Peer reviewer fatigue, or peer reviewer refusal?

Area of Science:

• Scholarly communication
• Academic publishing
• Peer review studies

Background:

• The peer review process is experiencing significant delays.
• Existing research attributes this slowdown primarily to academic fatigue.
• An under-researched factor, academic refusal to review for for-profit journals, is examined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of academics refusing to review for for-profit journals on peer review speed.
• To synthesize existing accounts of this refusal from various sources.
• To propose preliminary suggestions for academics to address peer review speed and publisher dissatisfaction.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of qualitative data from scholarly blogs.
• Analysis of journal editorials discussing peer review practices.
• Examination of social media movements related to academic publishing.

Main Results:

• Academics are increasingly refusing manuscript reviews for for-profit journals.
• This refusal presents both advantages and disadvantages for the academic community and the publishing system.
• Preliminary suggestions are offered to balance review speed and academic concerns regarding publishing practices.

Conclusions:

• Academic refusal to review for for-profit journals is a significant, under-researched contributor to slowed peer review.
• This phenomenon offers an alternative conceptualization of the peer review slowdown beyond academic fatigue.
• The findings provide a basis for developing strategies to improve peer review efficiency and address academic publishing concerns.