The peer review system is breaking down. Here’s how we can fix it

By Hamid R. Jamali, Professor, School of Information and Communication Studies, Charles Sturt University
Edward Luca, Course Director and Senior Lecturer, Information Studies, Charles Sturt University
Simon Wakeling, Lecturer, School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University

Scientific publishing relies on peer review as the mechanism that maintains trust in what we publish. When we read a journal article, we assume experts have rigorously scrutinised it before publication. This crucial system is currently under severe strain.

We conducted a comprehensive study of Australian academic journals and their editors – surveying 139 editors and interviewing 27. The picture is concerning.

Finding qualified peer reviewers…

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