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被期刊退件后,怎样为重新投稿撰写修回信?

28 March 2022

Quick Takeaways:

  • 提交已润色原稿时,附上功整流畅的反驳或修回信至关重要
  • 本文的 速查表 是你撰写有效反驳信的有用指引
  • 你也可以 下载 我们的示例用作反驳信模板

The English language has a rich history of borrowing words from other languages, especially from Latin. Latin abbreviations such as ‘a.m.’, ‘p.m.’ and ‘CV’ have become part of our everyday vocabulary. Such abbreviations are also frequently used in academic writing, from the ‘Ph.D.’ in the affiliation section to the ‘i.e.’, ‘e.g.’, ‘et al.’, and ‘QED’ in the rest of the paper.

This guide explains when and how to correctly use ‘et al.’ in a research paper.

当期刊编辑给你寄来决定函,请你根据同行审稿意见为原稿进行《revise and resubmit》( 润色重投) ,你便需要准备一封反驳信(rebuttal letter)或修回信 (response letter),连同你的重新投稿一同递交。

反驳信有两大作用。 首先,它可充当封面函,宣告你的修稿已作改善,而且做好再被考虑的准备。 其次,它说明了原稿已作哪些修订,就每位同行评审员的意见逐点回应

你的回信应该能充份说服编辑,尽可能在毋须进行另一轮审稿 的情况下接纳和刊登你的原稿。 所以,花时间撰写有效和令人信服的信函是非常值得的。 本指引将以六个步骤说明如何实现。

A. 为修订原稿撰写反驳信

第一步:注意上款称谓,显示专业细心
第二步:简列原稿重点(例如标题和原稿编号)
第三步:感谢编辑和同行审稿人
第四步:概述你如何回应审稿人意见
第五步:逐点详细回应审稿人
第六步:专业结语
整合全文: 速查表

B. 反驳信示例 [免费下载]

小提示

期刊或会请你根据特定指引重投修稿,例如以特定格式或表格来逐点回应审稿人 、如何在原稿上标示修订,以及如何上载你的回应和已修订的档案。

 

A. 为修订原稿撰写修回信

注:以下第一步和第二步与此前 如何为期刊投稿撰写封面函 的首两个步骤相近

 
第一步:注意上款称谓,显示专业细心

请务必注意称谓与收信人相符,显示你的专业细心。 引述期刊请你修订原稿的决定函,并回复信件的签署人。 大部份情况下,此人应该会是期刊的「总编辑」(Editor-in-Chief)、「主编」(Chief Editor)、「编辑」(Editor),或是「行政编辑」(Executive Editor)或「责任编辑」(Managing Editor)等代表,又或是「处理编辑」( Handling Editor)、「高级编辑」(Senior Editor)、「联席编辑」(Associate Editor)、「助理编辑」(Assistant Editor )或「学术编辑」(Academic Editor)。

请谨记上款应以「Dear」开始,然后加上收信人的称谓和姓氏;请勿写上职衔。 如果不清楚名字哪一部份是姓氏,请写上全名。 如果称谓未有在期刊来信中提及,你便可能需要在期刊网站上写有「编辑委员会」(Editorial Board) 、《期刊员工》(Journal Staff)或类似的页面上找出相关资料。

Dear Editor,

Dear Andrew Smith:

Dear Andrew

Dear Dr. Smith,

Dear Dr. Andrew Smith,

Dear Ms Li

Dear Prof Saito:

视乎你遵循美式、英式或其他格式,上款(例如Dr. Smith还是Dr Smith)以至信函其余部份的标点符号写法也有所不同。 我们建议你选定一种格式后在全信中贯彻使用。

联络资料写在上款之前。 重新投稿的日期可以放在收信人联络资料之前或之后。

你的机构名称

街道地址

城市,邮编/邮递区号

国家/地区

 

总编辑的全名及称谓

总编辑

期刊名称

 

20221月10日

 

