INFORMS Open Forum

Confidentiality in Peer Review

  • 1.  Confidentiality in Peer Review

    Posted 01-19-2021 15:34

    The INFORMS Publications Committee notes that a recent event in academic publications may be relevant to our community. A publicly accessible paper was posted that discusses the growth of finance as an academic discipline, and reports detailed acceptance and rejection statistics for one specific (non-INFORMS) journal: These statistics show accept/rejection decisions and turnaround times of each referee for the journal, by name, over the last 25 years or so. 

    The publication of this personal information has raised important concerns for the entire community.

    Our system is designed around trust and confidential information. We do not share referee reports outside the review team and authors, nor do we provide any statistics to the public on individual referee recommendations or the editorial process.

    Disclosing referee information violates INFORMS policy. The INFORMS Publications Committee, which includes the editors of all INFORMS publications, would like to assure the community that all INFORMS publications continue to follow this important policy and will not disclose confidential information.

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    Cole Smith, Chair
    on behalf of the INFORMS Publications Committee
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    Cole Smith
    Syracuse University
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