0.01% of people take negative feedback about their research gracefully on this website

Here is just a handy guide if you find yourself on the back end of negative comments

And it recognizes that criticism can be wrong as well as right

[thread]

First, take a deep breath.

I understand that negative feedback is hard to hear when someone finds faults in 5 mins for a paper that may have taken you 5 years.

It is not pleasant.

I get that.

Take a deep breath.

It is also inevitable, because fresh eyes are not blind to problems that you have long forgotten or missed

It is not a personal insult that many fresh eyes spot things you did not.

Second, read the feedback with an open mind.

It might be a pre-med student or endowed professor, but read it with the same openness

Censor snarky comments in your mind (irrelevant), and have an open mind to substantive comments

Never disregard criticism if you think the tone is not appropriate (that's poor form)-- even bad tone can bring true news

Also, never say you won't reply to tweeted criticism
If its good enough to promote the article...
Don't be elitist

Third, take a few minutes/ hours/ days to think about it.

Is there any truth to it or is it off the mark?

The honest answer is there is both on twitter!

Sometimes, the criticism is petty and off the mark and the person does not understand the paper or topic well

Alternatively, sometimes the criticism is on target.

Spot on, in fact.

If the criticism is off the mark. Take a few minutes to explain why you think so. Don't say "write a letter to the editor" or another flippant reply, but just try to explain the best you can in this medium

You don't have to agree with the criticism

Alternatively, if the criticism is on target.
Then tell the person how you plan to address it.

Just the other day, someone pointed out an error in a paper of mine on twitter, and I just said 'thanks, and will fix it'.

And, we will!

We'll submit a correction request

I am never troubled to submit a correction or addendum if there is something worth clarifying

If you think a correction is "bad" you have a narcissistic view of yourself

We all should be making many more corrections to our work.

Much better to correct than when I read a 6 year old paper and still find errors. Ughh.

Sixth, if the criticism is really devastating, then just withdraw the paper.

A much better option than evoking ridiculous dare I say multigenerational ;) theories to double down on it.

Seventh, there really are some bad actors, but not everyone is a $^@^

The folks who are not acting in good faith make themselves known. They typically call your boss, bad mouth you to your colleagues-- word gets around that it is personal, and their criticism is often erroneous

But many other folks, even those who employ a dash of snark, are not $&#$# or whatever word you prefer.

They are just products of this forum, and their criticism may be wrong or it may be apt.

separate people from ideas

Eighth, if your paper attempts to answer a hot, timely and nearly impossible to answer question-- then of course you will get a ton of negative feedback!

Folks on twitter act surprised their Nature paper on Covid is getting scrutinized

Of course it will!

Thats my general feeling.

If you want to tweet out your work, then you best be ready for readers.

Readers means praise and damnation.

Not all praise is justified, neither is all damnation

If you aspire to be a scientist, you will dis-associate yourself from your work.

You will consider criticism and incorporate all of it that is right, you will attempt to clarify address criticism that is wrong (agree to disagree at times), and withdraw work for major errors

At the same time, you have no obligation to acquiesce to bullies or to #mobtwitter, if you feel they are wrong or unjustified.

Pile ons are not cool.

Never forget, Your self worth and your paper have nothing to do with each other.

Cheers!