Journal of Mountain Science是国际性英文刊。如果有意投稿到本刊，作者要考虑到研究区域、研究主题、研究方法方面是否能够吸引国际读者。

 一篇文章经编委初审后被退稿，编委认为文章的研究不能吸引国际读者的关注，虽然研究方法用了很多，也得到了不少结果，但没有新的内容，另外，采用的方法也是传统的研究方法。

Abstract: 

The region (7.6 square kilometers) selected for current study is part Siwalik Formation and located in the seismically active zone. Regional stratigraphy comprises sandstone, mudstone, Mirpur silts, and Sheared Clays. These Clays possess fissures, joints, and shear zones pose severe serviceability issues to the infrastructure resulting in significant property loss. As no previous study was performed on geotechnical characterization of strata therefore, lack of guidance for infrastructure development raise issues for community. The focus of the current study is to characterize the area with respect to its geological settings, seismic behavior, and particularly the geotechnical properties of sandstone and Clay being key components of stratigraphy. The study was accomplished through review of the geology and seismology of the area in conjunction with geotechnical testing including Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Atterberg limits, compaction, reversal shear, and consolidated undrained triaxial on selected samples. Tests’ results revealed that effective cohesion and angle of internal friction for sandstone were 0 and 35° respectively. Whereas the Clay contained Silica as major constituent and 67% of samples were classified as low plastic Clay. These have, maximum dry unit weight 18 kN/m3, optimum moisture content 17%, peak effective cohesion 23 kN/m3 and drained angle of friction 20.3° respectively. The residual drained angles of friction for samples from two shallow slides were 5.5 % below the corresponding peak values. This study will provide design parameters for lightweight infrastructure in the region and may be used as benchmark to formulate statutory regulations for sustainable development in the region。

Initial　review　comments：

 The main criticism of the manuscript is that the achieved results regard a very local aspect and it is not clear how this contribute to increase the international scientific knowledge. In particular, the research was based on a large number of laboratory tests (SEM, X-Ray diffraction, Atterberg's  limits, compaction and shear testing, triaxial test) performed on 58 samples, but the achieved results appear to be non-innovative and the used approach is widely known in scientific literature. I did not see any new method or improvement of existing methodologies and therefore the paper does not attract the international readers' interest. So the paper appears to be as a long list of geotechnical features and a real discussion of the data and results achieved, as well as how the geotechnical properties are related among them, are missing.
Finally, several figures are useless (such as figures 11 and 13)．

Main issues:

1）关注的是一个只有本地兴趣的研究话题，不适合在国际性期刊发表；

2）采用大量的试验手段进行测试分析，但得出的结果和结论都没有新意；

3）使用的研究手段是学界普遍采用的，没有方法的创新，也没有任何方法的改进。

Then what's local study and what are  topics that can attract international attention?

In my view, local study: 

1) 研究的区域过小；2）研究的区域没有独特性或者国际代表性；3）研究的话题只有少数人会关注

an international topic has the following characteratics:

1) Wide study area: whole world, specific continents, a whole watershed of a large river, the whole mountain range of a world famous mountain

2) Study area is international famous sites such as world heritage site, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), national park. 

3)  Topics are close to or  can affect most people's or everyone's lives.

在思考研究主题的国际性方面，可以参考联合国2030年可持续发展目标进行布局：

1. 消除贫困；

2. 消除饥饿；

3. 良好健康与福祉; 

4. 优质教育；

5. 性别平等；

6. 清洁的饮用水；

7. 能承担得起的清洁能源；

8. 体面的工作和经济增长；

9. 工业、创新以及基础设施建设；

10. 减少不平等；

11. 可持续发展的城市和社区；

12. 负责任的生产和消费；

13. 气候行动；

14. 保护水生生物；

15. 保护陆生生物；

16. 和平、正义和强有力的组织机构；

17. 加强全球对实现可持续发展目标的协作。

根据我们期刊的刊稿方向，我列举了一些主题, 供拟向本刊投稿的作者参考：

1）中国山区少数民族的脱贫或者贫困问题

2）中国山区性别平等与乡村振兴问题

3）大流域的水资源利用与保护

4）山区独特资源的利用与保护

5）世界遗产地旅游资源的开发与保护

6）山区道路建设与脱贫致富（大区域的道路建设或者跨区域道路建设）

7）大的断裂带沿线地区的地质灾害监测、预报、预警

8） 地质灾害多发区山区城镇建设规划

9）重大工程建设所涉及的关键环境问题和地质灾害风险

10）大区域内的植被、冰川、湖泊、水资源的变化及驱动力研究