Dear(编辑称谓及姓氏):

假如期刊的审稿型式为《身份开放》(open identity),即列出同行审稿人姓名,你可能 需要向每一位审稿人提交反驳信。 如属此情况,请根据期刊决定函所采用的审稿人称谓和姓氏逐一写上款,并在上款前以下列格式写上收信人联络资料:

审稿人的称谓及全名

审稿人(如有提供编号请也写上。 例如是审稿人 #1

期刊名称

 

2022110

 

Dear(审稿人姓氏及称谓):

 
第二步:简列原稿重点(例如标题和原稿编号)

请于首段落说明覆函目的。 谨记不应只包括原稿的原有主题,还应加入被编配的原稿追踪编号。 如果你在修稿中曾更改标题,请在此解释。 别忘记提及期刊名称,用词应专业有礼。

全封信件均应使用正规英语,标点符号和拼写格式必须一致(例如以下第一个示例便用了美式,第二和第三个示例则使用了英式标点符号和拼写格式)。

I am writing to resubmit my paper, “Title of your manuscript,” Manuscript #1234, to Journal Name. Please note that the revised title is “Revised title of your manuscript.”

 

On behalf of my co-authors, I am resubmitting the attached manuscript, originally titled ‘Title of your manuscript’ and now retitled ‘Revised title of your manuscript’ (Manuscript #1234), for reconsideration for publication in Journal Name.

 

My co-authors and I were pleased to receive your response of 15 December 2021 inviting us to revise and resubmit our manuscript. Accordingly, we would like to submit the enclosed revised paper, ‘Title of your manuscript’, Manuscript #2345, for reconsideration for publication in Journal Name.

任何重要资料(即原稿标题、原稿编号、期刊名称)遗漏,或行文不够正规,又 或用语上令人觉得咄咄逼人,都会破坏信件的起首部份。

Please reconsider my article for publication in your journal!

I’d be deeply humbled if you’d accept our revised paper for publication in your highly esteemed journal.

小提示

如果你的反驳信是一封电邮,标题便应表明「重新投稿」(Resubmission of), 然后加上原稿追踪编号和原有标题。 如果PDF文件页数多于1页,请在页首标示原稿追踪编号、原有标题和作者名称(如有其他作者, 请加入et al. ),并加上页码。

 
第三步:感谢编辑和同行审稿人

请于第二段向编辑和审稿人致谢,感谢他们为你改善文章的努力,也表达你 尊重同行审稿流程的价值,以及其作为期刊和整体学术出版的主要质素控制机制。

即使你可能不同意审稿人的部份意见,你也应感谢编辑和审稿人。 用字应扼要、诚恳和流露谢意,但不要太情绪化或啰嗦:

[向编辑回信] I/We thank you and the reviewers for your time and effort in reviewing my/our manuscript. The feedback has been invaluable in improving the content and presentation of the paper.

 

[向审稿人回信] I/We would like to thank you for providing your constructive and detailed review comments on my/our manuscript. The recommendations and advice have helped me/us to significantly enhance the quality of the manuscript.

 

We are deeply grateful and forever humbly indebted to you from the bottom of our hearts for furnishing us with such insightful and truly wise feedback on our paper. Without such selfless, magnanimous, in-depth review comments, we wouldn’t have possibly been able to subsequently revise our manuscript to perfection.

小提示

如果编辑要求你改善某重要问题,不论该要求是重点回应审稿人意见,又或额外要求,请确保你在此部份提及。

In particular, in accordance with your request, the word count and number of references have been reduced and the manuscript has been reformatted as a Brief Communication.

 

We would like to point out that, as you and both reviewers requested, we have had the whole manuscript professionally edited (please see the enclosed editing certificate) and have replaced the figures with high-resolution ones.

