Nearly everyone must learn to deal with rejection, and authors of research papers are no exception. Many reviewers and other knowledgeable individuals say the key is not to take rejection of one's manuscript personally, and they point out that papers turned down by one publication often have gone on to enjoy success in others. In fact, according to one observer, several papers that were initially rejected went on to earn their authors the Nobel Prize.
The topic is of particular interest to newly minted researchers, who may not have had to deal with such outright professional rebuffs before. While immersed in the struggle to obtain grant support and the pressures of performing original research, perhaps for the first time, these researchers may not understand why they need to learn the skill of coping with rejection. According to publishing professionals and academic administrators, the answer is simple: It can improve one's ...
