What does a corresponding author do post-submission?
Serve as the connecting link: After the paper has been submitted, you need to be the single person connecting your co-authors with the journal. Communicate every journal decision with all of them. Get every author’s perspective on how reviewer comments should be addressed. In multi-author papers where different authors specialize in different aspects, it may not be possible for the corresponding author to respond to all reviewer comments. In such cases, you need to ensure that the co-authors responsible for addressing reviewer comments share the response on time.
Stick to time limits: If the journal has asked you to revise and resubmit your paper or raised any queries, ensure that the revision and clarifications are sent to the journal on time.
Submit an error-free revision: Ensure that the revised manuscript is error free and has been proofread thoroughly.
Submit a complete resubmission package: Before submitting the revised manuscript to the journal, make sure every query or issue raised by the journal has been addressed systematically and sufficiently. If an issue has not been addressed, ensure the resubmission letter includes a reason for why your group has chosen to not address it.
Get all authors to approve the resubmission: The final version of the revised paper should be seen and approved by all co-authors, and it is your job to get a formal, written approval. It might be a good idea to share this proof of approval with the journal too.
Update author information: If the affiliation or related information of any author has changed, you need to share this updated information with the journal.
What does a corresponding author do after a paper is published?
Your job as a corresponding author continues after the paper has been published. Prepare to receive emails/enquiries from other researchers/industry professionals who have read your paper. They might want to get in touch to discuss a future collaboration with your group or one of the authors, talk about a specific aspect of your study that they agree/disagree with, point out something you may have missed, etc.
You will still need to share all correspondence received with all the co-authors of the paper because you may not always be the best person to address all queries received and also because all the co-authors should be aware of all correspondence received.
What are some of the qualities a corresponding author should have?
A corresponding author is someone who:
Can assume responsibility for all communication with the co-authors and the journal and can ensure that this communication is transparent
Is willing to represent the team and take responsibility for the research output submitted on its behalf, especially in the event of a dispute
Is a skilled writer who can create a cohesive manuscript by combining the contributions of all co-authors
· Is detail-oriented and misses nothing
· Is updated about any changes in authors’ affiliations, email addresses, etc.
· Is diplomatic and tactful enough to manage communication with the journal
· Senior enough to push junior researchers to get the work done
· Has sufficient experience with the publication process
· Has enough stability to be able to safeguard all research files for at least six years
The most important thing to remember is that as a corresponding author, you represent all the authors behind a study.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on January 11th, 2018, as https://www.editage.com/insights/what-corresponding-authors-are-expected-to-do-after-journal-submission
Additional reading:
· Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors
· Authorship, and the role of the ‘corresponding author’
· How to be an Effective Corresponding Author
· What does it mean to be the corresponding author?
· Who are corresponding authors?
· Deciding the order of authors on a paper
· Can the corresponding authors and order of authors be changed in the revised paper?
· Can I write to the editor if I’m the first author but not the corresponding author?
· Corresponding author assigns co-authors without their knowledge: A case study
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