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THREAD: 1/ Today I did something I have never done before, which was to withdraw an article under review after receiving reviewer feedback. I got a tremendous feeling of satisfaction doing this and wanted to share to help others going through similar issues.
2/ Like all authors, I (and coauthors) waited months to receive reviewer feedback on an article. We were patient even when the deadline they advised for their decision had passed. We like others were at the mercy of the reviewers and had to wait it out.
3/ When we did eventually get out feedback we suffered the wrath of reviewer 2. Reviewer 1 was supportive and constructive in their feedback and requested some amendments and then resubmit. Reviewer 2 was a different story, but this will come as nothing new to many
4/ However what this reviewer 2 had done, in my view, was unacceptable. This reviewer made rude comments about content that was lacking. But the content wasn't lacking, in fact it was spelt out very clearly at different stages in the article. It was in the introduction,
5/ main body and conclusion. The reviewer made several negative comments throughout their commentary and it became very clear that they had not fully read the article.
6/ We worked hard on the paper, we waited months for the decision and yet we had to accept feedback based on someone who hadn't actually read the article in any depth. I'm sorry but I don't think any academic should have to accept this.
7/ We were invited to make amendments and resubmit the article. So the article had not been rejected, to some this might seem like good news. But I (in agreement with co-authors) decided to withdraw our submission.
8/ We decided that the journal was undeserving of our work and we did not want to publish in a journal who were accepting of such derogatory reviewer comments and had reviewers who didn't take the time to read work fully. There are hundreds of other journals out there and we
9/ wanted to take control over the sort of journal we publish in. This has been a very satisfying decision, we stood up to a journal who allowed reviewers to respond to authors in such demoralising ways.
10/ Journals rely on submissions, they need authors, so I think authors should do more to advise what is and isn't acceptable. Withdrawing a submission was our way of doing this. We will be submitting somewhere else where feedback is constructive and supportive.
11/ So my satisfaction this week came from taking back the control of work being published and sending a message that we should not and will not stand for poor reviewing and poor feedback. I wish I had been given this advice as an ECR.
12/ We do not need to bow down to reviewers when a carrot of possible publication is dangled. So thank you reviewer 2, your rude obnoxious comments have resulted in a moment of empowerment for me.
