Advancements, Dynamics, and Future Directions in Rural Environmental Governance Research in China

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The text provides a comprehensive overview of rural environmental management research in China, using sophisticated analysis methods to map research trends and development milestones. This is a serious study that uses advanced tools to process a huge amount of data. One of the key contributions of this study is the identification and classification of the evolution of research trends in four epochs, which provides valuable insight into the dynamics of research interest over time. This periodized approach allows for a deeper understanding of how research focuses have changed following the wider economic and social context. Also, the text emphasizes the diversity of research disciplines that deal with the topic of rural environmental management, which indicates the complexity and multidisciplinary of this field. The observed shortcomings, such as the lack of prolific authors and challenges in the formation of cohesive research teams, point to the need to improve research collaboration and integration. The suggestion that future research should be adapted to specific regional characteristics and that it should emphasize an interdisciplinary approach, especially in economically disadvantaged regions, is significant. This suggests a thoughtful strategy for future development that takes into account regional differences and the potential for synergy among different disciplines.

Author Response

please check the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper has quite interesting thematic and research. 

 

Small corrections could  qualify the paper:

Try not to use superlatives, avoid e.g. meticulous(ly) or rigorous (who difeines iy?)

Explain methodological what was the “meticulous”; rigourous: e..g. how many researchers (especilaist) took part? There are at least two researchers, work in separate blind “rigorous/meticulous evaluation, how long?

 

Some figure are no legible, it must be ameliorated. 

 

Figure 3 is not legible. 

Figure 4 both are not legible. sugestions: use one map per time (two figure, and ad as attached the maps in another format, maybe paper size A3 ….

Figure 7, both are not legible, again: sugestions: use one map per time (two figure, and ad as attached the maps in another format, maybe paper size A3 ….

Figure 8 both are not legible, again: sugestions: use one map per time (two figure, and ad as attached the maps in another format, maybe paper size A3 ….

 

Figure 10 Vboth are not legible, again: sugestions: use one map per time (two figure, and ad as attached the maps in another format, maybe paper size A3 ….

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article focuses on trends and future directions of research in rural environmental governance in China. The article is well-written and provides useful information, while its subject is of great interest. However, improving the English language is necessary for better understanding of the text, which in many cases was challenging for me. In addition, there are several areas for improvement to enhance clarity, coherence, and completeness.

- You could add a paragraph in the introduction that discusses the importance of rural environmental governance internationally, especially in developing countries, and how your research can contribute to management strategies.

- You could elaborate more on the research objectives in the introduction

- Include more recent references, especially from the last 2-3 years, to enhance the relevance of the literature.

- You could describe the methods used more clearly.

- You could provide more details on the findings from the trend analysis, such as specific examples of research topics and areas of interest.

- You could further develop the discussion on the implications of the findings for rural environmental governance, adding practical applications of your findings and how these can influence policies and management strategies in rural environmental governance.

- You could mention the challenges and prospects of research in this field.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Improving the English language is necessary for better understanding of the text, which in many cases was challenging for me.

Correct syntactic and grammatical errors that hinder understanding. For example, the sentence in lines 208-211: “Therefore, in this research, visual bibliometric… on rural environmental governance” can be made more concise.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Based on the changes made in the revised article and the comments provided in the cover letter, it appears that the authors have incorporated the suggestions and feedback given by me and other reviewers. Based on the above, the article appears suitable for publication.