 
 
第四步:概述你如何回应审稿人意见

接下来,说明你如何采纳了同行审稿人意见来修订原稿,以及你有否遵循每项建议;指出你在回复 审稿人的逐点回应以及在修订原稿中如何呈现各项回应。

请确保你有遵照期刊的特定要求。 所以,你必须细阅期刊的作者须知( Instructions for Authors)页,以及重读决定函。 很多期刊都会如下要求:

  • 在反驳信或另拟文件回应审稿人,并清楚标示回应(例如以斜体或不同字体颜色)
  • 修稿应显示追踪修订,或透过加亮或字体颜色显示已修改的地方
  • 修稿的「洁净」版本(即不显示追踪修订)

[Writing to an editor] I/We have revised my/our manuscript according to most (or: the majority /nearly all / all) of the reviewers’ comments. The changes are highlighted in yellow in the attached manuscript, and my/our point-by-point responses are given in italics below (or: are given in italics in the attached file named ‘P-B-P Response – MS1234’). A clean file of the manuscript is also attached.

 

[Writing to a reviewer] I/We have revised my/our manuscript according to all of your comments, as explained after the word ‘Response:’ in the point-by-point responses below. Edited text in the attached revised manuscript is visible as tracked changes under the All Markup mode of Microsoft Word.

 

表明你有没有作出任何编辑或审稿人要求以外的修订。 你可以直接说出文本经过 校对 后已作更正,而且已透过追踪修订标示。 然而,任何非由编辑或审稿人要求的重大修订,必须附有完整解释和清楚标示,因为它们可能需要进行另一轮同行审稿 。

The tracked/highlighted manuscript also shows minor corrections and renumbered references and figures after proofreading. In addition, please note that Figures 2 to 5 have been replaced with higher-magnification photographs showing the features of interest in greater detail.

 

小提示

只有在向个别审稿人撰写反驳信时,才以「you/your」称呼审稿人。 如果收信人是期刊编辑,便应以「the reviewer 」、「the reviewers」 及代词「they/them/their」等第三人称来称呼,注意不论审稿人或编辑是一人还是多人,代词应一概使用众数 。

 
第五步:逐点详细回应审稿人

你需要详细表明你怎样和在哪里回应每项意见,或为什么你选择不回应某项意见。 如果你在写给编辑的反驳信内附上回应,请为每位审稿人准备回复(加上回应审稿人 1 」、「回应审稿人 2」等标签)。 如果你需要向每位具名审稿人个别发出反驳信,请把本部份称为「意见回应」。

回应每位审稿人时,请原文照录地复制/贴上每一意见。 然后逐一回复每位审稿人,引述原稿中的相应修订,并详列页、段和行号(又或如果你使用连续行号,则只需包括行号)。 为意见编号,并看清楚每项意见下是否有多于一个要点,如有的话,请确保你有回应每一个要点。

至于意见的先后次序,请按照每位审稿人所采用的结构,例如:

  • 先回应重大意见,再回应较次要意见
  • 以阿拉伯或罗马数字,或行号为意见排序
  • 根据原稿章节分列意见,包括「摘要」(Abstract)、「简介」(Introduction)、「方法」(Methods)、「结果」(Results)、「讨论」( Discussion)和《参考文献》(References)。

格式方面,请遵照期刊的作者须知( Instructions for Authors)页或决定函上所列明的任何特定指引。 期刊或会请你以清单型式在反驳信中列举回应,又或采用表格分行列明《审稿人意见 」、「作者回应」和「原稿位置」标题;你也可能需要附上另 拟文件,按次序回应审稿人,又或为每位审稿人各自另拟文件,这里也可能需要以清单或表格表达。

不论意见是赞赏还是批评,你都需要全盘回应。 如果意见是「作者在解释X和表达Y时清楚透彻」(The authors have been thorough in explaining X  and presenting ),你可以这样回应回应:我们感谢审稿人 的正面评价(Response We thank the reviewer for their positive comment)。 你不需要在每项回应中感谢审稿人。 对简单要求作直接回应是可以接受的。 例如,如果审稿人指出图例过份简单,你可以这样回复:「回应:我们已修订所有图例,并详列特定的测试条件和主要统计结果」( Response: We have revised all legends by giving specific test conditions and key statistical results)。

