Chapter 24. Respond to me - please!

This chapter uses a mock letter format to imagine a reviewer’s response after receiving an author’s revised manuscript. It points out some of the common ways authors can go wrong in responding to reviewer comments by not getting to the point, rehashing irrelevant argumentation, and lack of clarity. The chapter emphasizes that all reviewers really want is for authors to acknowledge that they understand the comments, tell them briefly what they changed, and, if necessary, explain why.