Rejected Manuscript

[TheBossDoctor]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So yea, my manuscript straight up got rejected. Not even sent back for revisions. I was the first author since this was mainly my project. I'm aware that it's hard to get published and rejection is common, but do PI's normally get mad about this kind of stuff? Like would they feel that I'm wasting time/being unproductive?

 

[TexasSurgeon]

So yea, my manuscript straight up got rejected. Not even sent back for revisions. I was the first author since this was mainly my project. I'm aware that it's hard to get published and rejection is common, but do PI's normally get mad about this kind of stuff? Like would they feel that I'm wasting time/being unproductive?

Was it like your own small project under your supervisor? Was it only you doing the experiments?

 

[PanRoasted]

The PI generally has to sign off on all of your projects, and should be mentoring you through the whole thing. If it got straight up rejected, then there must have been something wrong with the project itself, or you tried submitting it to the wrong kind of journal. The PI can't get mad at you, it's just as much his/her fault as it is yours.

 

[VictorAlpha]

So yea, my manuscript straight up got rejected. Not even sent back for revisions. I was the first author since this was mainly my project. I'm aware that it's hard to get published and rejection is common, but do PI's normally get mad about this kind of stuff? Like would they feel that I'm wasting time/being unproductive?

I feel like a good PI would have given a clue that it might get rejected and probably tell you, at which point, they might either have you work on the project some more to make it more compelling or aim for another journal or something.

For me, getting published was a beast. I hope it gets easier. I don't know your situation specifically, but I wouldn't sweat it too much. Everyone loves a hard worker so if you come back and want to work on your research to make it better, your PI will like that I'm sure.

 

[Amba]

Papers get rejected all the time, don't take it personally. I had the same thing happen to me, but mine got rejected primarily for political reasons, which reallllly sucks. Just do the suggested revisions and re-submit elsewhere. Good luck 👍

 

[siliconchins]

.

 

[RocknRhoLim]

Yeah, ultimately the PI has the main responsibility for the paper. So if you did your job and did the experiments, and the paper was rejected there is no way the PI can be mad at you. Some PI's (at least from my experience) are deluded and think their paper is worthy of a journal with a high impact factor when that isn't the case. Maybe suggest going for a lower impact journal if you want to publish asap.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

The PI generally has to sign off on all of your projects, and should be mentoring you through the whole thing. If it got straight up rejected, then there must have been something wrong with the project itself, or you tried submitting it to the wrong kind of journal. The PI can't get mad at you, it's just as much his/her fault as it is yours.

This

 

[Almost7Famous]

small question. can you submit the same manuscript to 2+ journals at the same time? I think the Nature and Science Journals said that one's manuscript should not be sent elsewhere until the manuscript was rejected, but I'm not sure if this is the case with other journals as well.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Resubmit it to a lower impact journal, do it before you apply if you are applying this cycle. It happens, I've got one manuscript on its 5th journal.

 

[mmmcdowe]

small question. can you submit the same manuscript to 2+ journals at the same time? I think the Nature and Science Journals said that one's manuscript should not be sent elsewhere until the manuscript was rejected, but I'm not sure if this is the case with other journals as well.

You are not supposed to, no.

 

[Long Way to Go]

The lab next door to mine, around the time when I started, was in the midst of getting the initial paper for big multicenter published. It was a pretty major study, with a bunch of really senior co-authors at a bunch of institutions nationwide. And it was straight-up rejected from JAMA because the editors there didn't think it would have enough of an impact. From what I heard, they basically just shrugged it off and ended up resubmitting it to the next tier specialty journal, where it was accepted with only minor revisions.

 

[Frazier]

So yea, my manuscript straight up got rejected. Not even sent back for revisions. I was the first author since this was mainly my project. I'm aware that it's hard to get published and rejection is common, but do PI's normally get mad about this kind of stuff? Like would they feel that I'm wasting time/being unproductive?

While frustrating, this is nothing to get too bent out of shape about. Roll with the punches, it happens to everyone trying to publish.

small question. can you submit the same manuscript to 2+ journals at the same time? I think the Nature and Science Journals said that one's manuscript should not be sent elsewhere until the manuscript was rejected, but I'm not sure if this is the case with other journals as well.

Legitimate question...in fact, I remember years ago when I started with research I thought I would "outsmart the system" too. ("Hey, can't we save time and just submit the paper to multiple journals all at once? Shotgun approach it?") Ah, nope. As noted above by the mod, it is definitely a no-no and pretty much every journal will have it listed in the fine print of the submission process that the manuscript must not be submitted elsewhere while under their consideration.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Its super annoying sometimes when journals dont reciprocate by being prompt about decisions. There is nothing stopping them from sitting on your manuscript for months only the then reject it. Thats the cost of peer review though, they are also busy.

 

[MilkIsGood]

Resubmit it to a lower impact journal, do it before you apply if you are applying this cycle. It happens, I've got one manuscript on its 5th journal.

How long did it take from submission to the first journal to the 5th one

 

[911 Turbo]

Resubmit it to a lower impact journal, do it before you apply if you are applying this cycle. It happens, I've got one manuscript on its 5th journal.

lol wtf?


did you seriously overestimate the importance of your findings or something? or did you only do like two experiments? how could this happen?

 

[dejadr]

You should plan about 3-6 months between submission and decision. And don't fret about rejections. With 30+ publications, I've been received 100+ rejections. Some warranted, some not. In my opinion, of course. 🙂 Look at the reviewers' comments, make appropriate edits, discuss with PI, send out again, present at conference, start working on next pub. The idea is to have one in revision, one in review, one in development. Good luck!

