Post · bonfire.cafe

Some weeks ago I accepted a review request from a prestige journal (in a small field). I found the abstract interesting, but had hesitations due to poor experience with editorial process as an author with this journal, and since it was an El$evier journal (which I try to avoid doing free work for).

Now the deadline review is approaching, and the study was less interesting than assumed, has no data available, poor transparency, typos that should have been weeded out in the review process, and I'm regretting my decision. I will fortify my review policy for the future!

#AcademicChatter #AcademicPublishing #PeerReview #elsevier #OpenScience

#elsevier #academicpublishing #PeerReview #OpenScience #academicchatter

renebekkers

@renebekkers@mastodon.social · 23 hours ago

@satrevik Good to hear! For a while I have required access to data and code before accepting invitations to review, and it has been a good experience. Over the years I have raised the bar - it is good to see that authors are doing much better now than ten years ago https://renebekkers.wordpress.com/2025/01/21/raising-the-bar-for-peer-review-invitations/

Rene Bekkers

Raising the Bar for Peer Review Invitations

“Thank you for the invitation to review the manuscript you’ve received for possible publication in your journal. I will consider your request only if the data and code that produce the …

Bjørn Sætrevik

@satrevik@fediscience.org · 8 hours ago

@renebekkers Yes, I've thought of stating a similar requirement. Although I'm not sure if I would always have the time or skill to examine or redo their analysis, I think I should have the possibility to do so. Authors should not ask me to just take it on faith, but should provide data and code to all readers, and at the very least to editor and peer-reviewers.

Bjørn Sætrevik

@satrevik@fediscience.org · 8 hours ago

@renebekkers But I think most of the peer-review requests I get these days are in the form of "click here to accept, click here to decline". How do you feedback that your acceptance is conditional of data being provided? Do you decline and then add it as a comment?

And in some cases I need to see the full paper to find out if the data is there. Do you then first accept, check, and reject based on unavailable data?

renebekkers

@renebekkers@mastodon.social · 7 hours ago

@satrevik I just reply to the invitation email with the default response "without access to data I will have to decline". Editors want our services - the least they can do is write back. Occasionally a conversation emerges strengthening the confidence of the editor to ask the authors for access

Nazim Bharmal

@nab26@planetearth.social · 23 hours ago

@satrevik Since you aren't being paid and haven't otherwise signed a contract, you are eligible to either bail with a polite email saying you were wrong to take it on...or just reject. I am quite strict with rejection quickly. Post facto fortification?