Open-Access Publishing and the Reviewer Crisis: Rethinking Incentives for Quality Peer Review

Open-Access Publishing and the Reviewer Crisis: Rethinking Incentives for Quality Peer Review

 

Mohamed Farouk Allam (1,2)

1. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Egypt; 2. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cordoba, Spain.

 

Qeios (2025): https://www.qeios.com/read/P3T1E1.

 

DOI:10.32388/P3T1E1

 

Abstract

 

Open-access journals often charge article publication fees, typically amounting to thousands of USD or Euros. Fee waivers are generally limited to manuscripts from low-income countries. The quality of published manuscripts, whether in open-access or APC-based journals, depends heavily on external reviewers and associated editors. Their critical role ensures originality, rigorous methodology, and impactful research. However, reviewers receive minimal rewards, such as a certificate, acknowledgment, or discounts on future publications. These incentives are usually insufficient to attract senior researchers, who frequently decline the numerous review requests they receive daily. As a result, the task often falls to junior researchers with fewer publications and limited experience in high-impact research. This lack of adequate recognition and tangible benefits for reviewers poses challenges in maintaining high-quality peer review standards. Considering the significant revenue journals earn from APCs, particularly in prestigious gold open-access models, offering substantial financial incentives to reviewers could be a prudent strategy. Such measures would encourage senior experts to contribute their time and expertise, ensuring a more rigorous and high-quality review process.

 

Keywords: Open-access journals; article processing charges; gold open access; review; Publication fees.

 

Mohamed Farouk Allam. (2025). Open-Access Publishing and the Reviewer Crisis: Rethinking Incentives for Quality Peer Review. Qeios. doi:10.32388/P3T1E1.

 

https://www.qeios.com/read/P3T1E1