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.
反駁信有兩大作用。首先，它可充當封面函，宣告你的修稿已作改善，而且做好再被考慮的準備。其次，它說明了原稿已作哪些修訂，就每位同行評審員的意見逐點回應。
你的回信應該能充份說服編輯，盡可能在毋須進行另一輪審稿的情況下接納和刊登你的原稿。所以，花時間撰寫有效和令人信服的信函是非常值得的。本指引將以六個步驟說明如何實現。
A. 為修訂原稿撰寫反駁信
第一步：注意上款稱謂，顯示專業細心
第二步：簡列原稿重點（例如標題和原稿編號）
第三步：感謝編輯和同行審稿人
第四步：概述你如何回應審稿人意見
第五步：逐點詳細回應審稿人
第六步：專業結語
整合全文: 速查表
B. 反駁信示例 [免費下載]
期刊或會請你根據特定指引重投修稿，例如以特定格式或表格來逐點回應審稿人、如何在原稿上標示修訂，以及如何上載你的回應和已修訂的檔案。
註：以下第一步和第二步與此前 如何為期刊投稿撰寫封面函的首兩個步驟相近
請務必注意稱謂與收信人相符，顯示你的專業細心。引述期刊請你修訂原稿的決定函，並回覆信件的簽署人。大部份情況下，此人應該會是期刊的「總編輯」（Editor-in-Chief）、「主編」（Chief Editor）、「編輯」（Editor），或是「行政編輯」（Executive Editor）或「責任編輯」（Managing Editor）等代表，又或是「處理編輯」（Handling Editor）、「高級編輯」（Senior Editor）、「聯席編輯」（Associate Editor）、「助理編輯」（Assistant Editor）或「學術編輯」（Academic Editor）。
請謹記上款應以「Dear」開始，然後加上收信人的稱謂和姓氏；請勿寫上職銜。如果不清楚名字哪一部份是姓氏，請寫上全名。如果稱謂未有在期刊來信中提及，你便可能需要在期刊網站上寫有「編輯委員會」（Editorial Board）、「期刊員工」（Journal Staff）或類似的頁面上找出相關資料。
✗ Dear Editor,
✗ Dear Andrew Smith:
✗ Dear Andrew
✓ Dear Dr. Smith,
✓ Dear Dr. Andrew Smith,
✓ Dear Ms Li
✓ Dear Prof Saito:
視乎你遵循美式、英式或其他格式，上款（例如Dr. Smith還是Dr Smith）以至信函其餘部份的標點符號寫法也有所不同。我們建議你選定一種格式後在全信中貫徹使用。
聯絡資料寫在上款之前。重新投稿的日期可以放在收信人聯絡資料之前或之後。
你的機構名稱
街道地址
城市，郵編／郵遞區號
國家／地區
總編輯的全名及稱謂
總編輯
期刊名稱
2022年1月10日
Dear（編輯稱謂及姓氏）:
假如期刊的審稿型式為「身份開放」（open identity），即列出同行審稿人姓名，你可能需要向每一位審稿人提交反駁信。如屬此情況，請根據期刊決定函所採用的審稿人稱謂和姓氏逐一寫上款，並在上款前以下列格式寫上收信人聯絡資料：
審稿人的稱謂及全名
審稿人（如有提供編號請也寫上。例如是審稿人 #1）
期刊名稱
2022年1月10日
Dear（審稿人姓氏及稱謂）:
請於首段落說明覆函目的。謹記不應只包括原稿的原有主題，還應加入被編配的原稿追蹤編號。如果你在修稿中曾更改標題，請在此解釋。別忘記提及期刊名稱，用詞應專業有禮。
全封信件均應使用正規英語，標點符號和拼寫格式必須一致（例如以下第一個示例便用了美式，第二和第三個示例則使用了英式標點符號和拼寫格式）。
✓ 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.
任何重要資料（即原稿標題、原稿編號、期刊名稱）遺漏，或行文不夠正規，又或用語上令人覺得咄咄逼人，都會破壞信件的起首部份。
✗ 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.
如果你的反駁信是一封電郵，標題便應表明「重新投稿」（Resubmission of），然後加上原稿追蹤編號和原有標題。如果PDF檔頁數多於1頁，請在頁首標示原稿追蹤編號、原有標題和作者名稱（如有其他作者，請加入et al.），並加上頁碼。
請於第二段向編輯和審稿人致謝，感謝他們為你改善文章的努力，也表達你尊重同行審稿流程的價值，以及其作為期刊和整體學術出版的主要質素控制機制。
即使你可能不同意審稿人的部份意見，你也應感謝編輯和審稿人。用字應扼要、誠懇和流露謝意，但不要太情緒化或囉嗦：
✓ [向編輯回信] 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.
✓ [向審稿人回信] 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.
如果編輯要求你改善某重要問題，不論該要求是重點回應審稿人意見，又或額外要求，請確保你在此部份提及。
✓ 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.
接下來，說明你如何採納了同行審稿人意見來修訂原稿，以及你有否遵循每項建議；指出你在回覆審稿人的逐點回應以及在修訂原稿中如何呈現各項回應。
請確保你有遵照期刊的特定要求。所以，你必須細閱期刊的作者須知（ Instructions for Authors）頁，以及重讀決定函。很多期刊都會如下要求：
✓ [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.
