smr-rebuttal

SMR Rebuttal

Use this after a decision letter. SMR revisions are won by treating each reviewer point as a concrete,

auditable deliverable — at a methods journal, "we have clarified this" without a new derivation,

simulation cell, or exhibit rarely persuades.

SMR's response format

SMR expects authors to copy each reviewer comment verbatim and respond beneath it (检索于 2026-06；

以官网为准). Build the response document accordingly:

• One block per comment: the verbatim comment, your response, and the exact change (section,

table, equation, or line) that implements it.

• Group nothing silently — every comment gets its own visible block, even if the answer is "see our

response to Reviewer 2, point 3."

• Keep a changelog at the top summarizing the major revisions so the editor sees the arc quickly.

Classify each comment, then assign a deliverable

| Comment type | Deliverable that satisfies an SMR reviewer |

|---|---|

| "Property is asserted, not proved" | a derivation or a clearly labeled argument (smr-derivation-and-properties) |

| "Simulation is too narrow / strawman" | new DGP cells or competitors (smr-simulation-studies) |

| "Does the method matter in practice?" | strengthen or add the empirical illustration (smr-empirical-illustration) |

| "Can I run this?" | release/clean the package + reproducibility (smr-software-and-reproducibility) |

| "Unclear contribution / overclaim" | tighten the contribution sentence (smr-method-contribution, smr-writing-style) |

| "Already exists elsewhere" | a precedent response (smr-literature-positioning) — concede or differentiate |

Map every comment to one of these before writing; an answer with no concrete deliverable is the

response most likely to draw a second-round rejection.

Handling the hard cases

• Disagreement: you may push back, but do it with evidence — a derivation, a simulation cell, or a

citation — not assertion. Concede the framing even when you keep the conclusion.

• A demanded analysis you think is wrong: run it anyway and show why it does not change the

conclusion; a refusal reads as evasion.

• Precedent claims: if the reviewer is right that the method exists, say so and re-scope the

contribution honestly; if they are wrong, give the precise difference from the cited work.

• Scope pushback ("this is an application"): re-foreground the methodological takeaway and the

travel beyond the example — the smr-topic-selection argument.

Track the revision clock

• Note the deadline and whether it is a major or minor revision; request an extension early if a new

simulation or derivation needs real time.

• Keep the revised manuscript fully anonymized for re-review and update the **availability

statement and AI disclosure** if materials changed.

Checklist

• [ ] Each reviewer comment appears verbatim with a response and the exact change beneath it.
• [ ] A top-of-document changelog summarizes the major revisions.
• [ ] Every comment is mapped to a concrete deliverable (derivation/sim cell/illustration/code/prose).
• [ ] Demanded analyses were run, even those expected to be null.
• [ ] Disagreements are backed by evidence, with framing conceded where fair.
• [ ] Precedent claims are conceded or differentiated precisely.
• [ ] The revised files remain anonymized; availability statement and AI disclosure updated.

Anti-patterns

• "We have clarified this" with no new derivation, exhibit, or text pointer.
• Silent grouping of comments instead of the verbatim-block format.
• Assertion over evidence in disagreements.
• Refusing a requested analysis instead of running it and explaining the null.
• Defending an overclaim the reviewers correctly flagged, rather than re-scoping.
• Deanonymized revision files sent for re-review.

Output format

[Decision] reject / major / minor / conditional accept
[Response format] verbatim-block per comment? yes/no
[Comment ledger] <comment -> deliverable -> where implemented>
[Hardest point] <the comment most likely to sink the revision> + plan
[Anonymization/disclosure] revision anonymized; availability + AI updated? yes/no
[Next SMR skill] smr-submission (for the revised resubmission)