Research on the Spatial Spillover Effect of Industrial Agglomeration on the Economic Growth in the Yellow River Basin

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Congratulations for authors for taking up an explorative study .The authors can look in to following points 

* Little more background information about the topic can be provided in the introduction , to be specific, the statement of the problem should be stated precisely 

* The authors can include a seperate segment after policy recommendations, ie, Scope for Future Research Direction which will be more useful for upcoming researchers in this field 

* When I checked the reference segment , referencing style is not uniform , kindly bring uniformity in referencing 

* Minor copy editing is required for the paper 

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The subject of this paper is very important. I really enjoyed reading this paper. However, I am concerned about the following points.

1. The only important issue is the definition of agglomeration. Usually, the agglomeration is a very small area compared to the Chinese prefecture. For example, Bangkok's Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate (ESIE) is an example of an agglomeration. This paper deals with the Yellow River Basin, which seems too large to be analysed based on the agglomeration literature. This should be a regional development issue.

2. The first point is critical when dealing with spillovers. The mechanism needs to be clarified in this paper. In the agglomeration literature, there are several spillover mechanisms, such as learning from neighbouring factories. This mechanism works when factories are located next to each other but not from one prefecture to another. 

3. Once the mechanism is defined, we can analyse how the spillover works. 

(Minor point)

1. The paragraph on page 2 is too long, and the structure needs to be stronger.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

This manuscript studies the spatial spillover effect of industrial agglomeration on economic growth in the Yellow River Basin. The topic is interesting. However, the contributions of this manuscript are not highlighted, and the authors should penetrate further and explore more useful insights. The recommended revisions are given below:

1.  There is a lack of logic between the sentences, and only a simple display of the relevant literature on the impact of industrial agglomeration on the economy, lacking the induction and integration of the literature. In addition, there are many articles on similar research. The innovation and significance of this manuscript are not emphasized. It is suggested to rewrite this section.

2.  The scientificity and rationality of variable selection need to be strengthened. The reasons for measuring the three clusters (manufacturing aggregation, producer service industry aggregation, and synergic aggregation) must be sufficient. And the selection of control variables should be supported by literature or theory.

3.  Please add Discussion section concerning the empirical study (comparing results with previous studies, using China’s economic reality to explain the results, …, etc.)

4.  The policy implications are too general. They should be more specific, practical and matched with the research results.

5.     The language needs to be polished. There are many grammatical errors in the manuscript.

6.     Please check and unify the format of the formula and citations in the manuscript.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

I think this paper is now ready for publication.

Reviewer 3 Report

This manuscript has been greatly improved. If possible, language expression can be more professional and authentic.