Reviewer Recognition Program

Peer reviewers are essential to the quality, integrity, and impact of our journal. To recognize the time, care, and expertise that reviewers contribute, we maintain a structured incentive program that assigns a monetary value to each completed review. These values are not payments or financial donations - they are a way of acknowledging and quantifying the professional time our volunteer reviewers generously give to the community. The calculated value is based on review completion and turnaround time and is recognized as donations (shown here) made by our reviewers.

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1. Base recognition for every completed Round 1 Review

For each Round 1 review that is completed and submitted through our system, the reviewer's volunteer contribution will be valued at $200. This base recognition applies to all completed reviews that meet our editorial quality expectations, regardless of turnaround time.

2. Speed bonuses based on invitation date (Round 1 Only)

To support timely editorial decisions and a smooth experience for authors, we offer additional recognition for reviews completed promptly. The timing is measured from the moment the review invitation is sent.

2.1 Speed bonus tiers

• Completed within 7 days of invitation: the reviewer’s recognized donation increases by $300 (total recognition: $500).
• Completed within 14 days of invitation: the reviewer’s recognized donation increases by $200 (total recognition: $400).
• Completed within 21 days of invitation: the reviewer’s recognized donation increases by $100 (total recognition: $300).
• Completed after 21 days of invitation: no speed bonus applies, but the reviewer still receives the $200 base recognition.

These time windows and corresponding dates are clearly stated in each review invitation so reviewers can plan their workload with confidence.

2.2 How timing is calculated

The countdown for speed bonuses begins at the timestamp when the invitation email is sent, not when the reviewer accepts the invitation. This provides a single, consistent reference point for all parties and ensures that every invitation follows the same rules.

3. Editorial quality expectations

Recognition is intended for reviews that meaningfully contribute to the editorial process. To that end, both the base recognition and any applicable speed bonuses are contingent on the review:

• Addressing the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses in a substantive way.
• Providing constructive, respectful feedback for authors.
• Offering a clear recommendation and rationale for that recommendation.

The journal reserves the discretion to withhold bonuses or base recognition in rare cases where a submitted review does not meet minimal editorial standards (for example, if it is extremely brief, non‑substantive, or clearly incomplete).

4. Nature of this recognition program

All amounts described in this program represent the estimated monetary value of volunteer time contributed. Reviewers do not receive direct cash payments. These values are purely symbolic, intended to acknowledge and quantify the professional time volunteered by each reviewer.

5. Commitment to reviewer community

This incentive program is one part of our commitment to build a respectful, sustainable reviewer community. We recognize that peer review is a significant professional contribution, and we are committed to recognizing reviewers’ time and expertise for the value it brings to the community.

We will periodically review program details and refine specific amounts or structures with the goal of balancing fairness, quality, and the long‑term impact of the initiative.