如果审稿人对个别句子或短语有疑问,你可以考虑在回复中附上已修订的句子(或一个例子),以显示你已作相关修改。 例如「回应:用语『Based on X,… 』已在全篇中更正,例如第12页第3段第10行:『On the basis of these results, we suggest that drafts be proofread to check for awkward phrasing. 』」(Response: The phrasing “Based on X,… ” has now been corrected throughout the text, e.g., page 12, paragraph 3, line 10: “On the basis of these results, we suggest that drafts be proofread to check for awkward phrasing.” )。

请务必保持回复用语正规、有礼和尊重, 如果你不同意任何要点,请附上理由及证据解释。 只有在被要求向审稿人个别发反驳信时才以「you」称呼。 千万别在这种回复中提及其他审稿人或编辑,除非:

  1. 你得到指示,需在信中提及其他审稿人的回应而非重复回应
  2. 编辑留意到各审稿人之间有矛盾之处,并准许你忽略某一点,或
  3. 你打算把一些决定留给编辑。

例如,如果审稿人意见为「The analysis of X seems to be directly repeated on page 10, and an explanation is missing  for why X analysis was used(X的分析似乎直在第10页中重复了,而且为什么采用X 分析欠缺解释),可以采用以下方式回复编辑:

[同意] Response: We thank the reviewer for pointing out these errors. The reviewer is correct and we apologise for these oversights. We have now deleted the repeated text in the first five sentences of paragraph 1 on page 10 and justified the use of X analysis in paragraph 2 on page 5.

 

[同意] Response: Thanks for your wonderful astute observation; the other reviewer said exactly the same thing as you! See our response to Reviewer 2.

 

[不同意] Response: Although the analysis on page 10 may seem repeated, it is performed on the parsimonious model as opposed to the initial full model. We have now clarified the difference in paragraph 1 on page 10. However, the use of X analysis per se had already been briefly explained in paragraph 2 on page 5 with a citation (Ref 10) and is a standard approach in this study type. The revised paper has reached the article word limit, but we can elaborate on why we selected the method in preference to other methods if the editor allows 150 more words for this proposed additional text:…

 

[不同意] Response: You clearly didn’t read the text properly: page 10 is about a different subanalysis so it’s NOT repeated! The other reviewer didn’t have a problem and must’ve been a more careful reviewer than you. What’s more, the method is obviously referred to in reference 10 and, anyway, we’ve run out of space to say any more!

小提示

如果编辑在来函中载有必要修订的清单,请视其为另一份列出所有需要就审稿人意见作全面回应的文件,并首先作出回应,冠以「回应编辑」( Response to the Editor)的标题。

 
第六步:专业结语

为你的修回信作专业结语,感谢编辑再次审阅你的投稿,但不要过份奉承或欠缺诚意。 你可以确认所有作者均已同意你对原稿所作的修订。

All authors have read and approved the revised manuscript. We hope that our resubmission is now suitable for inclusion in Journal Name and we look forward to hearing from you.

 

My co-authors and I are extremely indebted to you for graciously reconsidering this humble manuscript for immediate publication in your highly respected and prestigious journal. Please reply at your earliest convenience! Thanks!!!

