Where are the carrots? A proposal to start crediting peer reviewers for their contribution to science

Abstract

• The peer review system is viewed by many as being flawed and antiquated.
• While it is unlikely that the system will be overhauled completely, some changes seem to be warranted.
• Our proposal is to change the incentives to do peer review by making reviews a part of the tenure criteria and valuing reviews as a contribution to the literature.
• The proposal would require more transparency than is currently the industry norm to prevent unwanted effects.
• We believe these changes would not only increase willingness to review, but also lead to shorter turnaround times and increase the quality of reviews.