an effective reviewer response document to a “Revise and Resubmit” decision on a manuscript is well known to scholars across business research. The empathy and clarity with which responses are explained can play a vital role in whether the revised manuscript is accepted or rejected. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, discuss techniques like “reviewer empathy” and emotional intelligence to better “choose your battles” and second, offer strategic writing tips when responding to a manuscript peer review. Design/methodology/approach - In this conceptual paper, the authors first lay out the scholarly publication process followed by some practical tips and strategies on how authors might craft their response document. Findings - Through this study, the authors hope that business researchers would walk away with a greater understanding of how best to craft a response document to satisfy editor and reviewer expectations as well as be able to manage with the emotional rigors of the revise and resubmit process. Originality/value - There is limited information or guidance available to researchers on how to write clear response documents while keeping in mind the reviewers’ perspective.