Practice academic peer review vocabulary: reviewer decision types, 'major/minor revision', 'reject with resubmission', responding to reviewers professionally, and understanding reviewer comment language.
0 / 10 completed
1 / 10
'The paper requires _____ revision.' Which decision signals that the paper has significant problems — missing experiments, unclear methodology, or unsupported claims — that must be fixed before a re-review?
'Major revision' means fundamental issues must be addressed: the contribution is unclear, experiments are insufficient, related work is missing, or claims are unsupported by evidence. The paper is re-reviewed after revision. 'Minor revision' means small fixes (typos, clarity, additional citations) with no re-review needed. 'Accept' means no changes required — extremely rare on a first submission.
2 / 10
'The paper is _____ with resubmission.' What does this decision mean in the peer review process?
'Reject with resubmission' (also called 'reject and resubmit') means the paper has fundamental problems but shows enough promise that the authors are encouraged to substantially revise and resubmit — typically to the same venue. It is stronger than 'major revision' (which implies the paper will likely be accepted after revision) but more encouraging than a final rejection.
3 / 10
'We thank the reviewers for their insightful _____ and have addressed all points raised.' What word is used to refer to reviewer feedback in a response letter?
'Comments' is the professional, neutral term for reviewer feedback — even when the reviewer's tone is negative. Using 'comments' signals you are engaging constructively with the feedback. Avoid 'criticisms' or 'complaints' (defensive), 'objections' (adversarial), or 'suggestions' (too weak — some are requirements, not suggestions). Standard phrase: 'We thank Reviewer 2 for their detailed comments.'
4 / 10
'Reviewer 2 raises a concern about the _____ of the evaluation dataset.' If the reviewer questions whether the dataset reflects real-world conditions, which word completes this concern?
'Representativeness' (or 'ecological validity') is the concern that an experimental dataset may not reflect the real-world distribution of inputs — making results hard to generalise. Reviewers frequently raise this: 'The dataset appears to consist only of synthetic examples; it is unclear whether results would hold on real production data.' Addressing it: 'We added experiments on [real-world dataset] in Section 5.'
5 / 10
'In response to Reviewer 1's comment on missing baselines, we _____ two additional comparisons in Table 3.' Which verb professionally signals that you have made the requested change?
'We added [X] in response to [reviewer comment]' is the gold standard response format — it states concretely what you did. Avoid vague responses: 'We considered the reviewer's point' (did you act on it?), 'We noted this concern' (no change made). Each reviewer comment requires either: (a) a concrete change + where to find it, or (b) a polite explanation of why the change is not appropriate with supporting reasoning.
6 / 10
Sarah from QA flagged a critical bug in the new authentication service. Her Slack message reads: 'The rate limiting is completely broken – it's returning 503 errors on every request to the API endpoint /users/login. We need to investigate immediately.' What does Sarah's statement primarily indicate about the service's current state?
Sarah's message highlights a critical failure: the rate limiting isn't functioning. This 'broken' state means the service isn't meeting its intended purpose – allowing users to log in. The term 'erroneous' is the most accurate description of this fundamental flaw, indicating a serious problem needing immediate attention. Options A and B are irrelevant to the situation described; C suggests a misleadingly positive assessment.
7 / 10
You're writing the description for a pull request introducing a performance optimization to the database query. The PR includes a comment: 'Improved query execution time by approximately 30% on average.' Which of the following best describes the purpose of this statement?
The statement's primary goal is to communicate the *impact* of the change – the 30% improvement. A PR description needs to be easily understandable by a wide audience, including non-technical stakeholders. While the other options are related activities (SQL specification, testing reports, approval requests), they aren't the core purpose of this specific statement. This highlights the importance of focusing on value when describing changes.
8 / 10
During a standup meeting, you announce: 'We've addressed Reviewer 3's concern regarding the lack of error handling in the payment processing module. We've added try-catch blocks around all API calls.' What does this communication demonstrate?
This statement demonstrates responsiveness to feedback. By explicitly stating that you addressed Reviewer 3's concern – the lack of error handling – and detailing the specific action taken (adding try-catch blocks), you show a commitment to quality assurance. It showcases an understanding of the reviewer's perspective and a proactive approach to resolving it. The other options represent misinterpretations or negative behaviors.
9 / 10
You receive an API response from a third-party service indicating: 'Error Code: 400 – Bad Request. Message: Invalid input data format.' What does this message suggest about the issue?
The 'Bad Request' error code and the accompanying message clearly indicate that the problem lies with the *client's* input data. The server received a request but couldn't understand or process it because of incorrect formatting or invalid values. This is a common API issue requiring client-side correction, not a server-side problem as suggested by options A, B, and C.
10 / 10
A code review comment reads: 'Consider using a more descriptive variable name for user_id. It's not immediately clear what this variable represents.' What is the primary reason behind this suggestion?
The comment focuses on the lack of *context* provided by the variable name. A descriptive variable name improves code readability and makes it easier for others (and your future self) to understand its purpose. While coding style guidelines might be relevant, the core issue is the missing clarity inherent in an ambiguous name. Options A and B are irrelevant; option C directly addresses the problem.
What will I practice in "Academic Peer Review Vocabulary"?
This is a Research English exercise set. It walks through 10 scenario-based multiple-choice questions built around real usage of research english terminology that IT professionals encounter on the job.
Is this exercise free to use?
Yes. Every exercise on CoderSlingo, including this one, is free to complete with no account, sign-up, or paywall.
How many questions are in this exercise?
This set contains 10 questions. Each one shows immediate feedback and a detailed explanation after you answer, so you learn the correct usage right away rather than waiting for a final score.
Do I need prior experience to complete this exercise?
No prior experience is required. Each question includes a full explanation covering the reasoning behind the correct answer, so the exercise itself teaches the research english vocabulary as you go.
Can I retry the exercise if I get questions wrong?
Yes — use the "Try again" button on the results screen to reset your answers and go through all the questions again. There is no limit on attempts.
Is my progress saved?
Your answers and score for the current session are tracked in the browser as you go. No account or login is needed, and there is nothing to install.
What if I don't understand a term used in a question?
Read the explanation shown after you answer each question — it breaks down the correct term in plain English with a real-world example. You can also check the site Glossary for quick definitions.
How is this different from reading a blog article on the topic?
Exercises like this one are interactive drills that test and reinforce specific vocabulary through multiple-choice questions, while blog articles explain concepts in prose. Practising here after reading builds active recall, not just passive recognition.
Where can I find more Research English exercises?
See the Research English exercises hub for the full set of related pages, or browse all exercise categories from the main Exercises index.
Can I use this exercise to prepare for a technical interview?
Yes — research english vocabulary comes up often in technical discussions and interviews. Pair this exercise with our dedicated Interview Preparation section for role-specific practice.