Evolution and Impacting Factors of Global Renewable Energy Products Trade Network: An Empirical Investigation Based on ERGM Model
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Dear Authors,
Thank you for submitting your paper "Evolution and Impacting Factors of Global Renewable Energy Products Trade Network: An Empirical Investigation Based on ERGM Model" for possible publication in the Sustainability journal. Please, see the comments below for further consideration in making the paper a better one:
1. It needs to be clarified what the focus of this paper is. The introduction needs to provide more niche to support the gap identified in the study.
2. There needs to be an attempt to include a literature review section, which is essential to further establish your readers' familiarity with and understanding of current research in the chosen field leading to the current investigation. A comprehensive literature review should be conducted on the global renewable energy products and trade network as a minimum. Besides, the proposed hypotheses are superficial as they lack any theoretical basis.
3. Sections 2 up to 4.2, which should form part of the methodology section, are too descriptive. The sections describe the processes involved in conducting the research instead of taking a critical analysis perspective to the proposed investigation.
4. The paper would benefit from being separated into appropriate and distinct sections, such as introduction, literature, methodology, findings, analysis and conclusion for easy reading and understanding.
5. No clear attempt was made to discuss and contrast the study findings against existing studies' findings.
6. The potential contribution and significance of the investigation to contemporary debate and practice in the field of study could be better articulated and justified.
I hope this helps.
Oluyomi
The manuscript reads well but could benefit from sentence improvement. Several sentences are too long and could be separated into two or more sentences to foster easy reading and understanding of thoughts and ideas.
Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
This paper constructs an analytical framework of a global trade network for renewable energy products based on bilateral trade data from 2009 to 2019, analyses its structural evolution at the global and local levels, and investigates the influencing factors of the network with Exponential Random Graph Model. The empirical results indicate that countries in the trade network have become more closely connected, featuring a core-periphery and increasing reciprocity relationship. China, Germany, and Japan have remained in the position of core countries; especially China has stayed in a prominent position among core countries. The manuscript is very well written. However, this version of the manuscript needs to be rearranged.
1) The organization of the article should be given in detail in the introduction.
2) What are the advantages of this study over the used other methods in other literature?
3) Add more punctual research directions that can be done from your paper.
4) Author should be Prepare the comparison your result with other references to be clear your result efficiency, not mention the parameters.
5) Hypothesis part needs to be elaborated.
6) Conclusion should be clear, specific and quantitative in nature. Generalized conclusions are to be avoided.
7) There are few editorial and grammatical errors in some parts of the manuscript which can be identified easily by a careful reading. The authors can take help of native English speaker for corrections.
There are few editorial and grammatical errors in some parts of the manuscript which can be identified easily by a careful reading. The authors can take help of native English speaker for corrections.
Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
I do not understand this paper. The authors need to relate their paper better to the standard theory of international trade before it can be considered for publication. Imagine that I am Ronald Jones, and I want to cite this paper in the new edition of Frenkel, Caves, and Jones, "World Trade and Payments." Give me the paragraph that i should include that will introduce students to the logic and policy implications of this work. I think this paper may be important, but i can not assess its importance until it is explained in terms my mother (who is a smart woman but not trained in economics) can understand.
Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
In my opinion, the authors have adequately addressed the reviewer's comments.
Reviewer 3 Report
paper is ok