表明你有沒有作出任何編輯或審稿人要求以外的修訂。你可以直接說出文本經過 校對 後已作更正，而且已透過追蹤修訂標示。然而，任何非由編輯或審稿人要求的重大修訂，必須附有完整解釋和清楚標示，因為它們可能需要進行另一輪同行審稿。
✓ 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.
只有在向個別審稿人撰寫反駁信時，才以「you/your」稱呼審稿人。如果收信人是期刊編輯，便應以「the reviewer 」、「the reviewers」及代詞「they/them/their」等第三人稱來稱呼，注意不論審稿人或編輯是一人還是多人，代詞應一概使用眾數。
你需要詳細表明你怎樣和在哪裡回應每項意見，或為什麼你選擇不回應某項意見。如果你在寫給編輯的反駁信內附上回應，請為每位審稿人準備回覆（加上「回應審稿人 1」、「回應審稿人 2」等標籤）。如果你需要向每位具名審稿人個別發出反駁信，請把本部份稱為「意見回應」。
回應每位審稿人時，請原文照錄地複製／貼上每一意見。然後逐一回覆每位審稿人，引述原稿中的相應修訂，並詳列頁、段和行號（又或如果你使用連續行號，則只需包括行號）。為意見編號，並看清楚每項意見下是否有多於一個要點，如有的話，請確保你有回應每一個要點。
至於意見的先後次序，請按照每位審稿人所採用的結構，例如：
格式方面，請遵照期刊的作者須知（ Instructions for Authors）頁或決定函上所列明的任何特定指引。期刊或會請你以清單型式在反駁信中列舉回應 ，又或採用表格分行列明「審稿人意見」、「作者回應」和「原稿位置」標題；你也可能需要附上另擬文件，按次序回應審稿人，又或為每位審稿人各自另擬文件，這裡也可能需要以清單或表格表達。
不論意見是讚賞還是批評，你都需要全盤回應。如果意見是「作者在解釋X和表達Y時清楚透徹」（The authors have been thorough in explaining X and presenting ），你可以這樣回應「回應：我們感謝審稿人的正面評價」（Response: We thank the reviewer for their positive comment）。你不需要在每項回應中感謝審稿人。對簡單要求作直接回應是可以接受的。例如，如果審稿人指出圖例過份簡單，你可以這樣回覆：「回應：我們已修訂所有圖例，並詳列特定的測試條件和主要統計結果」（Response: We have revised all legends by giving specific test conditions and key statistical results）。
如果審稿人對個別句子或短語有疑問，你可以考慮在回覆中附上已修訂的句子（或一個例子），以顯示你已作相關修改。例如「回應：用語『Based on X,…』已在全篇中更正，例如第12頁第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.”）。
請務必保持回覆用語正規、有禮和尊重， 如果你不同意任何要點，請附上理由及證據解釋。只有在被要求向審稿人個別發反駁信時才以「you」稱呼。千萬別在這種回覆中提及其他審稿人或編輯，除非：
例如，如果審稿人意見為「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頁中重覆了，而且為什麼採用X分析欠缺解釋），可以採用以下方式回覆編輯：
✓ [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!
如果編輯在來函中載有必要修訂的清單，請視其為另一份列出所有需要就審稿人意見作全面回應的文件，並首先作出回應，冠以「回應編輯」（Response to the Editor）的標題。
為你的修回信作專業結語，感謝編輯再次審閱你的投稿，但不要過份奉承或欠缺誠意。你可以確認所有作者均已同意你對原稿所作的修訂。
✓ 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!!!
簽署應附上完整聯絡資料（包括：郵寄地址、傳真號碼、電話號碼、電郵地址）。例如：
Yours sincerely,
[First and Last Name of Corresponding Author]
Job title
Department of _________
University of ________
University address
Fax:
Phone:
Email:
| 步驟 | 任務 | 重點 | |
| 1 | 注意上款稱謂，顯示專業細心 | 使用決定函中所載的期刊編輯稱謂和姓名。 | |
| 2 | 簡列原稿重點 | 列明原稿的原有標題和被編配的原稿追蹤編號，如標題已作修改，也請在此註明。 | |
| 3 | 感謝編輯和同行審稿人 | 即使你不同意編輯和審稿人的任何意見，也應衷心感謝他們。指出你如何回應編輯的所有主要意見。 | |
| 4 | 概述你如何回應審稿人意見 | 說明你如何標示原稿的修改，以及你如何列舉對審稿人意見的回應。 | |
| 5 | 逐點詳細回應審稿人 | 清楚扼要地回應每位審稿人的每項意見。細閱作者須知（Instructions for authors）頁，因為你可能需要在反駁信、獨立文件或表格上逐點回應。 | |
| 6 | 專業結語 | 再次向編輯致謝。提供完整聯絡資料。 |
只要按照上述指引，你便可以寫出一封得體有效的反駁信。預祝你重新投稿成功！如果你需要其他編輯上的協助，歡迎電郵至 cs@asiaedit.com 聯絡我們。
我們草擬了一份原稿重新投稿修回信供你下載。回信以美式英語撰寫和附上有用註解，信中個案是虛構的，請按需要編輯或取代相關文字，並謹記在定稿前刪除所有註解。別忘記用字行文要正規，但避免使用專門技術用詞和專業術語，縮略語可免則免，如需使用，請在其首次出現時以全寫表達。
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dr Trevor Lane是一名學術出版和教育顧問，同時他亦是出版倫理委員會當選理事之一。他有25年幫助作者在同行評審的學術期刊上發表研究成果的經驗
由 Felix Sebastian 編輯
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