PONE-D-23-34501The light at the end of the tunnel? A systematic review of higher education student experiences of hopePLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Berry,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. Please see the comments in the attached file. There are not many but please look at the grammar and try to make your sentences shorter.

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We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Mary Diane Clark, PhD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Additional Editor Comments (if provided):

Interesting article, thank you for allowing us to review it. I struggled to find reviewers so and going to use my own with the one that I did get.

Overall the paper is fine. Please do check the length of your sentences as noted in the attached file. There are a few other issues in that attachment.

[Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.]

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: N/A

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

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Reviewer #1: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: As an assistant professor working with undergraduate and graduate students in the field of Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at a small university, I found your manuscript particularly relevant and engaging. My role involves extensive interaction with college students, and understanding their experiences, particularly in terms of hope and well-being, has a crucial aspect of my work and even more so post-Covid.

Your systematic review and meta-synthesis are impressively thorough. The methodological approach, including the extensive literature search and careful selection of studies, is admirable. The use of quality appraisal tools like MMAT and GRADE-CERQual further strengthens the reliability of your findings.

Given the qualitative nature of your study, the absence of detailed statistical analysis seems appropriate. The thematic analysis approach you've used effectively synthesizes the data and supports your conclusions in a meaningful way.

The Data Availability Statement in your manuscript is clear and adheres to the principles of transparency and accessibility, essential in research. Additionally, I found no issues regarding dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics in your paper.

Your research significantly enriches our understanding of student experiences in higher education and is particularly meaningful to those of us dedicated to student education and welfare. Given my background, it would be fascinating to see similar research conducted specifically with Deaf and hard of hearing college students. Such studies could provide deeper insights into the unique experiences and challenges faced by this student population.

The process has been highly informative and a valuable learning experience for me. I've gained new insights into the field of higher education student experiences, which I can apply in my own academic and professional endeavors. This review has not only broadened my understanding of the subject matter but also enhanced my skills in critical analysis and evaluation of research work.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this work.

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Dr. Frances F. Courson

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Attachments

Attachment

Submitted filename: Hope changes.docx

The light at the end of the tunnel? A systematic review of higher education student experiences of hope

PONE-D-23-34501R1

Dear Dr. Berry,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

Mary Diane Clark, PhD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Thanks for taking care of those corrections. At this point I am recommending that you are given the green light to go ahead. Congraduations

Reviewers' comments: