North American Journal of Psychology

Assume that your paper will draw at least a few negative comments. Rarely do papers sail through the editorial process unscathed. If your paper is initially rejected look at the editor's comments. If there is an invitation to revise and resubmit think of this as an opportunity to make a good paper even better. Generally speaking, reviewer comments are meant to be helpful, but the truth is that some of them are not. If you make most of the changes suggested by reviewers and you present an adequate defense of your decision not to make other changes (in a note to the editor), there is a good chance that your revision will be accepted. If a reviewer thinks that something is unclear, think about why the reviewer found it unclear and try to clarify it, even if it means adding just one or two well-chosen words or phrases. Remember that most of the scientists who read your paper will be bright individuals with considerable background in the social sciences. However, very few will know as much about your topic as you do. Write in order to communicate clearly--not to show off your excellent vocabulary.