There is no easy fix to peer review but paying referees and regulating the number of submissions might help

The peer review process, vital to scientific dissemination, faces challenges like being slow, biased, and overloaded. Reforms, including paid professional reviewers, are proposed to address inefficiencies and incentivize participation. However, monetary incentives risk ethical issues and sustainability concerns. Alternatives, like unreviewed preprints and predatory journals, threaten the system if not reformed. Comprehensive changes in academic publishing and shifting away from the “publish or perish” culture are essential for maintaining peer review integrity and effectiveness. This article emphasizes the need for a balanced and transparent approach to compensating reviewers, while also considering broader reforms in academic publishing practices.

View the article

F1000Res. 2024 May 2;13:439. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.148985.1.

Recommended on behalf of EASE by Silvia Maina, Italy