Q: Why is my systematic review rejected if the protocol was accepted?
The protocol of Systematic Review(SR) was accepted by a journal, and I performed the SR as per the protocol. I submitted the SR to the same journal, but it was rejected. The reason for the rejection was mentioned as insufficient number of database, etc. It was 2 years after the protocol was accepted by the journal, so I feel the level of the journal has been raised and the requirements for SR has been raised also.
After making some revisions, I submitted it to another journal. There I was repeatedly told that the difference between the protocol and the SR was not clear and they seemed to be identical, and finally it was rejected.
Actually it is a protocol, so its contents are mostly the same with the ones of SR. However, protocols deal with methods, so I assumed SR should be naturally separated.
I am going to submit the SR to other new journal again, so could you give me some advice for that? Thank you.
Asked on 15 Oct, 2018
It would be difficult to give any suggestions without reviewing the manuscript and the decision letters from the journals. However, please ensure that you have followed the PRISMA guidelines to write your systematic review. You can also consult https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0079444/#ddd00069 for a comprehensive guide on how to perform and write systematic reviews.
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