Reasons for Research Paper Rejection and What to Do

Guest Author – Azizul Haque
Assistant Professor, Yeungnam University.

One of the biggest challenges on the road to publishing a research paper is journal desk rejection. For a researcher, having months of hard work rejected without even the opportunity for peer review can be extremely frustrating and discouraging. However, from the editors’ perspective, this is also a critical and time-saving process by which they decide which manuscripts should move on to the next stage of review. In an editorial article titled “How to develop a quality research article and avoid a journal desk rejection”, the experiences and opinions of nine renowned journal editors are presented. They explain what factors lead to early rejection of a manuscript and how researchers can avoid these pitfalls.

To avoid desk rejection, it is essential to understand the scope and aims of the journal thoroughly. Often, even if the research is of high quality, it gets rejected because it does not align with the journal’s desired topics. Secondly, the quality of writing is extremely important, including the accuracy of language, clarity of arguments, coherence, and presentation. If the originality of the research is not clear, or if readers cannot easily understand what new contribution the study is making, there is a risk that editors will lose interest. Thirdly, the title and abstract should clearly reflect the main theme, significance, and contribution of the study, as editors often make their initial decision based on these alone.

In addition, including relevant and recent references related to your research is crucial. If the reference list is outdated, limited, or irrelevant, editors may assume the manuscript is not sufficiently up-to-date. Another major reason for rejection is when authors do not properly follow the journal’s specific writing rules or author guidelines, creating a negative impression among the editorial board. Therefore, researchers should strictly adhere to every instruction provided by each journal.

This editorial article presents practical and timely guidance for researchers. Not only the quality of the research, but also aspects such as writing strategy, presentation style, evaluation of a journal’s suitability, and understanding the editor’s criteria should all be considered together to help a manuscript avoid desk rejection. For those interested in publishing quality work in international journals, this article is undoubtedly valuable and educational.

Note: Collected from Facebook.