respond-to-referee

Respond to Referee

Structure a point-by-point response to referee reports for the sewage-house-prices manuscript.

Input: $ARGUMENTS — path to referee report file(s).

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Project-Specific Context

Manuscript

• Main document: docs/overleaf/_main.tex
• Sections: docs/overleaf/*.tex
• Bibliography: docs/overleaf/refs.bib

Analysis

• Scripts: scripts/R/09_analysis/
• Tables: output/tables/
• Figures: output/figures/

Common Referee Concerns for This Paper

• Short EDM panel (2021-2024) — limited time variation
• LSOA FE may not capture neighbourhood-level sorting
• Spill count vs hours as treatment — which matters more?
• External validity beyond England
• Dry spill identification — rainfall threshold sensitivity
• Multiple testing across 6 radii and multiple specifications

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Workflow

Step 1: Parse Inputs

1. Read referee report(s) from $ARGUMENTS
2. Read the manuscript (docs/overleaf/_main.tex and section files)
3. Scan existing analysis scripts to know what already exists

Step 2: Classify Every Comment

Assign each referee point a classification:

| Class | Action |

|-------|--------|

| NEW ANALYSIS | Flag for user — requires new R script or specification |

| CLARIFICATION | Draft revised text for the relevant section |

| REWRITE | Draft structural revision of a section |

| DISAGREE | Draft diplomatic pushback — flag for user review (mandatory) |

| MINOR | Draft fix directly (typos, formatting, minor edits) |

Step 3: Build Tracking Document

Save to output/log/referee_response_tracker.md:

# Referee Response Tracker
**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Journal:** [if known]
**Decision:** [R&R / Major / Minor]

## Summary
- Referee 1: N comments (X new analysis, Y clarification, Z disagree, W minor)
- Referee 2: N comments (...)
- Editor: N comments (...)
- **Total new analyses required:** X

## Action Items (Priority Order)

### HIGH: New Analysis Required
| # | Ref | Point | Status |
|---|-----|-------|--------|
| 1 | R1.3 | [Brief] | TODO |

### MEDIUM: Clarification / Rewriting
| # | Ref | Point | Status |
|---|-----|-------|--------|
| 1 | R1.1 | [Brief] | TODO |

### FLAGGED: Disagreements (require user review)
| # | Ref | Point | Draft Response |
|---|-----|-------|---------------|
| 1 | R2.5 | [Brief] | [Draft] |

### LOW: Minor Edits
- [ ] R1.7: Fix typo on p. 12

Step 4: Draft Response Letter

Generate LaTeX response letter:

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\definecolor{response}{RGB}{0,0,128}

\begin{document}

\title{Response to Referee Reports: Sewage in Our Waters}
\author{[Authors]}
\date{\today}
\maketitle

Dear Editor,

We thank the editor and referees for their careful and constructive comments.
We have revised the manuscript to address all points raised.

\bigskip

\textbf{Summary of major changes:}
\begin{enumerate}
\item [Major change 1 — addresses R1.3, R2.1]
\item [Major change 2 — addresses R1.5]
\end{enumerate}

\newpage
\section*{Response to Referee 1}

\subsection*{Comment 1.1}
\textit{[Exact quote of referee comment]}

\medskip
\textcolor{response}{%
\textbf{Response:} [Draft response]

\textbf{Paper change:} [Section X, page Y]
}

\end{document}

Save to output/log/referee_response_[date].tex.

Step 5: Diplomatic Disagreement Protocol

When classification is DISAGREE:

1. Open with acknowledgment of the referee's point
2. Provide specific evidence (data, results, published work)
3. Offer partial concession where possible
4. Never say: "The referee is wrong" or "misunderstood"
5. Instead say: "We respectfully note...", "Upon reflection, we believe..."
6. FLAG prominently for user review

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Principles

• The response letter is the authors' voice. Match their academic tone.
• Never fabricate results. Mark NEW ANALYSIS items as TBD until implemented.
• Flag all DISAGREE items. These need human judgment — never resolve disagreements autonomously.
• Prioritize editor's comments. The editor signals which concerns matter most.
• Track everything. Every referee comment appears in both tracker and response letter.