The Reality of Peer Review: Why It Can't Be Done in 4 Weeks
I often write here about the dangers of dubious, predatory or near-predatory journals and their so-called "peer review" processes. One of the most ridiculous aspects? They publish papers in just 4 weeks or less. That’s simply impossible if we’re talking about genuine peer review (for a "worst-practice example", see here: https://lnkd.in/eKrCSCYX).
Let’s break it down: the peer review process is NOT just the time a paper spends with reviewers. There are many steps involved, including:
1️⃣ Editorial Processing: Before a paper even reaches a reviewer, the editor has to read it and decide whether it’s even suitable for review. This alone can take time.
2️⃣ Finding Reviewers: The editor has to identify suitable reviewers and invite them—then wait for them to accept or sometimes decline. If reviewers can’t take it on, they have to start the search again.
3️⃣ The Review: Once accepted, the reviewers need time allocate time from their busy schedule to carefully read and assess the paper. Many high-quality journals set a 2-3 week deadline for this, but thoughtful critique takes effort. Rushing this stage risks quality and the shorter the given time, the less likely it is that suitable reviewers will agree because they have other things on their desk as well.
4️⃣ Editorial Decision: After receiving the reviews, the editor has to read through them, evaluate the feedback, and decide whether to accept, reject, or ask for revisions.
5️⃣ Revisions & Final Publishing: The authors may need to revise their paper based on reviewer feedback. This can be quick or take more time, depending on the complexity of the changes. Then, it needs to be published!
Bottom Line: This whole process cannot be rushed into a 4-week timeline. It’s simply impossible to do a thorough, fair (!), and scientific review in that timeframe. And that is why predatory journals are dangerous—they cut corners, and we end up with bad science.
Yes, high-quality journals can be painfully slow. Reviewers sometimes nitpick, and even reputable journals occasionally publish weak papers (which even occasionally need to get retracted). However, the frequency of this in reputable journals is only a fraction compared to journals with fake or nonexistent review processes.
But let’s not confuse these two problems. The long review times at reputable journals are an issue we need to work on (although this might require some more drastic changes in the system such as paying reviewers or other ideas which are being discussed). The "peer review" in predatory journals is a completely different—and dangerous—problem. Thus: Can we please not use the one as an excuse for the other and tackle both issues?
Don’t let whataboutism distract you. We need to stay vigilant against flawed peer review practices that damage the credibility of science - and work on improving the other processes🔍
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