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The Unseen Costs of Peer Review
Or why peer review can never be free (even if your paper is perfect)
Alice Ellingham, DirectorEditorial Office LimitedHampshire, UK
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Who are the main players in peer review?
Publish (print/online) Market
Distribute / host
Add value
Foster editorial independenceDrive to improve publication standards
Publisher / Society
Reproduced with permission from APSAPS News, June 2002 Issue
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Who are the main players in peer review?
Professor - Clinician or Researcher
Not reimbursed for time
Very high ideals and plans for their journal
Demand instant support
Provide very high quality editorial input
Editor-in-Chief / Associate Editors
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Who are the main players in peer review?
Least understood by editorial office?First contact in peer review process
Early career to seasoned author
Time dependent
English not always first language
Authors
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Who are the main players in peer review?
Reviewers
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Who are the main players in peer review?
Reviewers
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Who are the main players in peer review?
Hard to secure
Over loaded with requests
Often require chasing
Don’t always submit
Absolutely necessary to current peer reviewNo financial reimbursement for time
Reviewers
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The Publishing CycleThe STM Report , March 2015 ©STM: International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers
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The Publishing CycleThe STM Report , March 2015 ©STM: International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers
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??
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How big is the STM journal industry?
©STM: International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers
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3 Case StudiesEmails
New Submissions
Other
Production
Queues
Reports
Reviewers
Revised Submissions
2015 Data for Journals A, B and C
JOURNALAnnual New Submissions
Average Weekly Hours
Average Mins / New Submission
A 1921 29.05 47.2
B 1481 21.69 45.7
C 823 13.82 51.7
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Are all journals the same then…….?
Journal A Journal B Journal C0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100% Revised Subs
Reviewers
Reports
Queues
Production
Other
New Subs
Emails
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Editorial Office Tasks
SubmissionScope
Submission Policy
Ethics
Declarations
ReviewInvite
Secure
Chase In
DecisionAssist
Chase In
Production AssistAuthor
Editor
Editorial Board
Reviewer
Publisher
Reader
Copy-editing
Technical Edit
Export
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‘Assist……..’
“I will promptly rewrite the text and references according to the Harvard format. Meanwhile, what are ‘line numbers’?”
Production
“…does my Mother’s pocket money count as financial assistance?”Financial disclosure:
"The in house editors are strong and water proof (not something you can claim of computers!)” Late review excuses:
“We did not need ethical approval as the Mole Rats consented to participate in our studies”Lack of animal ethics:
"Data from one subject was excluded due to head motion and from two subjects because they fell asleep in the scanner"
Exclusion of data:
"Dr. XXX refers to an attached file, but I can't find it. Can you help?”File omissions:
“I have uploaded the wrong review – it’s for an entirely different paper. HELP!!! “Reviewers:
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Peer Review can never be free because……
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Individual editorial assistants often have no experience and little training
…however, it can be cheaper.Editorial Office oversight
Publishers often have no breakdown of editorial time
Publisher’s innovations and standards do not always filter down
Best Practice
Standards often dictated by EIC or Society against publisher’s recommendations
Not consistent from journal to journal (or publisher to publisher)
No industry standard
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Lack of Oversight Example – Society Journal XMedium sized journal with 4% growth over past three years
352013 2014 2015
950
970
990
1010
1030
1050
1070
New Submissions
45
Weekly editorial hours
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Lack of Oversight Example – Society Journal XMedium sized journal with 4% growth over past three years
2013 2014 2015950
970
990
1010
1030
1050
1070
New Submissions Weekly editorial hours
17
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How do you reduce time?
Anna Assistant
Emily Editorial
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Author tools
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Unseen costs of peer reviewCommunicationAssistance to all participantsEnsuring the high standard of peer review
Know the tasksKnow the timeUse best practice
Reduce overall cost