Q: Will there be a rejection if by mistake the figure caption is different from the figure label in the revised manuscript?

Detailed Question -

I have submitted a revised manuscript, but realize that by mistake the figure caption is different from the figure label. Will it lead to a rejection, or will they decide on a minor revision?

1 Answer to this question
Answer:

You haven’t mentioned whether the caption was different from the label for a single figure or for all figures (in case there were multiple). However, even in this case, such a slip-up is unlikely to lead to a rejection. A rejection at the desk screening stage may take place due to issues such as this (that too, at a bigger scale), but not once the manuscript has gone for (and come back from) peer review. At the present stage, the editor (in conference with the reviewers) is looking more to see whether the paper has reached the journal’s acceptance level for quality, from a research/scientific perspective. Issues such as the one you have shared can also be handled at the proofing stage, which is actioned once the manuscript is accepted.

All the same, as we wondered earlier, if the extent of the miss is quite extensive, you may write to the editor sharing this. If it’s just one, you needn’t do so. To further calm your doubts, you may also go through this similar query we received recently: Will my manuscript be rejected if a word is missing in the revised version?

Also, while on the matter of re/submission checks, you may wish to know about R Pubsure, a manuscript assessment tool from a sister brand. R Pubsure puts your completed initial manuscript through a series of checks (such as for language, structure, and declarations) to assess its submission-readiness. The aim is to help you minimize or even avoid the chance of desk rejection. Now, while the tool is meant more for initial submissions, it may also be employed for resubmissions, because then, you are aiming to give your manuscript that final push toward acceptance. So, if interested, you may know more about the tool here: R Pubsure (You may also view a sample checking report here.)

Hope all that helps. For now though, all the best for the next and possibly final decision from the journal!