Revision & Response for a Review (amann-revision)
When to trigger
- A proposal decision letter arrived (invited / revise-and-resubmit / declined)
- A full-review referee letter arrived (major revision is the norm for a long review)
- Referees flagged "no real framework," missing streams, imbalance, or "reads like a list"
- You need a point-by-point response letter for a review article, not a primary paper
First: which letter is this?
Annals' two-step process produces two kinds of feedback, and they call for different moves:
- Proposal-stage feedback (double-blind, from the Associate Editors). The decision is mainly about fit and promise: is the literature Annals-scale, and is there a genuinely new framework under "New insights"? A revise-and-resubmit here usually means sharpen the contribution before the full review is invited — route back through
amann-topic-selection / amann-organizing-framework / amann-proposal-framing.
- Full-review feedback (editor-only: Associate Editor and Editor). The review is being developed; feedback is about execution — framework strength, coverage, balance, attitude, accessibility. This is the classic point-by-point revision below.
Categories of full-review feedback (and how to answer each)
Triage every point into one bucket:
| Feedback type |
Typical phrasing |
Response move |
| Framework / contribution |
"this is an annotated bibliography" / "where is the integration?" |
strengthen or make explicit the spine (amann-organizing-framework); do not just reorder — this is the acceptance bar |
| Attitude / agenda |
"this is descriptive; take a position" / "the agenda is generic" |
add the critical position and a framework-tied agenda (amann-writing-style) |
| Coverage gap |
"you omit the X stream / author Y" |
almost always concede and integrate; place the work in the right cell; re-run saturation (amann-literature-synthesis) |
| Balance / fairness |
"this slights school Z / over-cites the author" |
steelman the slighted side; re-audit self-citation (amann-evidence-standards) |
| Appraisal accuracy |
"you mischaracterize study W" |
correct it precisely — reviewed authors often referee |
| Scope |
"too broad / too narrow" |
renegotiate with the editor (amann-editor-strategy); rescope deliberately, not by random cuts |
Writing the response letter
- Point-by-point, quote-then-respond. Reproduce each comment, then state the change and where it lives (section/page/table/figure).
- Framework asks are existential — answer them first. "No real framework" is a reject reason at Annals; a stronger or more explicit spine, not reordered paragraphs, is the required answer.
- Coverage asks: concede gracefully and integrate. A missing stream is a real defect in a review-of-the-field; adding it strengthens the article. Resist defensiveness.
- Balance asks: show the steelman. Demonstrate the revised text states the other side at its strongest.
- Disagree rarely and respectfully. If an ask would break the framework or expand scope unfinishably, explain the trade-off and propose an alternative, ideally pre-cleared with the editor.
- Keep the editor central. Because the full review is developed with the AE and Editor, route scope conflicts and incompatible asks to them rather than trying to satisfy everyone.
- Track every addition's ripple. Adding a stream can shift the review's center of gravity; after each integration, re-check that the framework cells, the synthesis tables, and the balance audit still hold.
Checklist
Anti-patterns
- "Fixing" a no-framework critique by shuffling paragraphs without strengthening the spine
- Answering a "be more provocative" ask with the same neutral prose
- Defending an omission rather than adding the missing stream (a review gap is a real defect)
- Answering a balance complaint with assertions of fairness instead of revised, steelmanned text
- Mischaracterizing or dismissing a reviewed author who is likely your referee
- Bloating scope to satisfy every "also cover…" until the review no longer finishes
Output format
【Letter type】proposal-stage (fit/promise) / full-review (execution)
【Triage】each comment bucketed (framework/attitude/coverage/balance/appraisal/scope)? Y/N
【Framework asks】spine strengthened/made explicit (not reordered)? Y/N
【Attitude/agenda】critical position + framework-tied agenda added? Y/N
【Coverage gaps】conceded + integrated into cells; saturation re-run? Y/N
【Balance】steelman shown in revised text; self-citation re-audited? Y/N
【Scope conflicts】routed to editor? Y/N
【Letter】point-by-point, quote-then-respond, with locations? Y/N
【Next skill】→ amann-submission (re-preflight the revised proposal or review)
Source: brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills → Academy-of-Management-Annals-Skills/skills/amann-revision/SKILL.md
1---2name: amann-revision3description: Use when responding to an Academy of Management Annals (Annals) proposal decision or full-review referee letter — framework/attitude asks, coverage gaps, balance complaints, and accessibility. Drafts the response letter and revision plan; it does not run the portal preflight (amann-submission) or redesign the framework from scratch (amann-organizing-framework).4---5
6
7# Revision & Response for a Review (amann-revision)
8
9## When to trigger
10
11- A proposal decision letter arrived (invited / revise-and-resubmit / declined)
12- A full-review referee letter arrived (major revision is the norm for a long review)
13- Referees flagged "no real framework," missing streams, imbalance, or "reads like a list"
14- You need a point-by-point response letter for a review article, not a primary paper
15
16## First: which letter is this?
