Scholarly publishing depends on peer reviewers.

Area of Science:

• Scholarly Publishing
• Scientific Communication
• Research Integrity

Background:

• The current scholarly peer-review system is under significant strain.
• Journals struggle to find enough peer reviewers, impacting publication timelines and quality.
• Existing solutions to the reviewer shortage are debated, with uncertain outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical issue of the peer-review crisis in scholarly publishing.
• To propose a novel solution for acknowledging the contributions of peer reviewers.
• To explore the potential benefits of a dedicated peer-reviewer category.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the current challenges in the peer-review process.
• Review of existing and proposed solutions for reviewer shortages.
• Conceptual proposal for a new contributor category in academic publishing.

Main Results:

• The peer-review crisis poses a substantial risk to the integrity of scholarly journals.
• Various solutions are being considered, but their long-term impact remains unpredictable.
• There is a lack of formal recognition for the essential work performed by peer reviewers.

Conclusions:

• The shortage of peer reviewers is a critical threat to scholarly publishing.
• Acknowledging peer reviewers formally, akin to authors and collaborators, warrants consideration.
• Implementing a new category for peer reviewers could incentivize participation and enhance recognition.