REJECTED! What academic paper rejections are about from both sides of the process

Academic papers are a lot of work. Your research is dear to you. Youve loved this study enough to see it through, to write it up, to find a home for it. And then you get rejectedperhaps without any indication as to why.

Whats that about? Are you a bad researcher? Was your paper bad? Your research stupid? Should you just give up? Particularly students and others who are new to the process can be devastated by a rejection.

Butreally!-there is no need for devastation! Even senior researchers...