17
18Annals' two-step process produces two kinds of feedback, and they call for different moves:
19
20- **Proposal-stage feedback** (double-blind, from the Associate Editors). The decision is mainly about *fit and promise*: is the literature Annals-scale, and is there a genuinely new framework under "New insights"? A revise-and-resubmit here usually means sharpen the contribution before the full review is invited — route back through `amann-topic-selection` / `amann-organizing-framework` / `amann-proposal-framing`.
21- **Full-review feedback** (editor-only: Associate Editor and Editor). The review is being developed; feedback is about *execution* — framework strength, coverage, balance, attitude, accessibility. This is the classic point-by-point revision below.
22
23## Categories of full-review feedback (and how to answer each)
24
25Triage every point into one bucket:
26
27| Feedback type | Typical phrasing | Response move |
28|---------------|------------------|---------------|
29| **Framework / contribution** | "this is an annotated bibliography" / "where is the integration?" | strengthen or make explicit the spine (`amann-organizing-framework`); do not just reorder — this is the acceptance bar |
30| **Attitude / agenda** | "this is descriptive; take a position" / "the agenda is generic" | add the critical position and a framework-tied agenda (`amann-writing-style`) |
31| **Coverage gap** | "you omit the X stream / author Y" | almost always *concede and integrate*; place the work in the right cell; re-run saturation (`amann-literature-synthesis`) |
32| **Balance / fairness** | "this slights school Z / over-cites the author" | steelman the slighted side; re-audit self-citation (`amann-evidence-standards`) |
33| **Appraisal accuracy** | "you mischaracterize study W" | correct it precisely — reviewed authors often referee |
34| **Scope** | "too broad / too narrow" | renegotiate with the editor (`amann-editor-strategy`); rescope deliberately, not by random cuts |
35
36## Writing the response letter
37
38- **Point-by-point, quote-then-respond.** Reproduce each comment, then state the change and where it lives (section/page/table/figure).
39- **Framework asks are existential — answer them first.** "No real framework" is a reject reason at Annals; a stronger or more explicit spine, not reordered paragraphs, is the required answer.
40- **Coverage asks: concede gracefully and integrate.** A missing stream is a real defect in a review-of-the-field; adding it strengthens the article. Resist defensiveness.
41- **Balance asks: show the steelman.** Demonstrate the revised text states the other side at its strongest.
42- **Disagree rarely and respectfully.** If an ask would break the framework or expand scope unfinishably, explain the trade-off and propose an alternative, ideally pre-cleared with the editor.
43- **Keep the editor central.** Because the full review is developed with the AE and Editor, route scope conflicts and incompatible asks to them rather than trying to satisfy everyone.
44- **Track every addition's ripple.** Adding a stream can shift the review's center of gravity; after each integration, re-check that the framework cells, the synthesis tables, and the balance audit still hold.
45
46## Checklist
47
48- [ ] Identified whether the letter is proposal-stage (fit/promise) or full-review (execution)
49- [ ] Every comment triaged (framework / attitude / coverage / balance / appraisal / scope)
50- [ ] "No framework" / "annotated bibliography" answered with a stronger explicit spine, not reordering
51- [ ] "Descriptive" answered by adding a critical position + framework-tied agenda
52- [ ] Coverage gaps conceded and integrated into the right cell; saturation re-run
53- [ ] Balance complaints answered by demonstrable steelmanning + self-citation re-audit
54- [ ] Mischaracterizations corrected precisely (reviewed authors may be the referees)
55- [ ] Scope conflicts routed to the editor for adjudication
56- [ ] Point-by-point letter: quote-then-respond, with section/page/table locations
57- [ ] Framework, coverage, and balance re-audited after all additions
58
59## Anti-patterns
60
61- "Fixing" a no-framework critique by shuffling paragraphs without strengthening the spine
62- Answering a "be more provocative" ask with the same neutral prose
63- Defending an omission rather than adding the missing stream (a review gap is a real defect)
64- Answering a balance complaint with assertions of fairness instead of revised, steelmanned text
65- Mischaracterizing or dismissing a reviewed author who is likely your referee
66- Bloating scope to satisfy every "also cover…" until the review no longer finishes
67
68## Output format
69
70```text
71【Letter type】proposal-stage (fit/promise) / full-review (execution)
72【Triage】each comment bucketed (framework/attitude/coverage/balance/appraisal/scope)? Y/N
73【Framework asks】spine strengthened/made explicit (not reordered)? Y/N
74【Attitude/agenda】critical position + framework-tied agenda added? Y/N
75【Coverage gaps】conceded + integrated into cells; saturation re-run? Y/N
76【Balance】steelman shown in revised text; self-citation re-audited? Y/N
77【Scope conflicts】routed to editor? Y/N
78【Letter】point-by-point, quote-then-respond, with locations? Y/N
79【Next skill】→ amann-submission (re-preflight the revised proposal or review)
80```
81
82---
83
84**Source:** [`brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills`](https://github.com/brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills) → `Academy-of-Management-Annals-Skills/skills/amann-revision/SKILL.md`
thedixitjain