A Guide to Publishing for Academics

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6

hoW coulD My PaPer

have Gotten reJecteD?

JAMES R. MARSDEN

Introduction

e fact is that many more research journal submissions get rejected

than get accepted. Yet another fact is that, as academics, we must suc-

ceed in getting our research papers published and recognized (cited)

by peer researchers. To succeed, I suggest that one must be able to

identify and understand what constitutes those seemingly gray bound-

ary lines between failure and success. I argue that understanding why

papers are rejected can actually inform us on why papers get accepted.

Much of the material that follows is not scientific. Although the

numerical values used are objective, my interpretation is just that: a

subjective view of the numbers, review content, and trends. ...