May 2025 | Source: Sage Publishing

SAGE Publications has implemented a response to reviewers template to take the manuscript revision process to the next level. As authors prepare and generate a structured response to peer review, the expectation is that this template will enhance both the quality and clarity of scholarship.

SAGE Publications Enhances Author Support with Structured Response to Reviewers Template

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SAGE Publications Enhances Author Support with Structured Response to Reviewers Template

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May 2025 | Source: Sage Publishing

Key Features of the Template

Feature	Description
Feature	The template presents a structured tabulated layout that gives authors a way to see each review comment and their corresponding responses.
Highlighting Changes	The authors are encouraged to track changes made to the revised manuscript to minimize tracking for editors and reviewers.
Page Number References	The authors will include page numbers to indicate where changes have occurred in the revised manuscript.
Handling Multiple Reviewers	The template will allow for multiple reviewers by authors being able to copy a comment section as described by the respective reviewer.
Anonymization Guidance	For journals with a double-anonymized peer review process, the template provides authors with instructions for removing personal identifiers to help maintain anonymity.

Integration with SAGE's Author Services

This tool is supplementary to SAGE resources such as webinars and support materials on the peer review process. For example, the “How to Respond to Reviewer Comments” webinar provides authors with in-depth information on writing responses to reviewer comments, thus empowering authors.

Best Practices for Authors

SAGE Publications suggests the following practices when using the template:

Thoroughly Address Comments: Authors should take time to read each reviewer’s comments in detail and provide a full response or rationale for any deviations.
Maintain Professional Tone: Responses should be constructive and respectful and meant to collaboratively enhance the manuscript.
Timely Revisions: Submitting your revisions in a timely fashion shows your commitment and helps alleviate the process of publication.
Clear Communication: Using clear language and structured formats helps to clarify the major changes being discussed.

What This Means for Researchers

This template creates clarity for academic researchers in the revision stage, around editorial expectations for the revision manuscript. It also captures the essence of reviewer comments and allows researchers to respond to them accurately, resulting in higher acceptance rates and a shorter time to publication in the peer review process.

How Pubrica Supports These Changes

Academic writing professionals at Pubrica deploy structured response structures in manuscript revision assistance. The team provides a comprehensive reviewer response drafting service based on, e.g., SAGE’s templates to ensure technical clarity, consistency, and adherence with journal requirements and, ultimately, generous and favourable decisions by editorial boards.

Pubrica’s Viewpoint

Structured peer-review response templates are valuable academic rigor tools developed and offered by Pubrica. These templates minimize the cognitive load for authors and enhance the scholarly communication process. Pubrica supports these practices from publishers and uses them in its author support processes to enable publication success for its clients.

Conclusion

SAGE Publications’ rollout of the “Response to Reviewers Template” represents a proactive approach to providing support for authors during the often-complicated revision process. The template encourages authors to clearly and systematically address reviewer critiques and recommendations and thereby reinforces SAGE’s dedication to high-quality academic publishing.

Enhance your manuscript revisions with expert reviewer responses from Pubrica. Contact us today for professional support!

References

Groves, T. (2010). Enhancing the quality and transparency of peer review: COPE guidelines. BMJ, 341: c5290.
Kern, M. J., & Simons, K. (2021). Structured Response Letters Improve Manuscript Acceptance Rates: Evidence from Peer-reviewed Journals. Academic Medicine, 96(5), 668–672.