Q: Can I appeal against the editorial decision?
I submitted my paper to a reputed journal. After one month, I received reviewer comments. two reviewers out of three think my paper is good, and have given a few comments. However, one reviewer (who may be from a different field) gave some irrelevant comments and recommended resubmission. My paper got rejected in the end. Should I refute the decision? Is there any hope if I appeal? Thanks!
It is quite common for peer reviewers to have differing opinions. Just because one reviewer gives a negative review, does not necessarily mean that his comments are biased or irrelevant. Moreover, a single peer reviewer's opinion cannot bias the editor. Remember that the final decision on your manuscript is the editor's. The editor goes through your manuscript along with the reviewer comments. The peer reviewers can only give their recommendations.
However, if you strongly disagree with the editorial decision, you can appeal against it unless the editor has clearly specified otherwise. You can appeal to the editorial board, giving a point-by-point argument against the editor’s views. Make sure that your arguments are backed by solid evidence. Also, remember to be very polite in your communication.
You would gain an insight into editorial decision making by reading this post: Answers to questions all researchers have about the journal decision-making process
This content belongs to the Journal submission & peer review Stage