签署应附上完整联络资料(包括:邮寄地址、传真号码、电话号码、电邮地址)。 例如:

Yours sincerely,

[First and Last Name of Corresponding Author]

Job title

Department of _________

University of ________

University address

Fax:

Phone:

Email:

 
整合全文速查表
步骤任务重点 
1注意上款称谓,显示专业细心使用决定函中所载的期刊编辑称谓和姓名。
2简列原稿重点列明原稿的原有标题和被编配的原稿追踪编号,如标题已作修改,也请在此注明。
3感谢编辑和同行审稿人即使你不同意编辑和审稿人的任何意见,也应衷心感谢他们。 指出你如何回应编辑的所有主要意见。
4概述你如何回应审稿人意见说明你如何标示原稿的修改,以及你如何列举对审稿人意见的回应。
5逐点详细回应审稿人清楚扼要地回应每位审稿人的每项意见。 细阅作者须知Instructions for authors)页,因为你可能需要在反驳信、独立文件或表格上逐点回应。
6专业结语再次向编辑致谢。 提供完整联络资料。

只要按照上述指引,你便可以写出一封得体有效的反驳信。 预祝你重新投稿成功! 如果你需要其他编辑上的协助,欢迎电邮至 cs@asiaedit.com 联系我们。

 
B. 反驳信示例 [免费下载]

我们草拟了一份原稿重新投稿修回信供你下载。 回信以美式英语撰写和附上有用注解,信中个案是虚构的,请按需要编辑或取代相关文字,并谨记在定稿前删除所有注解。 别忘记用字行文要正规,但避免使用专门技术用词和专业术语,缩略语可免则免,如需使用,请在其首次出现时以全写表达。

Our latest online workshop built on the success of face-to-face workshops we developed specifically for local universities. Over 30 faculty members joined the session, presented by our Chief Operating Officer, Mr Nick Case, to learn from our case studies on editing research proposals.

The response to our workshop, which included a constructive and insightful Q&A session, was very positive.Drawing on our extensive experience working with hundreds of Hong Kong researchers targeting the GRF and ECS every year, we used examples of poor and subsequently improved proposals to show the attendees how they can make their applications stand out.

QUICK ASIDE

Wondering why some abbreviations such as ‘et al.’ and ‘e.g.’ use periods, whereas others such as CV and AD don’t? Periods are typically used if the abbreviations include lowercase or mixed-case letters. They’re usually not used with abbreviations containing only uppercase letters.

Unusual Scenarios

Our latest online workshop built on the success of face-to-face workshops we developed specifically for local universities. Over 30 faculty members joined the session, presented by our Chief Operating Officer, Mr Nick Case, to learn from our case studies on editing research proposals.

The response to our workshop, which included a constructive and insightful Q&A session, was very positive.Drawing on our extensive experience working with hundreds of Hong Kong researchers targeting the GRF and ECS every year, we used examples of poor and subsequently improved proposals to show the attendees how they can make their applications stand out. The response to our workshop, which included a constructive and insightful Q&A session, was very positive.Drawing on our extensive experience working with hundreds of Hong Kong researchers targeting the GRF and ECS every year, we used examples of poor and subsequently improved proposals to show the attendees how they can make their applications stand out. The response to our workshop, which included a constructive and insightful Q&A session, was very positive.Drawing on our extensive experience working with hundreds of Hong Kong researchers targeting the GRF and ECS every year, we used examples of poor and subsequently improved proposals to show the attendees how they can make their applications stand out.

QUICK ASIDE

Wondering why some abbreviations such as ‘et al.’ and ‘e.g.’ use periods, whereas others such as CV and AD don’t? Periods are typically used if the abbreviations include lowercase or mixed-case letters. They’re usually not used with abbreviations containing only uppercase letters.

Author Resources

Check out AsiaEdit’s professional research grant proposal editing service.
Read more about our training services covering all aspects of academic writing tailored for local institutions.

More resources on research grant proposal writing: On-demand Webinars
Preparing an effective research proposal – Your guide to successful funding application
Preparing an effective research proposal – Your guide to successful funding application (Part 2)

作者簡介

Dr Trevor Lane

AsiaEdit 教育顾问

Dr Trevor Lane 是一名学术出版和教育顾问,同时他亦是出版伦理委员会当选理事之一。他有25年帮助作者在同行评审的学术期刊上发表研究成果的经验。

由 Felix Sebastian 编辑

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