Anna Clemens: 5 most common reasons a paper gets desk-rejected

Anna Clemens, Founder and CEO of Researchers’ Writing Academy, recently posted on X/Twitter:

“Got a manuscript desk-rejected with a standard response and you’re unsure what the real reason is? Here are the 5 most common reasons a paper gets desk-rejected.

Before we start with reason #1, take a deep breath! It’s okay to be upset about the rejection and to feel all the emotions. Before you do anything else, let your emotions settle and be kind, and treat yourself!

Reason #1: Your study’s findings were not significant or novel enough.

– You didn’t convince the editor that your paper is a good fit for the journal and its readership.

Reason #2: Your study is too narrow.

– Your conclusions aren’t supported by a large enough data set considering various study parameters or complementary methods.

Reason #3: Your data isn’t presented well enough.

– The journal editor was not able to follow your argument by looking at your figures and/or tables.

Reason #4: Your methodology is inadequate.

– The method you used to obtain your data is outdated or you didn’t use it well.

Reason #5: Your paper is badly written.

– You didn’t tell a story in your paper, your writing was unclear, hard to follow, or all of the above.

TL;DR: The 5 most common reasons for desk rejection:

#1: Your study’s findings were not significant or novel enough
#2: Your study is too narrow
#3: Your data isn’t presented well enough
#4: Your methodology is inadequate
#5: Your paper is badly written

If you would like to decrease your chances of desk-rejection in your next submission:

Watch my free video training on how to write scientific papers faster and actually get them published in your target journals.”

Source: Anna Clemens/X