Q: Should I withdraw my manuscript and submit elsewhere due to an unclear revision comment?

Detailed Question -

I submitted my manuscript to Scientific Reports in February and received feedback on March 12. It suggested a major revision but without details. The deadline was within a month. What if I do not revise and resend within a month? Would this be considered an “unsubmit”? Would it be okay if I submit to other journals after one month? How should I handle this?

1 Answer to this question
Answer:

Actually, you should have checked about the details soon after receiving the decision of major revision. Because as per the dates you have provided, the deadline for submitting the major revision changes is now past. As per the information, the deadline was April 12, and it’s now 10 days past the date. Perhaps you were hesitant about writing to the editor. However, note that editors are there to support you and be a bridge between the peer reviewers and you. They are quite open to providing any clarifications as needed, to ensure the smooth progress of the manuscript. So, you didn’t / don’t really need to be hesitant, if that was the case.

Anyway, here is what you can do now.

  • Without further delay, write to the editor seeking clarifications on the exact revisions to make on the manuscript. (Perhaps the reviewer or someone on the journal side missed attaching the review document.) Also, request for an extension of the deadline. The editor may agree to an extension of a few weeks. If needed, share that you were unsure about seeking clarifications earlier and that you are apologetic about this. (You may frame this in the manner you feel best.)
  • In case the editor does not agree to the extension, discuss with them about alternatives, such as whether you should make the changes and submit as a new submission.
  • In case they don’t agree to submitting anew, you are then of course free to submit to other journals. However, it would be best to complete the process with this journal because, as you can understand, submitting to another journal would mean starting the process all over again.

All the best for the way forward. And do keep in mind the points shared above, about seeking clarification from the editor as early as possible.

Here are some other helpful resources on those lines.

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