 

[911 Turbo]

You should plan about 3-6 months between submission and decision. And don't fret about rejections. With 30+ publications, I've been received 100+ rejections. Some warranted, some not. In my opinion, of course. 🙂 Look at the reviewers' comments, make appropriate edits, discuss with PI, send out again, present at conference, start working on next pub. The idea is to have one in revision, one in review, one in development. Good luck!

status: premedical

u wot m7

are you some 50 year old PI going back to med school or something lol?

 

[dejadr]

40 years old. See you at interviews.

 

[Mr Avante]

you should plan about 3-6 months between submission and decision. And don't fret about rejections. with 30+ publications, i've been received 100+ rejections. Some warranted, some not. In my opinion, of course. 🙂 look at the reviewers' comments, make appropriate edits, discuss with pi, send out again, present at conference, start working on next pub. The idea is to have one in revision, one in review, one in development. Good luck!

status: Premedical
are you some 50 year old pi going back to med school or something lol?

+1

 

[911 Turbo]

40 years old. See you at interviews.

wow, all power to you

 

[Mr Avante]

40 years old. See you at interviews.

Probably some minor research in plant life and vegetation.

 

[dejadr]

No, but you feel free to use all of your free time and to just keep on guessing.
Regardless, that "minor research" by botanists has led to amazing medications for cancer and diabetes. So, it might behoove us to be humble and to not denigrate what we don't understand and can't do.

 

[Quizlet04]

Probably some minor research in plant life and vegetation.

Doesn't matter if it was in toenail fungus dance parties. 30+ publications is a damn impressive number for a 40 year old, but if you work in a larger lab, it's easier.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Its super annoying sometimes when [medical schools] dont reciprocate by being prompt about decisions. There is nothing stopping them from sitting on your manuscript for months only the then reject it.

This reminds me of another process that we all know and love...

 

[Mr Avante]

Doesn't matter if it was in toenail fungus dance parties. 30+ publications is a damn impressive number for a 40 year old, but if you work in a larger lab, it's easier.

Just pick 1 from 4000 types of unknown bacteria in the soil and there is your 50 research publications.

C'mon brah!

 

[jeghaber]

This reminds me of another process that we all know and love...

👍👍

 

[sinombre]

Just pick 1 from 4000 types of unknown bacteria in the soil and there is your 50 research publications.

C'mon brah!

Wow.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

lol wtf?


did you seriously overestimate the importance of your findings or something? or did you only do like two experiments? how could this happen?

It happens. I knew professors who had to go through several journals. It's especially common if you're trying to get published in an upper-tier journal. When those reject you it's not necessarily because your research isn't good enough, so people will often to submit to several selective journals in the process of trying to get published, before gradually toning down the prestige of the journals they apply to until it gets published.

 

[911 Turbo]

It happens. I knew professors who had to go through several journals. It's especially common if you're trying to get published in an upper-tier journal. When those reject you it's not necessarily because your research isn't good enough, so people will often to submit to several selective journals in the process of trying to get published, before gradually toning down the prestige of the journals they apply to until it gets published.

I can understand 2-3 but 5 seems excessive

 

[PanRoasted]

Just pick 1 from 4000 types of unknown bacteria in the soil and there is your 50 research publications.

C'mon brah!

Brb, mailing some soil from my backyard over to nature. Expecting to get some quick pubs to put on my app before I submit.

 

[jeghaber]

I can understand 2-3 but 5 seems excessive

With solidly good but not ground-breaking manuscripts, if you start at Nature/Science (1 or 2), move to your field's top journal (1) but then finally end up at the second or third journal you submit to within your field (2), that's easily 5. Though I do agree that PIs are usually pretty good at distinguishing when to start at Nature and when to start at the field's top.

 

[Quizlet04]

I can understand 2-3 but 5 seems excessive

Do you only apply to to the top three medical schools? Is five excessive?

Editors are notoriously picky for arbitrary reasons. Ditto for reviewers. Resubmit until it gets in; there's no shame in that. Manuscripts of all sorts end up with that treatment.

 

[Microglia]

Do you only apply to to the top three medical schools? Is five excessive?

Editors are notoriously picky for arbitrary reasons. Ditto for reviewers. Resubmit until it gets in; there's no shame in that. Manuscripts of all sorts end up with that treatment.

Truth. When it comes to manuscripts, it's pretty similar to the med school process, except you apply one at a time aha. Sometimes it just comes down to luck and having the right reviewers. My first manuscript was rejected 3 times before being accepted, the second was accepted on round one.

But I learned one thing: if your manuscript is accepted to the first journal you submitted (and it's not science, nature, or cell), you aimed too low. Always go for a rejection first. In journal world, rejections insure you end up in the appropriate tier and not too low.


Posted using SDN Mobile

 

[CnsCrit]

I wouldn't worry about your paper getting rejected, but you and your PI should have been collaborating closely when editing, polishing and submitting the paper. Your PI honestly should care more about the paper than you, as it will probably mean more to their career in the end (unless you want a career primarily in research). For premeds, papers are more of a feather in the cap, but not something required. Still, impressive that you generated enough data by yourself for a paper. If you got denied its probably because your work wasn't high enough impact for the journal, which is very common...just submit to a lower tier journal. Otherwise, its because you had a major issue in experimental design or your data doesn't support your conclusions. This is probably only the case if your PI left you completely alone to interpret the results, write the paper, make figures, etc. I think that happens less often.