JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY

The first review was quick, returning in less than 20 days. There were two reviewers, one in favor and one against. The editor requested revisions, and I responded seriously to the revisions. The second review took two months, and the editor provided rejection comments. Upon reviewing the feedback, both reviewers, including the one who initially opposed, agreed. However, a third reviewer appeared and provided ambiguous comments. Surprisingly, a fourth reviewer also emerged, claiming that I did not make changes according to the third reviewer's comments and criticized my attitude and dedication. As a result, they raised some sharp questions and opposed publication. Finally, the editor rejected the manuscript. This situation is absurd. The initial review comments I received did not mention the third reviewer, so how should I respond? How can I take it seriously and modify it according to their requirements? It is evident that a quick first review is not a good thing. The editor sent me the manuscript for revision after receiving two opinions. Later, I showed both the revised version and the newly received comments from the third person to the fourth reviewer. The fourth reviewer mistakenly believed that I did not make changes according to the third person's comments, which influenced their evaluation. Therefore, the entire situation is a result of the chaos in the editorial department of the journal. If there were initially three opinions, the editorial department could have directly rejected the manuscript, saving us two months. However, if given the opportunity for major revisions, we are confident in effectively addressing the comments of all three reviewers.

I don't know if it's just me or the situation I encountered, but the reviewing process after submission is quite fast. However, the submission process is a bit slow. Basically, it takes more than a month for each "with editor" round. I don't know if it's due to the impact of the pandemic or what's going on.