Reviewing a journal article for free is common practice in academic publishing and is generally considered part of the responsibility of researchers within a given field. Peer review helps ensure the quality and integrity of scholarly work, and reviewers provide valuable feedback that improves the article.However, whether it's "fair" can depend on perspective. From the journal's side, they typically rely on volunteers because many academic journals, especially those that are open access, may have limited funding to compensate reviewers. From the reviewer's perspective, it may feel like unpaid labor, especially if the review process is time-consuming. In some fields, there are initiatives that offer recognition or small incentives (like discounts on future article submission fees), but compensation for reviews is not yet widespread. Some researchers argue that compensating peer reviewers might improve the quality of the review process by motivating reviewers to dedicate more time and effort.If you're doing this for the first time, it's important to weigh the value of contributing to your field, learning from the review process, and whether the effort is something you're comfortable with without direct compensation.
This question has been discussed here several time. Here is a selection:
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Why-the-article-reviewing-peer-review-in-Journal-and-Conference-is-a-voluntary-work/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_many_researchers_think_publishers_journals_should_pay_for_their_content_and_also_for_peer_review/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/If_there_is_ever_going_to_be_a_time_peer_reviewers_will_be_paid_for_their_services_the_time_is_now/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Should_journals_pay_for_peer_review_work/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Why_open-access_journals_reviewers_do_not_get_paid_for_their_job/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Why_dont_journals_pay_reviewers_and_still_sell_publications/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Why_dont_journals_pay_to_reviewers_as_they_bleed_authors_for_publication_fees/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Reviewers_participation_should_be_considered_too/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/What-are-the-benefits-of-being-a-reviewer-for-a-journal/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Rewarding_the_work_of_the_referees/1
The question of fairness in not compensating reviewers has indeed been a recurring topic in academic discussions. Many researchers have raised concerns about the lack of compensation for peer reviewers, considering the time and expertise they contribute to the scholarly review process. While some journals and publishers have started offering incentives like free journal access or discounts on publication fees, the majority still rely on the goodwill of researchers to maintain the peer-review system.
Addressing this issue would likely require broader discussions within the academic community and potentially new funding models to ensure a fairer and more sustainable approach to peer review.
Hello Faizan Kashoo
Thank you for your excellent points. And thank you to Izzeddin A. Bdair
for the additional points. I share the concerns about fairness and add that it may help academic opportunity. I know that even though I do not get paid, my organisation would like me to review for more journals to improve their reputation.So maybe this is should be about "opportunity" more than "fairness"... (?)
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Organizational Psychology
- Training