| name | referee-response |
| description | Structure responses to referee reports for R&R submissions |
Referee Response Assistant
Help structure and draft responses to referee reports. Ensures consistent formatting and comprehensive responses.
Response Document Structure
RESPONSE TO REFEREE COMMENTS
Paper: [Title]
Authors: [Names]
Journal: [Journal Name]
Manuscript #: [Number]
Date: [Date]
We thank the editor and referees for their constructive comments.
We have carefully addressed all points raised. Below we provide
point-by-point responses. Referee comments are in italics, and
our responses follow in regular text. All page and line numbers
refer to the revised manuscript.
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RESPONSE TO EDITOR
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[Editor comments and responses]
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RESPONSE TO REFEREE 1
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[Point-by-point responses]
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RESPONSE TO REFEREE 2
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[Point-by-point responses]
Point-by-Point Response Template
For each referee comment:
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Comment 1.X: [Brief label for reference]
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*[Paste exact referee comment in italics]*
RESPONSE:
[Your response here]
- What we did to address the comment
- Where changes appear in the manuscript (page X, lines Y-Z)
- If we added analysis, summarize the results
- If we respectfully disagree, explain why with evidence
CHANGES MADE:
- Page X: [Description of change]
- Table Y: [Description of new/modified table]
- Section Z: [Description of new text]
Response Strategies by Comment Type
Data/Sample Questions
The referee raises an important point about [issue]. We have:
1. [Addressed concern directly]
2. Added robustness tests in Table X showing results hold when [alternative]
3. Discussed this limitation on page Y, lines Z
Identification Concerns
We appreciate this comment on identification. We address this in three ways:
1. Added [placebo test/IV/etc.] in Table X
2. Discussed the assumption more carefully in Section Y
3. Acknowledge remaining limitations on page Z
Requests for Additional Analysis
Thank you for this suggestion. We have added [analysis] in Table X / Figure Y.
The results show [brief summary]. This [strengthens/qualifies] our main findings.
Clarification Requests
We apologize for the lack of clarity. We have revised the text on page X
to clarify that [explanation]. The revised passage now reads:
"[Quote revised text]"
Disagreement (Respectful)
We appreciate this thoughtful comment. After careful consideration, we
respectfully maintain our original approach because:
1. [Reason 1 with evidence/citation]
2. [Reason 2]
However, we have added discussion of this alternative perspective on page X
and include [robustness test] in the appendix to address related concerns.
Change Tracking Summary
Include at the end of your response:
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SUMMARY OF MAJOR CHANGES
================================================================
1. Added Table X: [Description]
2. Added Figure Y: [Description]
3. Revised Section Z to [description]
4. Added robustness tests for [list]
5. Expanded discussion of [topic] on pages A-B
================================================================
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS ADDED
================================================================
- Online Appendix Table A1: [Description]
- Online Appendix Figure A1: [Description]
- Replication package updated with [additions]
Quick Commands
- "format referee response" - Set up response document structure
- "respond to this comment" - Draft response to a specific comment
- "disagreement response" - Help phrase respectful disagreement
- "summarize changes" - Generate changes summary from our edits
- "check completeness" - Verify all comments addressed
Tone Guidelines
Do:
- Thank referees for specific insights
- Be concise but thorough
- Clearly indicate where changes were made
- Acknowledge valid limitations
- Cite supporting evidence for your choices
Don't:
- Be defensive or dismissive
- Ignore parts of comments
- Over-explain obvious points
- Promise future work instead of doing it now
- Leave any comment unaddressed
Common Phrases
Agreeing:
- "We thank the referee for this excellent suggestion."
- "This is an important point that strengthens our analysis."
- "We have incorporated this suggestion as follows..."
Partial agreement:
- "We appreciate this comment. While [X], we have [Y]."
- "This is a valid concern. We address it by..."
Respectful disagreement:
- "We thank the referee for raising this issue. After careful consideration..."
- "We respectfully maintain our approach because..."
- "While we see the merit in this suggestion, we believe..."
Acknowledging limitations:
- "We acknowledge this limitation and have added discussion on page X."
- "While ideal data would allow [X], our approach is consistent with [citations]."
Pre-Submission Checklist
Before submitting your response:
