| Reason for rejection | How to address this reason for rejection |
| 1. Sent to the wrong journal; doesn't fit aims and/or scope; fails to engage issues addressed by journal | Detective work |
| 2. Not a proper journal article (too journalistic, clearly a consultance project such as a grant or report) | Reflective work |
| 3. Too long (ignores journal limits) or too short | Expressive work |
| 4. Poor regard to journal conventions or academic writing conventions | Expressive work |
| 5. Bad style, grammar, punctuation, poor English (not corrected by native speaker) | Find peer reader or hire an editor |
| 6. Fails to say anything of significance or states the obvious at tedious length | Reflective work |
| 7. Not properly contextualized (e.g., concentrates on parochial interests and ignores needs of international or generally wider readership) | Reflective work |
| 8. Poor theoretical framework (including references to relevant literature) | Reflective work |
| 9. Scrappily presented and clearly not proofread | Hire an editor |
| 10. Libelous, unethical, rude | Share document with others to modify tone |
Hobbs, G. (April 15, 2013). publishing in academic journals: Tips to help you succeed. (PowerPoint, personal communication).