Early-Career Publishing and Reviewing: Pitfalls and Perspectives

Abstract

While the publishing landscape has drastically changed in recent decades, publishing productivity metrics (e.g., citation scores) and support for early-career researchers (ECRs) have not kept pace. ECRs are individuals currently in school, up to 8 years post final degree, or on the job market, and being an ECR is inherently characterized by transitions that coincide with potential career instability and pressure to find a permanent job. The global pandemic years exacerbated the publishing challenges ECRs faced, from reviewer scarcity to publishing equity gaps across gender and race. We sought to evaluate ECR attitudes towards publishing, reviewing, and open access (OA), as well as identify common barriers ECRs encountered in the current publishing system. We solicited ECR perspectives by distributing a survey to ECRs from September to October of 2023, resulting in 162 self-identified ECRs in ecology, including students (38%), postdoctoral scholars (29%), those in permanent positions (31%; e.g., faculty, state, and federal government), or working outside ecology altogether (2%). Overwhelmingly, cost, reviewer compensation, time constraints, and insufficient mentorship were the major barriers identified by ECRs. We suggest that institutions, journal publishers, mid- and late-career ecologists, and professional societies adopt focused strategies to support ECRs through more diverse and inclusive financial support for publishing, broader metrics to measure scientific productivity beyond traditional citation-based metrics, additional means to compensate reviewers, and training and mentorship to students and postdoctoral researchers on reviewer expectations and etiquette. Several survey respondents also noted that the publishing system would be more equitable if all scientific journals transitioned to double-blind peer review. If scientific organizations, institutions, and publishers wish to promote a sustainable and diverse scientific publishing system in the future, they need to focus on the needs and challenges of early-career researchers.