R&R Rebuttal (demog-rebuttal)
A Demography R&R is a real opportunity — expert demographers thought the contribution is worth
saving. But the Editor decides on the recommendation of a topic-area Deputy Editor who synthesized
the reviews, so the response letter must move every reviewer toward yes on demographic substance
while keeping the editor confident the revision is convergent.
When to trigger
- An R&R decision arrived and you are planning the revision + response letter
- Reviewers disagree (e.g., on rate construction, the APC constraint, or identification) and you must reconcile them
- A reviewer requests analyses (a re-decomposition, a sensitivity, a competing-risks model) that could change the claims
- Writing the cover note to the editor summarizing the revision
Strategy
-
Read the editor's / Deputy Editor's letter as the rubric. It signals which points are decisive
— often a measurement, exposure, or identification concern. Solve those first; the editor
adjudicates disagreements among reviewers.
-
One point-by-point response, every comment addressed. Quote each comment, then respond. Never
skip one — silence reads as non-compliance.
-
Concede or rebut explicitly, with demographic evidence. For each: did what was asked (say where,
with the new table/figure number), or push back respectfully with a reason grounded in
demographic method (why the chosen rate, decomposition, or APC constraint is appropriate). Editors
respect a well-argued disagreement more than a capitulation that weakens the analysis.
-
Reconcile conflicting reviewers openly. When R2 wants a different identifying assumption than
R3, say so, choose a principled path, and explain the tradeoff. Don't silently satisfy one and
ignore the other.
-
Protect the contribution. Add robustness (alternative exposures, sensitivity to APC constraints,
competing-risks checks) and clarifications; resist changes that dilute the population-science claim
that earned the R&R. Defend scope conditions rather than over-claiming.
-
Keep anonymity intact in the revised manuscript (still double-blind), and update the
reproducibility materials and data availability statement so new exhibits remain reproducible (see
demog-data-and-reproducibility).
Response-letter format
For each reviewer comment:
> [Quoted reviewer comment]
Response: [What we did / why we respectfully disagree, on demographic grounds].
Change: [Section/page/table-figure number where the revision appears].
Open with a short summary of the main changes to the editor; group by reviewer; end each entry
with the location of every change so the editor and Deputy Editor can verify quickly.
Anti-patterns
- Ignoring or merging away a comment without a visible response
- Capitulating to a request that breaks the demographic logic (e.g., a denominator change that is wrong) just to please a reviewer
- Defensive or dismissive tone toward expert reviewers
- "We thank the reviewer" with no actual change or argued reason
- Adding analyses that quietly contradict the original estimate without acknowledging it
- Letting the revised manuscript or new exhibits drift out of sync with the deposited materials
Output format
【Editor/Deputy decisive points】addressed first? [list]
【Coverage】every reviewer comment answered? [Y/N]
【Concede vs rebut】each tagged with demographic evidence + change location
【Reviewer conflicts】reconciled and explained to editor? [Y/N]
【Contribution protected】no dilution of the population-science claim? [Y/N]
【Anonymity + materials updated】[Y/N]
【Next】resubmit via ScholarOne
Supplementary resources
