Making Reviewer 2 Your Thought Partner: Navigating the Emotionality of Revise and Resubmit

Peer review is rarely discussed as an emotional experience, yet authors’ affective responses to revise-and-resubmit (R&R) decisions can profoundly shape their capacity to engage in revision and access their best thinking. When left unexamined, these responses may be especially challenging for early-career colleagues who are still forming their identities as scholars and writers. This commentary explores the affective dimensions of peer review and invites authors to see their reactions as sources of insight rather than obstacles to overcome. Drawing on experiences as author, reviewer, editor, and mentor, as well as relevant literature, the commentary reframes “Reviewer 2” as a thought partner, offers practical strategies for navigating revision without compromising intellectual integrity, and calls on reviewers and editors to consider how their feedback is experienced. Ultimately, it positions peer review as a site of mutual scholarly development rather than unidirectional judgment.