What does major revision mean?

Major revision means reviewers have indicated that the manuscript cannot be accepted without substantial changes.

This decision:

For many researchers it is one of the most confusing editorial outcomes.

Is major revision rejection or acceptance?

Short answer: neither.

Major revision usually means:

"There is potential in this work, but it cannot be published as it stands."

Reviewers typically want meaningful improvements in:

If Methods are incomplete, not reproducible, or misaligned with the question,

reviewers usually request major revision.

When data exist but statistics are weak, analyses incomplete, or claims too strong:

"Stronger analyses are required"

If discussion is weakly linked to the literature or overgeneralizes,

major revision often follows.

Yes—if you:

Otherwise, major revision can still end in rejection.

For desk reject vs post-review rejection, see what is a desk reject.

Substantive improvements in methods, analyses, or discussion.

Polishing, clarifications, minor reporting gaps.

Revisions that ignore this distinction often fail in the second round.

Often, yes.

The issues that trigger major revision are largely predictable with editor/reviewer lenses before submission.

It helps surface:

👉 The overall framework is explained here:

Major revision is:

Managing this stage shapes the paper’s outcome.