We recently received feedback on an article we submitted for publication, and I was delighted that the comments we received were all entirely positively toned and productive. The reviewer(s) brought up some issues that we could act on in the revision, and we were happy to make those changes. Overall, it was a good vibes review experience. Upon reflection, it was nice because of the attitude of the reviewer’s comments.
Over the years I’ve become accustomed to critical reviews that are couched in either neutral or negative language. That’s fine, I can take a critical review, and I know reviewers are likely just trying to get through the task, to move on to their next one. I tend not to take negative comments personally. The main thing I’m looking for are productive comments, actionable changes I can make to improve the manuscript.
With that as my focus, I had lost sight of how the tone of a reviewer comment can improve the whole experience. A note in the margins like this, then, caught my eye: “Excellent point and very important!” I could tell that the reviewer was engaged with the article, and interested in what we wrote. There were other notes like that sprinkled throughout the review, and it made all the difference to me.
If you’re the reviewer that commented on this latest article, thank you. You’ve inspired me to be proactive in putting forward this kindness in my future reviews.
