Peer Review Processes

Yes, you can cite preprints—but whether you should depends on your target journal, your field, and the specific preprint’s status. Since 2020, preprint citation policies have evolved dramatically, yet confusion persists because guidance varies widely across disciplines and publishers. The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed how the scientific community views preprints. What was once primarily accepted […]

You receive an email: “Dear Esteemed Researcher, we are impressed by your work and invite you to submit to our prestigious journal. Guaranteed acceptance within 2 weeks!” It sounds flattering. Maybe even exciting. But here’s what they don’t tell you: you’re about to be scammed by a predatory publisher that will take your money, damage

You’ve just received the email. “We regret to inform you that your manuscript has been rejected…” Your first instinct might be to fire off an appeal immediately. After all, you’ve spent months—maybe years—on this research. The reviewers clearly didn’t understand your methodology. The editor must have made a mistake. Before you hit “send” on that

You’re staring at a reviewer comment that’s just… wrong. Maybe they’ve misunderstood your methodology. Perhaps they’re suggesting an analysis that doesn’t make sense for your data. Or they want you to cite their own outdated work that your research actually contradicts. Your instinct might be to write “we respectfully disagree,” but that phrase often falls

What to do after manuscript rejection determines whether a study ultimately reaches publication or stalls indefinitely. A rejection does not necessarily reflect poor research quality; more often, it signals a mismatch with journal scope, unmet editorial priorities, or remediable weaknesses in framing, analysis, or presentation. Experienced researchers treat rejection as a diagnostic step—one that provides