Why is it so difficult to find peer reviewers who are willing to review submitted work, particularly in the open-access model that asks researchers to suggest possible peer reviewers? I am a researcher in dentistry at an established school in the English-speaking West Indies having difficulty with finding peer reviewers for recently submitted work.

I'm not clear why you as the author would be seeking peer reviewers. That is normally the task of the journal to which you submitted your article. This ensures that the reviewers are at arm's length from you. Recruiting your own reviewers introduces potential bias into the system. The chosen reviewer could be a friend or close associate, thus spoiling the independence of the review. Perhaps you are thinking of colleagues who could help you assess the paper before you submit it. For this, you could contact the Dentistry Research Network: https://www.ssrn.com/index.cfm/en/dentistryrn/

William Badke I absolutely agree with you! This can introduce potential bias into the peer review process, however, many open-access journals ask authors to identify potential peer reviewers. I myself do not understand or approve of this process.

Shivaughn