Why is it important to be fast?
First, most research is time-sensitive. Perhaps some other group is working on the same problem as you. You want to be first to publish.
Second, the speed of publication is an important metric for a journal. Authors who slow down publication by taking a long time to revise their paper are not popular.
If the reviewers have requested further research to strengthen your paper, inform the Editor that you will need extra time to complete the revision. He may be able to flag your paper in the submission system indicating it needs extra time. Some systems time out after a set number of weeks.
Tips on managing the speed of revision
- Treat the revision like a project.
- Read all the comments thoroughly.
- Identify steps that:
- Will take a long time: start these first
- Have to be done in sequence: define order of work
- Involve other people: identify owner of the step and agree a timeframe
- If English language revision is requested, do this after all the other revisions have been made