Evaluation of a Population’s Migration Potential as an Important Component of Migration Policy
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
- Introduction: the time span chosen, including the conflict ongoing from 2014, is not very well justified given the Ukraine case of study and also the Dignity Revolution came up only in the conclusions.
- Methodology: on the Migration Potential Index it is not give the adequate literature framework, also presenting the other examples/indexes available on this topic such as Gallup's or the IOM's publications to this regards.
- Results: are not at all well-presented and need a massive work on the data tables ad visualizations.
- Conclusions: need to be more motivated and linked to what presented in the Introduction.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer!
Thank you very much for the thorough analysis of my Manuscript and for your very useful remarks and recommendations! I was trying to meet all your requirements.
Best regards,
the Author
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Dear authors,
The paper tackles an interesting topic. The migration phenomena are multidimensional and very complex, therefore straightforward explanations are difficult to give, without a scientifically based approach. The migration index should contain, at least, components about the socio-economic dimension of migration, as the explanations are focused on this.
The paper requires several changes:
-the migration index is a simplistic index, based solely on the answers to the question «If you had an opportunity to be employed abroad, what would you prefer?»;
-for clarity, insert an appendix with the questionnaire;
-the migration index does not take into consideration the reasons of the migration, therefore it cannot be used as a tool to explain the motives of migration. The insertion of other factors might render an index which is more capable to explain the reasons (for instance the socio-economic factors);
-the research tries to explain the reasons of the migration, without a scientifical approach. In order to better illustrate the socio-economic component, insert and present data as graph about (for the period 2012-2018): unemployment, minimum wage, GDP growth/value. Moreover, consider the socio-economic factors within the migration index;
-better stress the contributions of the actual research and not of the one linked with the previous survey;
- present the limitations of the research.
As regards the form:
-in abstract: be consistent with the numbers: “grew from 14% in 2014 to the fourth part of unemployed population...” – replace the fourth part with 25%;
-do not use colloquial phrases (replace “by the way” with “it is worthwhile to mention that...” or similar).
Author Response
Dear Reviewer!
Thank you very much for thorough analysis of my Manuscript and for your very useful remarks and recommendations! I was trying to meet all your requirements.
Best regards,
the Author
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Study was performed in appropriate methodological framework. It conveys a clear conclusive message which is grounded in evidence.
I would welcome expanding citation track record to include published evidence supportive of the claims in the text such as:
Jakovljevic, M. M., Netz, Y., Buttigieg, S. C., Adany, R., Laaser, U., & Varjacic, M. (2018). Population aging and migration–history and UN forecasts in the EU-28 and its east and south near neighborhood–one century perspective 1950–2050. Globalization and health, 14(1), 30.
Ogura, S., & Jakovljevic, M. (2014). Health Financing Constrained by Population Aging-An Opportunity to Learn from Japanese Experience. Serbian Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research, 15(4), 175-181.
Jakovljevic, M., Potapchik, E., Popovich, L., Barik, D., & Getzen, T. E. (2017). Evolving health expenditure landscape of the BRICS nations and projections to 2025. Health economics, 26(7), 844-852.
Jakovljević, M. (2017). Population ageing alongside health care spending growth. Srpski Arhiv, 145, 534-539.
Conditional to adopting some of these remarks I would like to warmly embrace the paper for publishing.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer!
Thank you very much for the analysis of my Manuscript, for your useful recommendations and for your positive view on the results of my work!
Best regards,
the Author
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
My compliments to the Authors who have addressed all the comments.
Reviewer 2 Report
The paper in the present form is suitable for publication.
