After a rejection
Where to Submit After a Rejection
The next venue is not simply a lower-ranked one. See which journals actually fit the paper.
Recommended journals
Find a home for your research. Enter your title and abstract to see recommended journals.
The instinct after a rejection is to go one rung down the impact ladder, and it is usually the wrong move. Most rejections are about fit rather than quality: the design was not what that journal publishes, the claim was framed for a different readership, the topic sat outside a scope that changed two years ago. A lower-ranked journal in the same wrong category rejects the paper for the same reason, just later. Reading the rejection for which of those it was, and then matching on content rather than rank, is what turns a second submission into a review.
What should I take from a desk rejection?
Usually that the fit was wrong rather than the work. Desk rejections happen before anyone assesses quality in detail.
Should I revise before resubmitting elsewhere?
Revise the framing to the new journal's readership, and address any reviewer points you agreed with. Do not rewrite the study for a rejection about scope.
Is it worth appealing?
Rarely, and only with a specific factual error in the assessment. Appeals succeed seldom and cost weeks either way.