When i rejected some papers, i also used words like 'well-exectued' and 'interesting' such that the comments do not appear very discouraging. i may not really mean it...

However, the reviewers can be biased... Yes. 8% is quite low.

Try content analysis or grounded theory?

When three nobel laureates replied to me in email, not even one used the title, PhD or Dr.
Some prominent scientists even write their names in lowercase letters.

It is possible to 'earn' even more respect...
I can be quite biased...

Perhaps DrStrangelove should also be changed to Strangelove.
It is simply redundant here.

Google "list of scam journals"...

The problem is you do not know the author of this paper.
But this author could be one of the editors of the journal.

If there are inaccuracies in one's review, they may be criticized or discussed among the editors...
It is a very, very small world, many things may happen as a result...

In Medicine, there is Journal of Negative Results in BioMedicine.
In Physics, Michelson won the Nobel Prize in 1907 for negative result in an interferometer experiment.

Two more interesting quotes:

Our language has wisely sensed the two sides of being alone. It has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word solitude to express the glory of being alone. Paul Tillich

The biggest disease is not leprosy or cancer. It is the feeling of being uncared for, unwanted - of being deserted and alone. Mother Teresa

My suggestion is to distinguish the two words, solitude and loneliness.

Solitude is your choice to be alone even though you have many friends. Every human being needs solitude. It is a quiet time which one need for reflection or re-think future plans... When you're in solitude, you don't crave or think about others. According to Long and Averill (2003), "The paradigm experience of solitude is a state characterized by disengagement from the immediate demands of other people - a state of reduced social inhibition and increased freedom to select one's mental and physical activities".

Loneliness is about being alone when you have no choice... or you simple don't have any friend.

Another input for dan:
Retraction of paper may cause the *journal* to look bad for publishing incorrect or unreliable data.
Actually, it causes the *reviewers* to feel bad for accepting questionable paper.
It also causes the *editors* to feel bad for choosing the incapable reviewers and accepting the paper.

Thus, it is important to clarify the reason for retraction.

Moreover, the journal may not look good if too many papers are retracted. It suggests the journal does not have a rigorous review system. The other authors who have published papers in this journal may now look bad too.

Thanks Elsie! Your explanation is even more clear. :-)
Since tt_dan was annoyed that i was beating around the bush..., here is another moral question:

In your resume for applying job, you may include all your publications.
However, should you consider to include any paper that you've retracted, and state the reason for 'retraction'?

Based on individual employer's experience, they may choose to employ you or reject your application.
Of course, they may also evaluate your reason for 'retraction'.

Does it look bad if someone says sorry to you?

It may appear bad if we choose to focus on someone's intellectual mistake.
It may appear good if we choose to focus on someone's moral courage.