Q: Is it common to switch a reviewer after resubmission with minor revisions?
I have resubmitted a paper which was revised which needed minor revisions, but the status remains “Awaiting Reviewer Assignment” for 5 weeks. According to the publishing office, they can’t find a reviewer. Is switching a reviewer after minor revision common? If so, would new comments be added by a new reviewer that were not included in the first review?
It is not uncommon for a journal to invite new reviewers after a manuscript has been submitted with minor revisions. Possible reasons for the need of a new reviewer could be that the initial reviewer is busy with some other personal or professional commitment and has stepped back from the review. Journal editors usually find it difficult to hunt potential reviewers as reviewers are busy researchers themselves. Moreover, journals receive a large number of submissions and handling such huge workload takes time.
Coming to your second query, it is quite possible that the new reviewer may have some feedback which was not raised by the initial reviewers. The new reviewer may have a different perspective or may just be able to detect discrepancies which others may have failed to notice. Once the new reviewer has been assigned, the status of your manuscript will reflect the same. You may have to revise your manuscript further if the new reviewer raises some comments. However, you needn’t worry as this will only improve your manuscript and make your research more robust.
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This content belongs to the Journal submission & peer review Stage