Some Consequences of Refusing to Participate in Peer Review

The proliferation of journals has had an unexpected side effect: it is now difficult to find qualified reviewers willing to devote the time necessary for assessing journal contributions. Although it is difficult to find data, most scientists involved in the academic world have their inboxes deluged with a cornucopia of invitations to submit to new journals, speak at conferences (as a keynote, for sure!), and review articles. New online journals (such as ours) strive to publish the finest and most relevant work for our readers while at the same time maintaining rapid “turn around times” for authors. This requires that a complex system function flawlessly. But, there are some aspects of the system that are creaky; some are broken entirely.